Military Headquarters

A military headquarters is the main center of control for a unit and typically revolves around that unit’s highest ranking officer. The term headquarters often refers to a physical location, however it is not always a permanent facility. A commanding officer can establish a headquarters anywhere that best allows oversight of the unit. Frequently during the Civil War military leaders relocated their headquarters each day as their armies moved. Union general John Pope famously declared that he would make his “headquarters in the saddle.” The comment was more symbolic than literal, but reflected how a headquarters centered on the commander's location and was subject to his discretion in how and where to conduct official duties. Pope’s critics replied that he was making his headquarters where his “hindquarters” should be, representing the more traditional view of a headquarters being a stationary command center strategically located for the effective management of a staff and army. (Cambridge Dictionary)