Editing George C. Marshall (section)

==Early infantry career and the Philippines==
Following his graduation from VMI, Marshall served as Commandant of Students at the [[Danville Community College|Danville Military Institute]] in [[Danville, Virginia]].{{sfn|Pops|2009|p=307}} He took a competitive examination for a commission in the United States Army, which had greatly expanded to deal with the [[Spanish–American War]] and [[Philippine–American War]].{{sfn|Willbanks|2013|p=23}} Marshall passed and used endorsements his father obtained from both of Pennsylvania's [[United States Senate|U.S. senators]] to bolster his application.{{sfn|Willbanks|2013|p=23}} VMI Superintendent [[Scott Shipp]] also supported Marshall's application, and in a letter to President [[William McKinley]] compared him favorably to other VMI graduates serving in the Army, saying Marshall was "Fully the equal of the best."{{sfn|GCM Foundation|1996|p=18}} He was commissioned a [[Second lieutenant#United States|second lieutenant]] of [[Infantry Branch (United States)|Infantry]] in February 1902.{{sfn|Willbanks|2013|p=23}} In a matter of days he married, resigned the Danville job, and shipped out to serve with the [[30th Infantry Regiment (United States)|30th Infantry Regiment]] in the [[Philippines]].{{sfn|Willbanks|2013|p=23}}{{sfn|Stoler|1989|pp= 13–14}}{{sfn|Zabecki|Mastriano|2020|p=114}}

Prior to [[World War I]], Marshall received various postings in the United States and the Philippines, including serving as an infantry platoon leader and company commander during the [[Philippine–American War]] and other guerrilla uprisings.{{sfn|George Catlett Marshall Timeline}} He was schooled in modern warfare, including tours from 1906 to 1910 as both a student and an instructor.{{sfn|Stoler |1989|pages=21-25}} He was ranked first of five Honor Graduates of his Infantry-Cavalry School Course (now the [[United States Army Command and General Staff College]]) in 1907 and graduated first in his 1908 Army Staff College (now the [[United States Army War College]]) class.{{sfn|George Catlett Marshall Timeline}} After graduating in 1908, Marshall was assigned as an instructor at the Infantry-Cavalry School.<ref>{{cite news |date=29 May 1910 |title=V. M. I. Social News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/richmond-times-dispatch-social/127062720/ |work=[[Richmond Times-Dispatch]] |location=Richmond, VA |page=D-1 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>{{sfn|Zabecki|Mastriano|2020|p=115}}

After another tour of duty in the Philippines beginning in 1913, Marshall returned in 1916 to serve as [[aide-de-camp]] to Major General [[J. Franklin Bell]], the commander of the Western Department and former [[Chief of Staff of the United States Army|Army chief of staff]], at the [[Presidio of San Francisco]].{{sfn|Jolemore|1986|p=6}} In the summer and fall of 1916, Marshall was responsible for organizing several Western Department [[Citizens' Military Training Camp]]s.<ref>{{cite book |last=Roll |first=David L. |author-link= |date=2019 |title=George Marshall: Defender of the Republic |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VpLqDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA15 |location=New York |publisher=Dutton Caliber |page=15 |isbn=978-1-1019-9098-8 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=26 July 1916 |title=Major Hagood Will Command In Camp: Captain George C. Marshall Is Appointed To Serve As Adjutant  |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113607210/camp/ |work=[[The Salt Lake Tribune]] |location=Salt Lake City, UT |page=16 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> After the [[American entry into World War I]] in April 1917, Marshall relocated with Bell to [[Governors Island]], New York, when Bell was reassigned as commander of the [[Department of the East]].{{sfn|Zabecki|Mastriano|2020|p=115}} Shortly afterwards, Marshall was assigned to help oversee the mobilization of the [[1st Infantry Division (United States)|1st Division]] for service in France.{{sfn|George Catlett Marshall Timeline}}