(1) The Governor shall nominate and, by and with the consent of the Senate, appoint and commission an Adjutant General, which appointment shall carry with it the rank of major general; provided, however, that if the person nominated is a retired officer who has attained a rank higher than that of major general he may, at the discretion of the Governor, retain such rank but his compensation shall not be increased above that amount hereinafter provided. The four-year term of the Adjutant General shall expire with the expiration of the appointing Governor’s term of office. The Adjutant General shall be chief of staff to the Governor, subordinate only to the Governor in matters affecting the military department and militia of this state.
(2) To be eligible for such appointment, the Adjutant General shall have attained at least the rank of colonel, shall be eligible to receive federal recognition upon his appointment, and shall have served at least seven (7) years in the Armed Forces of the United States, either in active federal service or as a member of a reserve component, with at least three (3) years of such service in the Mississippi National Guard. At least five (5) years of such service shall have been as a commissioned officer.