Haig is credited with supporting a system in which staff were chosen for commanders rather than freely selected by them. The intended purpose was to reduce patronage and make appointments more merit-based. That arrangement also gave him grounds to resist requests to place connected relatives on his own staff. The example shows an institutional rule constraining the very commander who had helped introduce it.
Notable Point · 3:12:09-3:13:17
Haig's attempt to limit patronage in staff appointments
Centrally assigned staff could limit patronage and let Haig resist pressure to appoint well-connected relatives.