Whenever a vacancy has occurred, or is about to occur in the office of the adjutant general, the governor shall order to active service for that position from the active list of the Washington army national guard or Washington air national guard an officer not below the rank of a field grade officer who has had at least ten years service as an officer on the active list of the Washington army national guard or the Washington air national guard during the fifteen years next prior to such detail. The officer so detailed shall during the continuance of his or her service as the adjutant general hold the rank of a general officer.

Whenever a vacancy has occurred, or is about to occur, in the offices of assistant adjutants general for the Washington army national guard or the Washington air national guard, the adjutant general with the concurrence of the governor may appoint an officer of the army national guard or the air national guard, who has had at least ten years service in the active list of his respective branch during the fifteen years next prior to such detail. The officer so detailed, may during the continuance of his service as assistant adjutant general hold the rank of a general officer.

If, by reason of the call or draft of officers of the Washington army national guard and/or air national guard into federal service, there is no officer of the Washington national guard available for detail as the adjutant general or as an assistant adjutant general who possesses the requisite qualifications, the governor may appoint any officer or former officer of the organized militia of Washington as acting adjutant general or as an acting assistant adjutant general. If the officers on detail as the adjutant general or as assistant adjutants general are appointed, called, or drafted into the military service of the United States by order or proclamation of the president, they shall be granted leaves of absence by the governor, and are entitled, upon release from federal service, to return to their former status as adjutant general or as assistant adjutants general of Washington, and during the period that they are in federal service, the duties of these offices shall be performed by an acting adjutant general and acting assistant adjutants general, appointed by the governor, as provided in this section, who shall receive the same pay provided for the adjutant general and/or assistant adjutants general respectively, during the period of such assignments.

The adjutant general shall receive an annual salary equal to the base pay of a major general in the United States army. The assistant adjutant general for the Washington army national guard and the assistant adjutant general for the Washington air national guard shall each receive an annual salary equal to the base pay of an officer of equivalent grade in the United States army or United States air force but not to exceed that of a brigadier general. So long as a member of the judiciary of the state of Washington is available for judicial work at such times and under such conditions as may be set forth by local rules and custom, that member may serve as an active member of the national guard or air national guard.