Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
| Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff | |
 Incumbent: ADM Michael Mullen since: October 1, 2007 |
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| First | Omar Bradley |
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| Formation | August 19, 1949 |
| Website | Official Website |
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The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) is by law the highest ranking military officer in the United States armed forces,[1] and the principal military adviser to the President of the United States, the National Security Council, the Homeland Security Council[2] and the Secretary of Defense.[2][3] The Chairman outranks all respective heads of each service branch but does not have operational command authority over them or their service branches.[1] He leads the meetings and coordinates the efforts of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), comprising the Chairman, the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Chiefs of Staff of the United States Army and United States Air Force, the Chief of Naval Operations, and the Commandant of the Marine Corps.[2] The Joint Chiefs of Staff have offices in The Pentagon.
Although the office of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is considered very important and highly prestigious, neither the Chairman, the Vice Chairman, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff as a body have any command authority over combatant forces. The Goldwater-Nichols Act places the chain of command from the President to the Secretary of Defense directly to the commanders of the Unified Combatant Commands.[4] However the chiefs do have authority over personnel assignments and oversight over resources and personnel allocated to the combatant commands within their respective services. The Chairman may also transmit communications to the combatant commanders from the President and Secretary of Defense[5] as well as allocate additional funding to the combatant commanders if necessary.[6] He also performs all other functions prescribed under 10 U.S.C. § 153 or allocates those duties and responsibilities to other officers in the joint staff under his name.
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is assisted by the Director of the Joint Staff, 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, and the Air Force, who have been assigned to assist the Chairman with the unified strategic direction, operation, and integration of the combatant land, naval, and air forces.
Since 2005, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has been advised on enlisted personnel matters by the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman who serves as a communication conduit between the Chairman and the senior enlisted advisors (sergeants major, command master chief petty officers, and command chief master sergeants) of the combatant commands.
Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy, USN, served as Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy (July 20, 1942–March 21, 1949). Leahy's office was the precursor to the post of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The Chairman is nominated by the President for appointment and must be confirmed via majority vote by the Senate.[1] By statute, the Chairman is appointed as a four-star general or admiral.[1]
Contents |
Chief of Staff to the CINC
| Name | Photo | Branch | Term began | Term ended | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | FADM William D. Leahy |  |
USN | July 20, 1942 | March 21, 1949 |
Chairmen of the JCS
| Name | Photo | Branch | Term began | Term ended | Appointed By | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | General of the Army Omar Bradley |  |
USA | August 19, 1949 | August 15, 1953 | President Harry Truman |
| 2. | ADM Arthur W. Radford |  |
USN | August 15, 1953 | August 15, 1957 | President Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| 3. | Gen Nathan F. Twining |  |
USAF | August 15, 1957 | September 30, 1960 | President Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| 4. | GEN Lyman Lemnitzer |  |
USA | October 1, 1960 | September 30, 1962 | President Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| 5. | GEN Maxwell D. Taylor |  |
USA | October 1, 1962 | July 1, 1964 | President John F. Kennedy |
| 6. | GEN Earle Wheeler |  |
USA | July 3, 1964 | July 2, 1970 | President Lyndon B. Johnson |
| 7. | ADM Thomas H. Moorer |  |
USN | July 2, 1970 | July 1, 1974 | President Richard Nixon |
| 8. | Gen George S. Brown |  |
USAF | July 1, 1974 | June 20, 1978 | President Richard Nixon |
| 9. | Gen David C. Jones |  |
USAF | June 21, 1978 | June 18, 1982 | President Jimmy Carter |
| 10. | GEN John W. Vessey Jr. |  |
USA | June 18, 1982 | September 30, 1985 | President Ronald Reagan |
| 11. | ADM William J. Crowe, Jr. |  |
USN | October 1, 1985 | September 30, 1989 | President Ronald Reagan |
| 12. | GEN Colin Powell |  |
USA | October 1, 1989 | September 30, 1993 | President George H.W. Bush |
| (acting) | ADM David E. Jeremiah |  |
USN | October 1, 1993 | October 24, 1993 | President Bill Clinton |
| 13. | GEN John Shalikashvili |  |
USA | October 25, 1993 | September 30, 1997 | President Bill Clinton |
| 14. | GEN Hugh Shelton |  |
USA | October 1, 1997 | September 30, 2001 | President Bill Clinton |
| 15. | Gen Richard B. Myers |  |
USAF | October 1, 2001 | September 30, 2005 | President George W. Bush |
| 16. | Gen Peter Pace |  |
USMC | October 1, 2005 | September 30, 2007 | President George W. Bush |
| 17. | ADM Michael Mullen | |
USN | October 1, 2007 | Incumbent | President George W. Bush |
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by Branch of Service
- Air Force - 4
- Army - 8
- Marine Corps - 1
- Navy - 4
Note: This list does not include Chief of Staff to the CINC FADM Leahy and acting Chairman ADM Jeremiah.
See also
- Chief of the General Staff (various nations)
- Chief of the Defence Staff (various nations)
- Staff (military) (various nations)
- List of United States Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by time in office
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 [1] 10 USC 152. Chairman: appointment; grade and rank
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 [2] 10 USC 151. Joint Chiefs of Staff: composition; functions
- ↑ [3] Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986
- ↑ [4] 10 USC 162. Combatant commands: assigned forces; chain of command
- ↑ [5] 10 USC 163. Role of Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff
- ↑ [6] 10 USC 166a. Combatant commands: funding through the Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff
External links
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