There shall be a staff of the commander-in-chief. The staff shall consist of:

(1)  The adjutant general who shall be chief of staff, commanding general of the Rhode Island army and air national guard, and paymaster general with the rank not to exceed that of major general;

(2)  The assistant adjutant general who shall be assistant chief of staff;

(3)  One state judge advocate who shall be an officer of the organized militia; and

(4)  Eight (8) aides-de-camp who shall be detailed by the commander-in-chief from the commissioned officers of the national guard or naval militia, in active or retired service; provided, however, the commander-in-chief may appoint as five (5) of the eight (8) aides-de-camp honorably discharged commissioned officers, who were in the military or naval services of the United States in time of war; or commissioned officers with the rank of their commissions therein, of the armed forces reserve of the United States or the retired list of officers of the regular armed forces of the United States; and, provided, further, that, when the national guard is absent from the state in the active military service of the United States, the commander-in-chief, in his or her discretion, may detail as aides-de-camp commissioned officers of the state guard, but in no event shall the total number of aides-de-camp on the staff of the commander-in-chief exceed eight (8). Officers detailed from the national guard, the naval militia, or the state guard, shall have the rank of their commissions in the national guard, naval militia, or state guard and shall not be relieved from duty with their organizations during their term of office on the staff of the commander-in-chief. Honorably discharged commissioned officers appointed as aides-de-camp by the commander-in-chief shall have the same rank as they held at the time of their discharge from the military or naval service of the United States or of any higher rank to which they are entitled at the time of their appointment. All aides-de-camp shall hold office during the term of office of the commander-in-chief or at his or her pleasure.