Subsistence department

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A staff department of the United States army charged, under thesupervision of the Chief of Staff, with the purchasing and issuing tothe army of such supplies as make up the ration. It also supplies,for authorized sales, certain articles of food and other minorstores. It is commanded by any officer of the rank of brigadiergeneral, called commissary general, and the department is popularlycalled the Commissary Department.