That fact frequently is cited by legislators who oppose Gov. Mark Sanford's proposal to make the adjutant general an appointed position rather than being elected.

As adjutant general, Spears oversees the 13,500-member S.C. Army and Air National Guard, the state Emergency Preparedness Division and the volunteer State Guard.

Sanford believes South Carolina governors need expanded powers in order to govern effectively, including the authority to appoint eight of the state's nine constitutional officers. While not endorsing Sanford's reorganization plan entirely, the governor's Com-mission on Management, Accountability and Performance did recommend allowing the governor to appoint two of the eight officials currently elected by voters -- the superintendent of education and the adjutant general.

The S.C. General Assembly probably will consider those proposals this year, but voters would ultimately need to approve the changes.

While strong legislative support for changing the superintendent of education selection process exists, the adjutant general proposal could spark fierce legislative battles.

Already, a group of lawmakers, including Sen. Wes Hayes, R-Rock Hill, has vowed to vigorously fight attempts to change the way the adjutant general is chosen.

"If you look at the issue philosophically, you can make the argument that the adjutant general should be appointed," said Hayes, a National Guardsman. "But as a practical matter, our current system has given us stability in that job, and that stability has meant a lot. ... In the military, when you have turnover at the top, you have turnover throughout the ranks."

Spears' says his seniority also gives him and the state greater influence at the Pentagon than his less-experienced counterparts in other states.

Spears said the federal government provides most of his agency's $300 million budget. South Carolina normally contributes less than $10 million, he said.

Despite the funding imbalance and the role the reserves play in national defense, adjutant generals are state employees. Therefore, the Pentagon has no power to remove inefficient or corrupt adjutant generals from office.

South Carolina is the only state where citizens elect their top military administrator. In Vermont, the legislature elects the adjutant general. In most states, governors decide who gets the job.

Critics of the current system say active Guard members worry their careers will suffer if they don't contribute money to the campaigns of their commander, the incumbent adjutant general.

Spears dismisses the suggestions, saying he doesn't check contributor rolls for names, and military standards determine promotions.

"Changing the way we select the adjutant general would not take the politics out of the job," Hayes said. "You wouldn't have the adjutant general raising money for himself, you'd have him raising money for the governor."

That's what happened in Kentucky in 1997, when the adjutant general went to prison after lying to investigators about asking National Guard officers to contribute $500 each to the governor's re-election fund.

Since the 1920s, South Carolina voters have elected only five people to serve as adjutant general. In other states, turnover is much higher, which is why Spears rose to national seniority so quickly.

"One state had four different people in the job in one year," Spears said. "In some states, adjutant generals are just puppets of the governor. If a governor just gets mad, he just gets rid of that one and hires someone else."

But Sen. Arthur Ravenel, R-Mount Pleasant, a former National Guardsman, strongly believes the governor needs greater control over the office of the adjutant general. He said the agency operates as "a completely independent political organization."

Ravenel served as chairman of a legislative committee that investigated evacuation problems during Hurricane Floyd in 1999, and he is particularly concerned over the governor's lack of direct control over the state's emergency management services.

"One of our salient recommendations was that emergency management be transferred to the governor's office," Ravenel said.

In South Carolina, the adjutant general reports directly to the governor only in instances of declared state emergencies. A Legislative Audit Council report in 2000 found that emergency management agencies in all other states are located within a cabinet agency or have directors who are appointed by the governor.

However, the council also maintained it found no substantial evidence that the structure of the state's emergency services division had caused serious problems.

While a bill to relocate the emergency management division to the governor's office failed three years ago, Ravenel and Hayes believe legislators might revisit the possibility this year in the interest of compromise. Hayes said legislators also may restrict eligibility for adjutant general candidates to insure adequate military experience.

Contact Karen Addy at (803) 256-3800 or mailto:kaddy@heraldonline.com

Stanhope Sifford "Stan" Spears

Source: S.C. National Guard Web site and office Age: 66; born April 23, 1937 Job: Adjutant General of South Carolina First elected: Nov. 8, 1994 Rank: Major General Command: 11,000-member S.C. Army and Air National Guard, and State Emergency Management Division Birthplace: Rock Hill High school: 1955 Clover High School graduate College: 1959 University of South Carolina graduate Military education: National Defense University and National Security Course, among many others. Military service: S.C. Air National Guard, 1959 to 1961; S.C. Army National Guard, 1961 to 2001