page_title: Services of Supply, American Expeditionary Forces
section_title: Organization
hierarchical_section_title: Services of Supply, American Expeditionary Forces / Organization
caption_attribution_description: English: Secretary of War Newton D. Baker and group of officers at headquarter S.O.S., Tours, France
context_page_description: The Services of Supply was the support chain of the American Expeditionary Forces in France, England, Italy and the Netherlands during World War I. It was activated on July 5, 1917 and inactivated on August 31, 1919.
context_section_description: Services of Supply (SOS) of the American Expeditionary Forces was established under the designation "Line of Communications," on July 5, 1917. The Line of Communications was judged by senior officers, including Colonel Johnson Hagood, who was in charge of the advance section, to be incompetent. It was re-designated "Service of the Rear" on February 16, 1918 to March 12, 1918. It was finally designated as "Services of Supply" on March 13, 1918. Its headquarters was in Tours, France. SOS consisted of base sections, which provided seaport and receiving services; an intermediate section, which provided storage and services; and an advanced section, which also stored supplies and issued them to line forces. Services of Supply remained in operation until July 19, 1919; some of its sections were transferred to American Forces in France and American Forces in Germany
  On September 7, 1917, General John Pershing directed that a ninety-day reserve of all classes of supplies be maintained by monthly shipments to reduce the impact of possible German submarine attacks. The goal was to have reserves stockpiled as follows in the established sections (see below):
  Forty-five days near ports in the base sections.
  Thirty days in the Intermediate Section.
  Fifteen days in the Advance Section.
caption: S.O.S. commanding general James G. Harbord (4th from the right) and staff, with a delegation lead by Secretary of War Newton D. Baker (center) at the headquarters at Tours in October 1918.
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