Quartermaster



Quartermaster is a military term, the meaning of which depends on the service.

In the Union Army, the term is used to describe all supply personnel and units that are part of the Quartermaster Corps. The Quartermaster Corps is a combat service support (CSS), branch of the Army. It is also one of three Army logistics branches, the others being the Transportation Corps and the Ordnance Corps.

Union Fleet officers in the Supply Corps are called Quartermasters and have a variety of duties such as supply and logistics, inventory control, disbursement and financial management, contracting, fuels management, food service and physical distribution of supplies.

Duties for a civilian Quartermaster aboard a spacecraft are similar to those of a Fleet Quartermaster.

In the Fleet, Quartermasters are staff officers, not line officers; therefore they cannot command a warship. They may command resupply or refuel ships, supply or fuel depots or land-based supply detachments. The highest rank attainable is 'Three Star' or Vice Admiral