He served with the 1st Cavalry Regiment in the western United States in 1912, then became an instructor at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas Army Service Schools, where he served in 1916 and 1917. He transferred to the General Staff Corps in 1917.[9]
World War I
Craig as a brigadier general in France, October 1918
Craig was promoted to major on 15 May 1917, shortly after the American entry into World War I. He was promoted to temporary lieutenant colonel on 17 August and temporary colonel on 27 March 1918.[10][8]
Craig served in France during World War I as chief of staff to General Hunter Liggett in the 41st Division and later in I Corps, where he was promoted to temporary brigadier general on 11 July 1918. He then became chief of staff of the Third Army.[10] He received the Army Distinguished Service Medal for his service during the war. His citation reads as follows:
General Craig served in turn as Chief of Staff of a division, a corps, and an Army, in each of which capacities he exhibited great ability. His personal influence, aggressiveness, and untiring efforts were repeatedly displayed in the operations of the 1st Corps in the vicinity of Chateau-Thierry, on the Oureq, and the Vesle during the St. Mihiel and Argonne-Meuse offensives.[11]
Interwar period
Craig as Chief of Cavalry in 1924
After the war, Craig reverted to his permanent rank of major on 15 August 1919, but was promoted to colonel on 1 July 1920, and to brigadier general only 15 days later.
When Craig was promoted to colonel, he was put in command of the District of Arizona in 1920 and became the commandant of the Cavalry School from 1921 to 1923, after his promotion to brigadier general in April 1921.[9] He served as Chief of Cavalry with the rank of major general from 24 July 1924, to 20 March 1926.[10] He was succeeded by Herbert B. Crosby, after which he was assigned to command the Panama Canal Zone from 1 April 1928 to 30 August 1930.
Craig served as the commander of the Ninth Corps Area, headquartered in San Francisco, from 21 November 1930 to 24 January 1935.
As Chief of Staff of the Army, Craig pointed out to Congress the army's lack of preparedness in manpower and material, stressed the necessity of lead time in military preparedness, focused attention on army planning, and, within governmental constraints, prepared the army for World War II. Craig, who opposed any mission for the Air Corps except that of supporting ground forces, also actively opposed the movement for a separate air force, and also refused to acknowledge the superiority of a four-engined bomber over all other types. This caused the cut back on planned purchases of B-17s to procure smaller but cheaper (and inferior) twin-engine light and medium bombers such as the Douglas B-18.
He retired, with the rank of general, on 31 August 1939, after forty-one years of active duty service. Upon his retirement, he received a second Distinguished Service Medal for his service as Army Chief of Staff.
World War II and death
Craig's retirement was short-lived, however. On 26 September 1941, with war on the horizon, he was recalled to active duty to head the War Department's Personnel Board, a body responsible for selecting individuals who were to receive direct commissions in the army. He headed the board until shortly before his death.
In April 1901, Craig married Genevieve Woodruff, a daughter of General Charles Woodruff.[7] They were the parents of a son, Malin Craig Jr. (1902–1981).[12] Malin Craig Jr. was a career Army officer and World War II veteran who retired as a colonel.[12] After his military retirement, he taught geometry in the public schools of Montgomery County, Maryland.[12]
^ abTucker, Spencer C., ed. World War II: the definitive encyclopedia and document collection. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, an imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC, 2016. Web. p. 475
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