The adjutant general shall have immediate charge of the state arsenal under the supervision of the governor. The adjutant general shall have charge and care of all state and United States military property for which the state is responsible and shall cause to be kept an accurate and careful account of all receipts and issues of the same. He or she shall require to be kept a careful memorandum of all public property on hand in the state arsenal and in the possession of the several organizations of the Kansas army and air national guard, or Kansas state guard and will guard said property against injury and loss to the extent of his or her ability; the adjutant general shall require every accountable and responsible officer of the Kansas army and air national guard, or Kansas state guard to account for every deficiency in public property in such officer’s possession immediately after such deficiency is discovered. The adjutant general may appoint two assistant adjutants general who may have the rank of brigadier general when they are assigned as head of the department of the army national guard or the department of the air national guard, and who shall have served at least five years as commissioned officers in the Kansas army or air national guard who shall be within the classified service of the Kansas civil service act.

The office of one of the assistant adjutants general will be with the adjutant general, and the assistant shall assist the adjutant general in the performance of such duties as may be assigned to him or her and the assistant may perform the duties of the adjutant general in the case of absence, inability, or by express direction of the latter, and at such time the assistant will sign as “acting adjutant general.” He or she may appoint one special assistant adjutant general, with the rank of colonel, who shall have served at least five years as a commissioned officer with the Kansas national guard and who shall be within the classified service of the Kansas civil service act; and one judge advocate general, with the rank of colonel. The adjutant general may, with the approval of the governor, promote a judge advocate general who has served thirty (30) or more years of combined service in the Kansas national guard and United States military forces, with the rank of colonel for at least ten (10) years, to the rank of brigadier general.

Subject to the approval of the governor, and, within the provisions of the civil service law and available appropriations, the adjutant general may appoint one finance and disbursing officer with the rank of colonel, who acts as disbursing officer for the state; and such other assistants and clerical employees as may be necessary to carry out properly the provisions of this act.