DEPARTMENT ORGANIZATION

The American Legion, Department of Tennessee has a Legion family of over 33,000 consisting of more than 22,000 Legionnaires and 11,000 Auxiliary and Sons of The American Legion (SAL).  The Department is divided into three Divisions, ten Districts, and 179 individual American Legion Posts.  Each Division, District and Post has an elected Commander.  Post officers are elected annually at the local Post and certified to the Department Adjutant.  District Commanders are both nominated and elected annually at their respective District Convention but cannot serve until installed at the next Department Convention.  Department Vice (Division) Commanders are nominated and elected at their respective caucus, which takes place on Sunday at the Department Convention.  The Department Commander is elected annually and is nominated and elected at the Department Convention.  The National Executive Committeeman (NEC) and Alternate National Executive Committeeman (ANEC) serve a two-year term.  The NEC and ANEC are nominated and elected at the Department Convention every other year.  The Department Commander can only serve a one-year term of office, which runs from Department Convention to Department Convention.  The District, Division (Vice), and Department Commanders cannot serve their elected office until installed at the concurrent Department Convention.  NEC and ANEC are nominated and elected at the Department Convention every two years, but the NEC is installed by the National Headquarters at the succeeding National Convention of The American Legion.  The NEC and ANEC are limited to one term of two years, which starts at the National Convention when installed.

The initial implementation of the approved District realignment takes place June 1, 2020 to allow election of District Officers in 2021, with full implementation coming to fruition at the close of the 2021 Department Convention (District officers nominated, elected and sworn-in). 

Fully implemented District Realignment upon the closure of the 2021 Department Convention:

In accordance with the Department Constitution & By-Laws, amended June 2, 2019, the officers of the local American Legion Post shall be:

     1.  Post Commander

     2.  One or more Post-Vice Commanders

     3.  One or more Post Adjutants and a Finance Officer

     4.  Post Service Officer

     5.  Post Sergeant-at-Arms

     6.  Post Historian

     7.  Post Chaplain

     8.  Such other officers as the Post Commander or Department shall deem necessary, such as a post Membership Chairman to oversee Renewals, Recruiting, Reconnect, and Revitalization.

A Post Executive Committee composed of such number of members as is provided in the Constitution & By-Laws adopted by such Post, and in addition thereto the Post Commander, Post Vice-Commander, and the Post Adjutant, who shall be ex-officio members of said Post Executive Committee.  All officers of the Post for the ensuing year must be elected and certified to the Department Adjutant not later than five days prior to the announced dates of the Department Convention.  Failure to so certify will result in the Post Delegates not being able to vote at the Department Convention.