Editing Alexander Patch (section)

==Between the wars==
After briefly serving on occupation duties, Patch returned to the United States in May 1919 and, as a professional soldier, chose to remain in the army during what would later be known as the [[interwar period]]. After four years at [[Fort Benning]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], and [[Washington, D.C.]], he spent the next few years as professor of military science and tactics at [[Staunton Military Academy]], [[Virginia]]. He returned to this post twice in the interwar years, from 1925–28 and 1932–36. In 1922 he attended the Field Officer's Course at the [[United States Army Infantry School|U.S. Army Infantry School]] at Fort Benning. In [[1924]] he attended the [[United States Army Command and General Staff College|U.S. Army Command and General Staff School]] at [[Fort Leavenworth]], [[Kansas]] and graduated there with distinction a year later.{{sfn|English|2009|p=166−167}}

This was followed by service with the 3rd Battalion, [[12th Infantry Regiment (United States)|12th Infantry Regiment]] from 1929–31 at [[Fort Washington, Maryland]]. He then entered the [[United States Army War College|U.S. Army War College]] in [[1931]] and graduated the following year. Promoted again to lieutenant colonel, he was later a member of the Infantry Board at Fort Benning, Georgia, from 1936–39, where he helped to develop the army's transformation from the old [[square division]], with four infantry regiments, into the [[triangular division]], with three.{{sfn|English|2009|p=167}}

In November 1940 he was promoted to [[Colonel (United States)|colonel]] and assumed command of the [[47th Infantry Regiment (United States)|47th Infantry Regiment]], then part of the [[9th Infantry Division (United States)|9th Infantry Division]] commanded by [[Major general (United States)|Major General]] [[Jacob L. Devers]]. General [[George C. Marshall]], now the [[Chief of Staff of the United States Army|U.S. Army Chief of Staff]] and someone who had been impressed with Patch's leadership in France in 1918, was appointed Army Chief of Staff in 1939, just before [[World War II]]. He promoted Patch to the [[one-star rank|one-star]] [[general officer]] rank of [[Brigadier general (United States)|brigadier general]] in August 1941, and sent him to [[Fort Bragg]], [[North Carolina]], to supervise the training of new soldiers there.{{sfn|English|2009|p=167}}