[DesertRhino]

That office manager concept you mention probably is the beginning. Also, back in those days commissioned officers didn’t see themselves as SETTING national policy as much as faithfully executing it. (With the exception of MaCarthur and to a lesser degree Lemay).

[robowombat]

Yes pretty much true. Before WW2 it was considered bad form for a commissioned officer to even vote. I remember a neighbor who was USMA Class of 1933 telling me that was true when I asked him about that statement in some ones memoirs.