Joint Chiefs of Staff

Senior-most US military leaders

For other uses, see Joint Chiefs of Staff (disambiguation).

Joint Chiefs of Staff

JCS

Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge

Role| Advisory board providing professional military advice to the secretary of defense and the president
Established in practice| 1942
Constituting instrument| National Security Act of 1947
currently codified at
10 U.S.C. § 151
Predecessor entities| Joint Board
(1903–1942)
Members
Chairman| Gen Dan Caine, USAF
Vice Chairman| ADM Christopher W. Grady, USN
Number of members| Eight
Administration
Parent agency| U.S. Department of Defense
Staff organization| The Joint Staff (for the chairman and the vice chairman; the service chiefs and the National Guard Bureau chief have their own staffs assisting them)
Seat| The Pentagon
United States
Armed Forces

Executive departments

* Department of Defense
* Department of Homeland Security

Staff

* Office of the Secretary of Defense
* Joint Chiefs of Staff

Military departments

* Department of the Army
* Department of the Navy
* Department of the Air Force

Military services

* United States Army
* United States Marine Corps
* United States Navy
* United States Air Force
* United States Space Force
* United States Coast Guard

Command structure

Unified combatant commands

* Africa Command
* Central Command
* European Command
* Indo-Pacific Command
* Northern Command
* Southern Command
* Cyber Command
* Space Command
* Special Operations Command
* Strategic Command
* Transportation Command

Combat support agencies

* Defense Contract Management Agency
* Defense Health Agency
* Defense Information Systems Agency
* Defense Intelligence Agency
* Defense Logistics Agency
* Defense Threat Reduction Agency
* National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
* National Security Agency
* Central Security Service

* v
* t
* e

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, which advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and the National Security Council on military matters. The composition of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is defined by statute and consists of a chairman (CJCS), a vice chairman (VJCS), the chiefs of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Space Force, and the chief of the National Guard Bureau.[1][2] Each of the individual service chiefs, outside their JCS obligations, works directly under the secretaries of their respective military departments, e.g. the secretary of the Army, the secretary of the Navy, and the secretary of the Air Force.[3][4][5][6]

Following the Goldwater–Nichols Act in 1986, the Joint Chiefs of Staff do not have operational command authority, either individually or collectively, as the chain of command goes from the president to the secretary of defense, and from the secretary to the regional combatant commanders.[7] Goldwater–Nichols also created the office of vice chairman, and the chairman is now designated as the principal military adviser to the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council, the National Security Council and the president.[8]

The Joint Staff (JS) is a headquarters staff in the Pentagon, composed of personnel from each of the six service branches, that assists the chairman and the vice chairman in discharging their responsibilities and is managed by the director of the Joint Staff (DJS).[9]

## Role and responsibilities

[edit]

The Joint Chiefs of Staff in November 2024

After the 1986 reorganization of the Armed Forces undertaken by the Goldwater–Nichols Act, the Joint Chiefs of Staff does not possess operational authority over troops or other units. Responsibility for conducting military operations goes from the president to the secretary of defense directly to the commanders of the unified combatant commands and thus bypasses the Joint Chiefs of Staff completely.[citation needed]

Today, their primary responsibility is to ensure personnel readiness, policy, planning and training of their respective services for the combatant commanders to utilize. In addition, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff acts as the chief military advisor to the president and the secretary of defense. In this strictly advisory role, the Joint Chiefs constitute the third-highest deliberative body for military policy, after the National Security Council and the Homeland Security Council, which includes the president and other officials besides the chairman of the Joint Chiefs.[citation needed]

While serving as the chairman or vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, chief of staff of the Army, commandant of the Marine Corps, chief of naval operations, chief of staff of the Air Force, or commandant of the Coast Guard, basic pay is $18,808.20 a month,[10] plus a $4,000 per year personal money allowance.[11]

## Current members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

[edit]

Position  | Photograph  | Name  | Service  | Serving since  | Nominated by  | Flag

|
|
|
|
|
|

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff |  | General
J. Daniel Caine |  United States Air Force | 11 April 2025  | Donald J. Trump |
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff |  | Admiral
Christopher W. Grady |  United States Navy | 20 December 2021  | Joseph R. Biden |
Chief of Staff of the Army |  | General
Randy A. George |  United States Army | 21 September 2023  | Joseph R. Biden  |
Commandant of the Marine Corps |  | General
Eric M. Smith |  United States Marine Corps | 22 September 2023  | Joseph R. Biden  |
Chief of Naval Operations |  | Admiral
James W. Kilby
Acting |  United States Navy | 21 February 2025  | None |
Chief of Staff of the Air Force |  | General
David W. Allvin |  United States Air Force | 2 November 2023  | Joseph R. Biden  |
Chief of Space Operations |  | General
B. Chance Saltzman |  United States Space Force | 2 November 2022  | Joseph R. Biden  |
Chief of the National Guard Bureau |  | General
Steven S. Nordhaus |  United States Air Force | 2 October 2024  | Joseph R. Biden  |

### Non-member attendee

[edit]

Position  | Photograph  | Name  | Service  | Serving since  | Nominated by  | Flag

|
|
|
|
|
|

Commandant of the Coast Guard |  | Admiral
Kevin E. Lunday
Acting |  United States Coast Guard | 21 January 2025  | None |

Although it is a branch of the Armed Forces pursuant to 14 U.S.C. § 101, the Coast Guard operates under the Department of Homeland Security rather than the Department of Defense, except when the president (e.g., in times of war or national emergency) transfers it to the Department of the Navy.[12] The commandant of the Coast Guard is not a de jure member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff but is sometimes regarded as a de facto member, being entitled to the same supplemental pay as the Joint Chiefs,[13] and occasionally will attend meetings of the JCS by invitation.[14] Unlike the Joint Chiefs, who are not actually in the military's operational chain of command, the commandant is both the administrative and the operational commander of the Coast Guard.

## History

[edit]

### Joint Board

[edit]

United States Secretary of Defense Harold Brown and United States Deputy Secretary of Defense Charles W. Duncan Jr with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General George S. Brown and the other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon in 1977

As the U.S. military grew in size following the American Civil War, joint military action between the Army and Navy became increasingly difficult. The Army and Navy were unsupportive of each other at either the planning or operational level and were constrained by disagreements during the Spanish–American War in the Caribbean campaigns.[15][16] The Joint Army and Navy Board was established in 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt, comprising representatives from the military heads and chief planners of both the Navy's General Board and the Army's General Staff. The Joint Board acting as an "advisory committee" was created to plan joint operations and resolve problems of common rivalry between the two services.[15][16]

Yet the Joint Board accomplished little since its charter gave it no authority to enforce its decisions. The Joint Board also lacked the ability to originate its own opinions and was thus limited to commenting only on the problems submitted to it by the secretaries of war and Navy. As a result, the Joint Board had little to no impact on the manner in which the United States conducted World War I.

After World War I, the two secretaries agreed in 1919 to reestablish and revitalize the Joint Board. The mission of the General Staff was to develop plans for mobilization for the next war. In these, the U.S. was always designated "blue" and potential enemies were assigned various other colors.[17]

Now, the Joint Board's membership was to include the chiefs of staff, their deputies, and the chief of war plans division for the Army and the director of plans division for the Navy. Under the Joint Board was to be a staff called the Joint Planning Committee to serve the board. Along with new membership, the Joint Board could initiate recommendations on its own initiative. However, the Joint Board still did not possess the legal authority to enforce its decisions.

### World War II

[edit]

Joint Chiefs of Staff meeting (c. 1943). From left to right are: Gen. Henry H. Arnold, Chief of the Army Air Forces; Adm. William D. Leahy, Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy; Adm. Ernest J. King, Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations; and Gen. George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff of the United States Army.

U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt and British prime minister Winston Churchill established the Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS) during the 1942 Arcadia Conference.[18] The CCS would serve as the supreme military body for strategic direction of the joint U.S.–UK war effort.

The UK portion of the CCS would be composed of the British Chiefs of Staff Committee, but the United States had no equivalent body. The Joint Board's lack of authority made it of little use to the CCS, although its 1935 publication, Joint Action of the Army and Navy, did give some guidance for the joint operations during World War II. The Joint Board had little influence during the war and was ultimately disbanded in 1947.

As a counterpart to the UK's Chiefs of Staff Committee in the CCS, and to provide better-coordinated effort and coordinated staff work for America's military effort, Admiral William D. Leahy proposed a "unified high command" in what would come to be called the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Modeled on the British Chiefs of Staff Committee, the JCS' first formal meeting was held on 9 February 1942, to coordinate operations between War and Navy Departments.[18][19] The official history of the Army Air Forces noted that although there was "no official charter establishing this committee...by the end of February it had assumed responsibilities toward the American war effort comparable to the CCS on the combined level."[20] On 20 July 1942, Admiral Leahy became the "Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief", with all individual service chiefs operating under his authority.

The first members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff were:[21]

Name | Service | Position

|
|

Admiral William D. Leahy | USN | Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy and
Special Presidential Military Advisor
General George C. Marshall | USA | Chief of Staff of the United States Army (CSUSA)
Admiral Ernest J. King | USN | Commander in Chief of the United States Fleet and
Chief of Naval Operations (COMINCH-CNO)
General Henry H. 'Hap' Arnold | USA | Chief of the Army Air Forces and Deputy Chief of Staff for Air
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1959. From left to right: Gen. Lyman L. Lemnitzer, USA; Adm. Arleigh A. Burke, USN; Gen. Nathan F. Twining, USAF (chairman); Gen. Thomas Dresser White, USAF; and Gen. Randolph M. Pate, USMC The Joint Chiefs of Staff in an annual meeting with the commanders of unified and specified command in the JCS meeting room, also known as "The Tank" on 15 January 1981.

Each of the members of the original Joint Chiefs was a four-star flag or general officer in his service branch. By the end of the war each had been promoted: Leahy and King to fleet admiral; Marshall and Arnold to general of the Army. Arnold was later appointed to the grade of general of the Air Force.

One of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's committees was the Joint Strategic Survey Committee (JSSC). The JSSC, "one of the most influential planning agencies in the wartime armed forces", was an extraordinary JCS committee that existed from 1942 until 1947.[22] Members included Lieutenant General Stanley D. Embick, U.S. Army, chairman, 1942–1946, Vice Admiral Russell Willson, U.S. Navy, 1942–1945, Vice Admiral Theodore Stark Wilkinson, U.S. Navy, 1946, and Major General Muir S. Fairchild, U.S. Army Air Force, 1942–?.

### National Security Act of 1947

[edit]

With the end of World War II, the Joint Chiefs of Staff was officially established under the National Security Act of 1947. Per the National Security Act, the JCS consisted of a chairman, the chief of staff of the Army, the chief of staff of the Air Force (which was established as a separate service by the same Act), and the chief of naval operations. The commandant of the Marine Corps was to be consulted on matters concerning the Corps, but was not a regular member; General Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr., Commandant in 1952–55, was the first to sit as an occasional member. The law was amended during the term of General Louis H. Wilson, Jr. (1975–79), making the commandant a full-time JCS member in parity with the other three DoD services.

### Goldwater–Nichols Act of 1986

[edit]

The position of vice chairman was created by the Goldwater–Nichols Act of 1986 to complement the CJCS, as well as to delegate some of the chairman's responsibilities, particularly resource allocation through the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC).

### Historic appointments and firings

[edit]

General Colin L. Powell (Chairman, 1989–1993) was the first African American to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff when he became the 12th Chairman of the JCS in 1989. General Charles Q. Brown Jr., the second African American to serve as chairman, was the first African American appointed to lead a service branch when he became the Chief of Staff of the Air Force in 2020. On 25 May 2023, President Joe Biden nominated General Brown to become the 21st Chairman of the JCS. General Brown was subsequently confirmed and took up the post of chairman on 1 October 2023. Controversially,[23] he was later terminated by President Trump's Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on 21 February 2025, soon after Hegseth's confirmation.

General Richard B. Myers (Chairman, 2001–2005) was the first vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. General Peter Pace (Vice Chairman 2001–2005; Chairman, 2005–2007) was the first Marine to serve in either position.

Admiral Lisa Franchetti became the first woman to serve on the JCS when she took over as Chief of Naval Operations on 2 November 2023.[24][25] Like African American JCS chairman, General Charles Q. Brown Jr., Franchetti was also fired by Hegseth on 21 February 2025.[26]

Both the firings of Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff, Brown, and the Chief of Naval Operations, Franchetti, "mark[ed] the first time that two members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff had been dismissed from their senior military roles"[27] since the creation of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1947.

### National Defense Authorization Act of 2012

[edit]

A provision in the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act added the Chief of the National Guard Bureau to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Guard historians called it the "most significant development" for the National Guard since the Militia Act of 1903.[1]

### National Defense Authorization Act of 2020

[edit]

The 2020 National Defense Authorization Act established the U.S. Space Force on 20 December 2019. The Space Force is headed by the chief of space operations, who reports directly to the secretary of the Air Force. Pursuant to 10 U.S.C. § 9082, the chief of space operations became a statutory member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on 20 December 2020.[28]

## Organization and leadership positions

[edit]

### Chairman

[edit]

Main article: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2001

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is, by law, the highest-ranking military officer of the United States Armed Forces,[29] and the principal military adviser to the president of the United States. He leads the meetings and coordinates the efforts of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, comprising the chairman, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the chief of staff of the United States Army, the commandant of the United States Marine Corps, the chief of naval operations, the chief of staff of the United States Air Force, the Chief of Space Operations (statutory member after December 2020), and the chief of the National Guard Bureau. The Joint Chiefs of Staff have offices in the Pentagon. The chairman outranks all service chiefs,[30] but does not maintain authority over them, their branches or the Unified Combatant Commands.[30] All combatant commanders receive their orders directly from the secretary of defense.[31]

On 20 July 1942, Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy became Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief (20 July 1942 – 21 March 1949). He was not technically the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Leahy's office was the precursor to the post of "Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff". That post was established and first held by General of the Army Omar Bradley in 1949.

### Vice Chairman

[edit]

Main article: Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

The position of Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was created by the Goldwater–Nichols Act of 1986. The vice chairman is a four-star-general or admiral and, by law, is the second highest-ranking member of the U.S. Armed Forces (after the chairman). In the absence of the chairman, the vice chairman presides over the meetings of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He may also perform such duties as the chairman may prescribe. It was not until the National Defense Authorization Act in 1992 that the position was made a full voting member of the JCS.[32]

The current vice chairman is Admiral Christopher W. Grady, who began his tenure on 20 December 2021. Grady is also simultaneously acting chairman as of 21 February 2025, until a replacement for fired Gen.  CQ Brown has been confirmed.

### Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman

[edit]

Main article: Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman

The senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (SEAC) advises on all matters concerning joint and combined total force integration, utilization, development, and helps develop noncommissioned officers related joint professional education, enhance utilization of senior NCOs on joint battle staffs, and support the chairman's responsibilities as directed.

Command Sergeant Major William Gainey, was the first SEAC, serving from 1 October 2005. The current SEAC is Troy E. Black, who was sworn in by General Charles Q. Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on 3 November 2023, replacing SEAC Ramón Colón-López.

## Joint Staff

[edit]

Joint Staff

Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge

Agency overview
Formed| 1949
Headquarters| The Pentagon
Employees| Approx. 1,500
Agency executive|

* LTG Douglas Sims II (DJS)

Parent agency| Department of Defense

The Joint Staff (JS)[33][34] is a military headquarters staff based at The Pentagon (with offices in Hampton Roads, Virginia; Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; Lackland Air Force Base, Texas; Fort Belvoir, Virginia; Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington and Fort McNair, District of Columbia) composed of personnel from all the six armed services, assisting the chairman and the vice chairman in discharging their responsibilities. They work closely with the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), the military department staffs, and the combatant command staffs.[citation needed]

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) is assisted by the director of the Joint Staff (DJS), a three-star officer who assists the chairman with the management of the Joint Staff, an organization composed of approximately equal numbers of officers contributed by the Army, the Navy and Marine Corps, the Air Force, the Space Force, and the Coast Guard, who have been assigned to assist the chairman in providing to the secretary of defense unified strategic direction, operation, and integration of the combatant land, naval, space, and air forces. The director is assisted by the vice director of the Joint Staff, a two-star officer.[citation needed]

Former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper tasked the Joint Staff with developing a Joint Warfighting Concept[JadConcept 1] for the services by December 2020.[35] Developing Joint all-domain command and control (JADC2) as a concept[JadConcept 1] is a key goal of the 20th CJCS.[35] An OSD/Joint Staff Cross-Functional Team for JADC2 is underway.[36][37] Esper ordered the four services and the Joint Staff to create a new joint warfighting concept for All-domain operations, operating simultaneously in the air, land, sea, space, cyber, and the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS).[38] The Joint Chiefs and Combatant Commanders witnessed demonstrations of the concept in September 2020.[39]

### Directorates of the Joint Staff

[edit]

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (seated) and the directors of the Joint Staff directorates (standing), November 1989.

The Joint Staff includes the following departments where all the planning, policies, intelligence, manpower, communications and logistics functions are translated into action.[40]

* DOM – Directorate of Management
* Joint Secretariat
* Information Management Division
* Actions Division
* J1 – Personnel and Manpower
* J2 – Intelligence
* The National Military Joint Intelligence Center (NMJIC) is part of the J2 directorate and is staffed by Defense Intelligence Agency personnel
* J3 – Operations
* The National Military Command Center (NMCC) is part of the J3 directorate
* J4 – Logistics
* J5 – Strategic Plans and Policy
* J6 – Command, Control, Communications and Computers/Cyber[41]
* The J-6 directorate is one of a group of agencies that administer the SIPRNet. Other administrators include: the National Security Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Defense Information Systems Agency.[42] The J-6 chairs the DOD's Military Command, Control, Communications, and Computers Executive Board (MC4EB)[43] which works in conjunction with the multinational Combined Communications-Electronics Board.
* The J-6 Joint Deployable Analysis Team (JDAT) conducts assessments in conjunction with Combatant Command exercises, experiments, and test and evaluation events.[44]
* J7 – Joint Force Development
* The J-7 is responsible for the six functions of joint force development: Doctrine, Education, Concept Development & Experimentation, Training, Exercises and Lessons Learned.
* J8 – Force Structure, Resources, and Assessment

## Joint Chiefs of Staff: Civilian awards

[edit]

The Joint Chiefs may recognize private citizens, organizations or career civilian government employees for significant achievements provided to the joint community with one of the following decorations/awards.[45]

* CJCS Award for Distinguished Public Service (DPS)
* CJCS Award for Outstanding Public Service (OPS)
* CJCS Joint Distinguished Civilian Service Award
* CJCS Joint Meritorious Civilian Service Award
* Joint Civilian Service Commendation Award (JCSCA)
* Joint Civilian Service Achievement Award (JCSAA)

## Coast Guard

[edit]

Although, as discussed above, the commandant of the Coast Guard is not an ex officio member of the JCS like the other service chiefs, Coast Guard officers are legally eligible to be appointed as Chairman and Vice Chairman, pursuant to 10 U.S.C. § 152(a)(1) and 10 U.S.C. § 154(a)(1) respectively, which use the collective term "armed forces" rather than listing the eligible services, as well as to other positions on the Joint Staff. As of 2025[update], no Coast Guard officer has been appointed Chairman or Vice Chairman, but Coast Guard officers routinely serve on the JCS staff, including one vice admiral who was appointed to serve as J6 in 2016.[citation needed]

## Gallery

[edit]

* The Joint Chiefs of Staff during its early days in 1949.

* Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at The Pentagon in 1958.

* The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1959.

* The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1961.

* The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1968.

* The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1971.

* The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1977.

* Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with President-Elect Jimmy Carter and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld on December 17, 1976.

* Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during a cabinet meeting in the White House in 1977

* The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1981.

* Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during President Ronald Reagan Inaugural Parade on January 20, 1981.

* The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1983.

* The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1986.

* The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1994.

* The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2001.

* Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff render a salute for the late President Ronald Reagan at Andrews Air Force Base in 2004.

* Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at Andrews Air Force Base during a funeral service ceremony for the late President Gerald Ford on December 26, 2006.

* The Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Senate Armed Services Committee testimony in The Capitol Hill 2010.

* The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2017.

* The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2020.

## See also

[edit]

* Chief of the Defence Force (Australia)
* Armed Forces Council (Canada)
* Chief of Defence Force (New Zealand)
* Chiefs of Staff Committee (United Kingdom)
* General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
* Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission (China)
* General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces
* Chief of Staff, Joint Staff (Japan)
* Joint Chiefs of Staff (South Korea)
* Chief of Defence Staff (India)
* Staff (military) – see Modern United States military usage for organization of Joint Staff (J1 through J8)

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ a b JADC2 as a concept— Like the Integrated Tactical Network, instances of a concept can exist before acquisition— see PEO C3T (2018) Integrated Tactical Network

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Top Guard officer joins Joint Chiefs of Staff". Army Times. 4 January 2012.
2. ^ 10 USC 151. Joint Chiefs of Staff: composition; functions
3. ^ 10 U.S.C. §3033 Archived 12 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine
4. ^ 10 U.S.C. §5033 Archived 12 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine
5. ^ 10 U.S.C. §5043 Archived 12 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine
6. ^ 10 U.S.C. §8033 Archived 12 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine
7. ^ 10 U.S.C. §162(b) Archived 29 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine
8. ^ 10 U.S.C §151(b) Archived 12 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine
9. ^ 10 U.S.C §155 Archived 12 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine
10. ^ "Basic Pay – Officers Effective January 1, 2025". Defense Finance and Accounting Service. 1 January 2025.
11. ^ 37 U.S.C. § 414
12. ^ "The Coast Guard: America's Oldest Maritime Defenders | GoCoastGuard.com". www.gocoastguard.com. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
13. ^ 37 U.S.C. § 414(a)(5) – Personal money allowance ($4,000 per annum in 2009)
14. ^ Thompson, Mark (4 January 2012). "The Changing of the Guard". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
15. ^ a b Millett, Allan R. (1980). Semper Fidelis: The History of the United States Marine Corps. New York: Macmillan. p. 269 [para. 2]. ISBN 0-02-921590-0.
16. ^ a b "Joint Chiefs of Staff > About > Origin of Joint Concepts". www.jcs.mil. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
17. ^ Bradley, John H.; Griess, Thomas E.; Dice, Jack W. (2002). The Second World War: Asia and the Pacific. United States Military Academy, Dept. of History. Square One. p. 26\. ISBN 0-7570-0162-9.
18. ^ a b Cline, Ray S. (1990). United States Army in World War II – The War Department – Washington Command Post: The Operations Division; Chapter VI. Organizing The High Command For World War II "Development of the Joint and Combined Chiefs of Staff System". Center of Military History, United States Army, Washington, D. C. pp. 98–104\. Archived from the original on 11 December 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
19. ^ Leighton, Richard M.; Robert W Coakley (1995). United States Army in World War II – The War Department – Global Logistics and Strategy 1940–1943. Center of Military History, United States Army, Washington, D. C. p. 144\. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
20. ^ Craven, James (1948). United States Army Air Forces in World War II – Volume I Plans and Early Operations Jan 1939 – Aug 1941; Chapter 7. Establishment of the Fundamental Bases of Strategy (PDF). AFHRA, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. p. 254\. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
21. ^ "Washington Eats". Life. 5 October 1942. p. 95. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
22. ^ Stoler, Mark A. (1982). "From Continentalism to Globalism: General Stanley D. Embick, the Joint Strategic Survey Committee, and the Military View of American National Policy during the Second World War". Diplomatic History. 6 (3): 303–320 [quote at p. 307]. doi:10.1111/j.1467-7709.1982.tb00378.x.
23. ^ Copp, T. and Baldor, L.C. "Trump fires chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and two other military officers." The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Feb. 2025.
24. ^ Ziezulewicz, Geoff (2 November 2023). "Senate finally confirms Adm. Franchetti as Navy's top officer". Defense News.
25. ^ 10 U.S.C. § 151
26. ^ Copp, T., and Baldor, L. C. "Trump fires chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and two other military officers." The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Feb. 2025.
27. ^ Martinez, L. and Seyler, M. "Trump fires CQ Brown as Joint Chiefs chairman." ABC News, 22 Feb. 2025.
28. ^ "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020" (PDF). Retrieved 20 December 2019.
29. ^ [1] 10 USC 152. Chairman: appointment; grade and rank
30. ^ a b [2] 10 USC 152(c). Chairman: appointment; grade and rank – Grade and Rank.
31. ^ [3] 10 USC 162. Combatant commands: assigned forces; chain of command
32. ^ "About the Joint Chiefs". Archived from the original on 5 July 2006.
33. ^ "Joint Doctrine constitutes official advice, however, the judgment of the commander is paramount in all situations." —Director Joint Force Development (1JAN19) Joint Electronic Library
34. ^ Joint Staff, J-7 (Jan 2020) DOD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms Archived 18 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine
35. ^ a b Hitchens, Theresa (29 January 2020). "New Joint Warfighting Plan Will Help Define 'Top Priority' JADC2: Hyten".
36. ^ Sydney J Freedberg Jr (11 May 2021) Revised JADC2 Strategy Hits DepSecDef's Desk JADC2 strategy: federate the data fabric
37. ^ Hitchens, Theresa (14 November 2019). "OSD & Joint Staff Grapple With Joint All-Domain Command".
38. ^ Colin Clark (18 Feb 2020) Gen. Hyten On The New American Way of War: All-Domain Operations
* "A computer-coordinated fight": in the air, land, sea, space, cyber, and the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS)
* "forces from satellites to foot soldiers to submarines sharing battle data at machine-to-machine speed"
* "it's the ability to integrate and effectively command and control all domains in a conflict or in a crisis seamlessly"—Gen. Hyten, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
* All-Domain Operations use global capabilities: "space, cyber, deterrent [the nuclear triad (for mutually assured destruction in the Cold War, an evolving concept in itself)], transportation, electromagnetic spectrum operations, missile defense"
39. ^ Theresa Hitchens (3 Sep 2020) ABMS Demo Proves AI Chops For C2 The acquisition method for several of the capabilities being demonstrated would be indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ), but the decisions to buy would be made by the Combatant Commands. —Air Force acquisition executive Will Roper
40. ^ jcs.mil Archived 3 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine
41. ^ "J6 Page at jcs.mil". Archived from the original on 14 May 2011.
42. ^ Gibson, Tim (2003). "SIPRNET connectivity: do's and don'ts". Army Communicator. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015.
43. ^ "Military Command, Control, Communications, and Computers Executive Board, 23 Apr 2014" - via Internet Archive.
44. ^ "DoD Budget p.33" (PDF).
45. ^ [4] Archived 29 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine

## Further reading

[edit]

* Gillespie, Robert M. The Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Escalation of the Vietnam Conflict, 1964–1965. Masters Thesis, Clemson University, 1994. OCLC 32515894.
* Joint Chiefs of Staff. Organizational Development of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1942–1987. Joint Secretariat, Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1988.
* Jordan, Jonathan W., American Warlords: How Roosevelt's High Command Led America to Victory in World War II (NAL/Caliber 2015).
* McMaster, H. R. Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies That Led to Vietnam. New York: HarperCollins, 1997.
* Perry, Mark. Four Stars: The Inside Story of the Forty-Year Battle Between the Joint Chiefs of Staff and America's Civilian Leaders. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1989, ISBN 0-395-42923-4.
* Rearden, Steven L. History of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Two vols. Washington, D.C.: Historical Office, Office of the Secretary of Defense, 1984.
* Schnabel, James F. History of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: The Joint Chiefs of Staff and National Policy 1945–1947. Volume I (registration required). Washington, D.C.: Joint History Office, The Joint Staff, 1996.
* Taylor, Maxwell D. The Uncertain Trumpet. New York: Harper & Row, 1959.
* Weiner, Sharon K. Managing the Military: The Joint Chiefs of Staff and Civil-Military Relations (Columbia University Press, 2022) online book review

## External links

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* Official website
* Joint Action of the Army and the Navy (1935 Joint Board publication)
* Joint Chiefs of Staff on the Internet Archive

* v
* t
* e

United States Joint Chiefs of Staff

* Caine (Chairman)
* Grady (Vice Chairman)
* George (Army)
* Smith (Marine Corps)
* Kilby (acting) (Navy)
* Allvin (Air Force)
* Saltzman (Space Force)
* Nordhaus (National Guard)

* v
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United States Department of Defense

* Headquarters: The Pentagon

* Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense
* Steve Feinberg, Deputy Secretary of Defense

Office of the Secretary of Defense
(including defense agencies and DoD field activities)

| Deputy Secretary of Defense|

* Deputy's Advisory Working Group
* Office of Net Assessment
* Special Access Program Oversight Committee

|

Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)|

* Defense Contract Audit Agency
* Defense Finance and Accounting Service

Under Secretary of Defense
for Acquisition and Sustainment|

* Defense Contract Management Agency
* Defense Logistics Agency
* Defense Threat Reduction Agency
* Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation
* Defense Acquisition University
* Defense Acquisition Board
* Defense Microelectronics Activity

Under Secretary of Defense
for Intelligence and Security|

* Defense Intelligence Agency
* Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency
* Defense Information Systems Agency
* White House Communications Agency
* National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
* National Reconnaissance Office
* National Security Agency/Central Security Service
* Director/Chief

Under Secretary of Defense
for Personnel and Readiness|

* Defense Commissary Agency
* Department of Defense Education Activity
* Defense Human Resources Activity
* Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support
* Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute
* Defense Travel Management Office
* Defense Civilian Personnel Advisory Service
* Defense Health Agency
* Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Under Secretary of Defense for Policy|

* Defense Security Cooperation Agency
* Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
* Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee

Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs|

* Defense Media Activity
* American Forces Network
* Defense Information School
* Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
* Stars and Stripes

Under Secretary of Defense
for Research and Engineering|

* Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
* Defense Innovation Unit
* Defense Technical Information Center
* Department of Defense Test Resource Management Center
* Missile Defense Agency

General Counsel of the Department of Defense|

* Defense Legal Services Agency (Office of Military Commissions)

Chief Management Officer of the Department of Defense|

* Pentagon Force Protection Agency
* Washington Headquarters Services (White House Military Office)

Reports directly|

* Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs

Military Departments

| Department of the Army|

* Secretary of the Army
The Secretariat: Under Secretary of the Army
* Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology
* Assistant Secretary for Civil Works
* Assistant Secretary (Financial Management and Comptroller)
* Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment
* Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs
* General Counsel of the Army
* The Administrative Assistant
The Army Staff: Chief of Staff of the Army
* Vice Chief of Staff of the Army
* Sergeant Major of the Army
* Deputy Chief of Staff G-8 Programs
* Chief of Chaplains
* Judge Advocate General
* Provost Marshal General
* Surgeon General
U.S. Army field organizations: see Structure of the United States Army

|

Department of the Navy|

* Secretary of the Navy
The Secretariat: Under Secretary of the Navy
* Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Energy, Installations and Environment)
* Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management and Comptroller)
* Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs)
* Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition)
* General Counsel of the Navy
* Judge Advocate General
* Naval Criminal Investigative Service
* Naval Inspector General
Headquarters Marine Corps: Commandant of the Marine Corps
* Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps
* Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps
* Chaplain
U.S. Marine Corps field organizations: see Organization of the United States Marine Corps
Office of the Chief of Naval Operations: Chief of Naval Operations
* Vice Chief of Naval Operations
* Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
* Director of Naval Reactors
* Chief of Chaplains
* Chief of Naval Personnel
* Surgeon General
United States Navy field organizations: see Structure of the United States Navy

Department of the Air Force|

* Secretary of the Air Force
The Secretariat: Under Secretary of the Air Force
* Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics)
* Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Financial Management & Comptroller)
* Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Installations, Environment & Energy)
* Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower & Reserve Affairs)
* General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force
* Air Force Office of Special Investigations
The Air Staff: Chief of Staff of the Air Force
* Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force
* Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force
* Chief of Chaplains
* Chief of Safety
* Chief Scientist
* Judge Advocate General
* Surgeon General
U.S. Air Force field organizations: Major Commands
* Direct Reporting Units
* Field Operating Agencies
Space Staff: Chief of Space Operations
* United States Space Force field organizations

Joint Chiefs of Staff

* Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
* Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman
* Joint Requirements Oversight Council
* Director of the Joint Staff
* Joint Staff
* National Military Command Center
* Alternate National Military Command Center
* National Defense University
* Joint Personnel Recovery Agency

Combatant Commands

* Africa Command
* Central Command
* European Command
* Northern Command
* Indo-Pacific Command
* Southern Command
* Space Command
* Cyber Command
* Special Operations Command
* Strategic Command
* Transportation Command

National Guard Bureau

* Chief of the National Guard Bureau
* Air National Guard
* Army National Guard

Office of the Inspector General

* Defense Criminal Investigative Service

* v
* t
* e

United States Armed Forces

Legend
A = Army
MC = Marine Corps
N = Navy
AF = Air Force
SF = Space Force
CG = Coast Guard

Leadership|

* President of the United States
* Secretary of Defense
* Deputy Secretary of Defense
* Secretary of Homeland Security
* Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
* Joint Chiefs of Staff
* Chairman
* Vice Chairman
* Committees on Armed Services
* Senate
* House
* Active duty four-star officers
* Active duty three-star officers
* United States military seniority
* National Security Act of 1947
* Goldwater–Nichols Act

Components|

| Military departments|

* Department of Defense
* Secretary
* Department of the Army
* Secretary
* Department of the Navy
* Secretary
* Department of the Air Force
* Secretary
* Department of Homeland Security
* Secretary

|

Service branches
and heads|

* Chief of Staff of the United States Army
* Commandant of the Marine Corps
* Chief of Naval Operations
* Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
* Chief of Space Operations
* Commandant of the Coast Guard

Reserve components|

* Reserves:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* CG
* National Guard:
* A
* AF

Civilian auxiliaries|

* Military Auxiliary Radio System
* Marine Corps Cyber Auxiliary
* Merchant Marine
* Civil Air Patrol
* Coast Guard Auxiliary

Unified combatant
command|

* Africa
* Central
* European
* Indo-Pacific
* Northern
* Southern
* Space
* Cyber
* Special Operations
* Strategic
* Transportation

Structure|

* United States Code
* Title 10
* Title 14
* Title 32
* Title 50
* The Pentagon
* Installations
* Units:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* SF
* CG
* Logistics
* Media
* Unit mottoes

Operations
and history|

* Budget
* Current deployments
* Conflicts
* Wars
* Civil affairs

History|

* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* SF
* CG

Timeline|

* Colonial
* World War II

Demographics|

* African Americans
* Asian Americans
* Buddhist Americans
* Jewish Americans
* Muslim Americans
* Sikh Americans
* Hispanic Americans
* Civil War
* Air Force
* Coast Guard
* Marine Corps
* Navy
* Academy

History centers|

* Army Center of Military History
* Marine Corps History Division
* Naval History and Heritage Command
* Air Force Historical Research Agency

War artists|

* Army Art Program
* Air Force Art Program

Personnel|

| Training|

* Service academies:
* A (prep)
* MC/N (prep)
* AF/SF (prep)
* CG
* Merchant Marine
* ROTC
* A
* MC/N
* AF/SF
* Officer candidate/training school:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF/SF
* Warrant officer:
* A
* MEPS
* ASVAB
* The Basic School (MC)
* Enlisted recruit training:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF/SF
* CG
* Other education

|

Uniforms|

* Uniforms:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* SF
* CG
* Awards & decorations:
* Inter-service
* A
* MC/N
* AF/SF
* CG
* Foreign
* International
* Devices
* Badges:
* Identification
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* SF
* CG

Ranks|

* Officer:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* SF
* CG
* Warrant officers
* Enlisted:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* SF
* CG

Other|

* Oath:
* Enlistment
* Officer
* Creeds & Codes:
* Code of Conduct
* NCO
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* CG
* Service numbers:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* CG
* Military Occupational Specialty/Rating/Air Force Specialty Code
* Pay
* Uniform Code of Military Justice
* Judge Advocate General's Corps
* Military Health System/Tricare
* Separation
* Veterans Affairs
* Conscription
* Chiefs of Chaplains:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* CG

Equipment|

* A (Designations)
* MC:
* vehicles
* weapons
* other
* N
* AF
* CG

| Land|

* Individual weapons
* Crew-served weapons
* Vehicles (active)

|

Sea|

* All watercraft
* Ships:
* A
* N
* active
* future
* AF
* CG
* MSC
* Weapons:
* N
* Reactors

Air|

* Aircraft
* World War I
* active
* future
* Aircraft designation
* Helicopter arms

Other|

* WWII equipment
* Nuclear football
* Electronics (designations)
* Flags:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* SF
* CG
* Ensign
* Jack
* Guidons
* Food
* WMDs:
* Nuclear
* Biological
* Chemical

* Category
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* SF
* CG
* Navboxes
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* SF
* CG

* v
* t
* e

Harry S. Truman

* 33rd President of the United States (1945–1953)
* 34th Vice President of the United States (1945)
* U.S. Senator from Missouri (1935–1945)

Presidency|

* Timeline
* Inaugurations
* first
* second
* Assassination attempt
* 1952 Puerto Rican constitutional referendum
* State of the Union Address
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* Judicial appointments
* Supreme Court
* Sherman Minton Supreme Court nomination
* Cabinet
* Truman Balcony
* "The buck stops here"
* Executive Orders
* Presidential Proclamations
* Eisenhower transition

| Foreign policy|

* Truman Doctrine
* Potsdam Conference
* 1945; Agreement on Europe
* Declaration to Japan
* Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1945)
* War Brides Act (1945)
* Alien Fiancées and Fiancés Act (1946)
* Luce–Celler Act (1946)
* Executive Order 9835 (1947)
* General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (1947)
* Hoover Commission (1947)
* National Security Act of 1947
* U.S. Department of Defense
* Joint Chiefs of Staff
* National Security Council
* National Security Resources Board
* Air Force/Department
* Central Intelligence Agency
* Displaced Persons Act (1948)
* Key West Agreement (1948)
* Marshall Plan (1948)
* Joint Long Range Proving Grounds (1949)
* North Atlantic Treaty
* 1949; NATO
* Revolt of the Admirals (1949)
* Korean War
* 1950–1953; U.N. Security Council Resolutions 82, 83
* Defense Production Act of 1950
* Relief of Douglas MacArthur
* Office of Defense Mobilization
* 1950; Science Advisory Committee, 1951
* Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952
* National Security Agency (1952)

|

Fair Deal|

* Medal of Freedom (1945)
* Revenue Act of 1945
* National Mental Health Act
* 1946; National Institute of Mental Health
* Atomic Energy Act of 1946
* U.S. Atomic Energy Commission
* Employment Act of 1946
* Council of Economic Advisers
* Flood Control Acts
* 1946
* 1948
* 1950
* Fulbright Program (1946)
* Hill–Burton Act (1946)
* Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946
* Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act of 1946
* Federal Tort Claims Act
* Legislative Reference Service
* National School Lunch Act (1946)
* President's Committee on Civil Rights (1946)
* Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (1947)
* Housing and Home Finance Agency (1947)
* Presidential Succession Act of 1947
* Taft–Hartley Act (1947)
* Agricultural Act of 1948
* Executive Order 9981 (1948)
* Revenue Act of 1948
* Agricultural Act of 1949
* Housing Act of 1949
* Dingell–Johnson Act (1950)
* Revenue Act of 1950
* Excess profits tax
* Unrelated Business Income Tax
* Revenue Act of 1951
* Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1952
* 1952 steel strike

Life|

* Early life and career
* Presidential Library, Museum, and gravesite
* Missouri Office and Courtroom
* Truman Committee
* 1944 Democratic Party vice presidential candidate selection
* The Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace

Homes|

* Birthplace
* Harry S. Truman Farm Home
* Harry S. Truman home and National Historic Site
* Historic District
* Blair House
* Truman Little White House

Elections|

* United States Senate election in Missouri, 1934
* 1940
* Democratic National Convention 1944
* 1948
* 1944 United States presidential election
* 1948
* campaign
* "Dewey Defeats Truman"
* campaign song
* Ferdinand Magellan railcar
* 1952 Democratic Party presidential primaries

Legacy|

* Bibliography
* Truman Day
* Harry S Truman Building
* Truman Dam and Reservoir
* Harry S. Truman Scholarship
* Truman Sports Complex
* U.S. Postage stamps
* Statue of Harry S. Truman

Public image|

* Give 'em Hell, Harry! (1975 play and film)
* Harry Truman (1975 song by Chicago)
* Collision Course: Truman vs. MacArthur (1976 film)
* MacArthur (1977 film)
* Backstairs at the White House (1979 miniseries)
* Truman (1995 film)
* Truman (1997 documentary film)
* The First Lady (2022 TV series)
* Oppenheimer (2023 film)

Family|

* Bess Wallace Truman (wife)
* Margaret Truman (daughter)
* Martha Ellen Young Truman (mother)
* Clifton Truman Daniel (grandson)

* ← Franklin D. Roosevelt
* Dwight D. Eisenhower →

* ← Henry A. Wallace
* Alben W. Barkley →

* Category

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* 2
* VIAF
* FAST

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Australia
* Portugal
* Norway
* Taiwan
* Croatia
* Korea
* Israel

Academics|

* CiNii

People|

* Trove

Other|

* IdRef
* SNAC
* Yale LUX

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[c.]: circa