§15-1A-3. Duties.

(a) The Adjutant General shall be chief of staff to the Governor and commanding general of the organized militia. He or she shall direct the planning and employment of the military forces of the state in carrying out their state mission, establish unified command of state forces whenever jointly engaged, coordinate the military affairs with the civil defense of the state and organize and coordinate the activities of all civil agencies including local and state police in event of declaration of a limited emergency by the Governor pursuant to §15-1D-1 et seq. of this code. In time of emergency or disaster, the Adjutant General shall coordinate his or her activities with those of the Office of Emergency Services provided for by §15-5-1 et seq. of this code. He or she shall be custodian of all military records of the state and shall keep the same indexed and available for ready reference. He or she shall keep an itemized account of all moneys received and dispensed from all sources and shall make an annual report to the Governor on the condition of the organized militia, receipts and expenditures and such other matters relating to the military forces of the state and the Adjutant General’s department as he or she shall deem expedient.

(b) The Adjutant General shall be responsible for the organization, administration, training, and supply of the organized militia and shall cause to be procured, prepared, and issued to the organizations of the organized militia all necessary books and blanks for reports, records, returns, and general administration, and shall, at the expense of the state, cause the military laws, military code and rules and regulations in force to be printed, bound in proper form and distributed, one copy to each commissioned officer, and one each to all the circuit, intermediate and criminal court judges, sheriffs and justices of the peace in the state requiring them and shall procure and supply all necessary textbooks of drill and instruction. He or she shall keep in his or her office an accurate account of all state and United States property issued to the state. He or she shall keep on file in his or her office all official bonds required by this chapter, the reports and returns of troops and military forces of the state and all other writings and papers which are required to be transmitted to and preserved at the general headquarters of the organized militia.

(c) The Adjutant General shall keep records of all service personnel from the State of West Virginia, commissioned or enlisted, in any of the wars of the United States and of individual claims of citizens of West Virginia for service rendered in such wars. He or she shall assist all persons residing in this state having claims against the United States for pension, bounty, or back pay or such claims as have arisen out of, or by reason of, service in any of said wars. To this end he or she shall cooperate with the agents or attorneys of such claimants, furnish to claimants only all necessary certificates or certified abstracts from, or copies of, records or documents in his or her office and shall seek in all practicable ways to secure speedy and just action in all claims now pending or which may hereafter be filed: Provided, That any and all of the above services shall be rendered without charge to the claimant. He or she shall establish and maintain as a part of his or her office a bureau of records of the services of the West Virginia troops during such wars and shall keep arranged in proper and convenient form all records and papers pertaining thereto.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, the Adjutant General shall cooperate with the State Resiliency Office to the fullest extent practicable to assist that office in fulfilling its duties.