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The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the
United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national sec ...
, that advises the
president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...
, the
secretary of defense A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in so ...
, the Homeland Security Council and the National Security Council on military matters. The composition of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is defined by
statute A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs the legal entities of a city, state, or country by way of consent. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. Statutes are rules made by ...
and consists of a chairman (CJCS), a vice chairman (VJCS), the service chiefs of the
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
, Marine Corps, Navy,
Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...
,
Space Force A space force is a military branch of a nation's armed forces that conducts military operations in outer space and space warfare. The world's first space force was the Russian Space Forces, established in 1992 as an independent military service. ...
, and the chief of the National Guard Bureau. Each of the individual service chiefs, outside their JCS obligations, work directly under the secretaries of their respective military departments, e.g. the secretary of the Army, the
secretary of the Navy The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense. By law, the se ...
, and the secretary of the Air Force. 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 A unified combatant command (CCMD), also referred to as a combatant command, is a joint military command of the United States Department of Defense that is composed of units from two or more service branches of the United States Armed Forces, an ...
. 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. 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).


Role and responsibilities

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 A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in so ...
directly to the commanders of the
unified combatant command A unified combatant command (CCMD), also referred to as a combatant command, is a joint military command of the United States Department of Defense that is composed of units from two or more service branches of the United States Armed Forces, ...
s and thus bypasses the Joint Chiefs of Staff completely. 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. 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, the salary is $15,583.20 a month, regardless of cumulative years of service completed under section 205 of title 37, United States Code.


Current members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff


Non-member attendee

Although it is a branch of the Armed Forces pursuant to , the Coast Guard operates under the
Department of Homeland Security The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the U.S. federal executive department responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the interior or home ministries of other countries. Its stated missions involve anti-ter ...
rather than the
Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philipp ...
, except when the president (e.g., in times of war or national emergency) transfers it to the Department of the Navy. The commandant of the Coast Guard is not a ''
de jure In law and government, ''de jure'' ( ; , "by law") describes practices that are legally recognized, regardless of whether the practice exists in reality. In contrast, ("in fact") describes situations that exist in reality, even if not legall ...
'' member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff but is sometimes regarded as a ''
de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with '' de jure'' ("by l ...
'' member, being entitled to the same supplemental pay as the Joint Chiefs, and occasionally will attend meetings of the JCS by invitation. 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 service.


History


Joint Board

As the U.S. military grew in size following the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
, joint military action between the
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
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 , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...
in the
Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean ...
campaigns. 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 The General Board of the United States Navy was an advisory body of the United States Navy, somewhat akin to a naval general staff and somewhat not. The General Board was established by general order 544, issued on March 13, 1900 by Secretary ...
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. Yet, the Joint Board accomplished little, as 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, in 1919 the two secretaries agreed to reestablish and revitalize the Joint Board. The mission of the General Staff was to develop plans for mobilization for the next war; the U.S. was always designated "blue" and potential enemies were assigned various other colors. This time, the Joint Board's membership would include the chiefs of staff, their deputies, and the chief of
war plans division War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regul ...
for the Army and director of plans division for the Navy. Under the Joint Board would 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

U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt and British prime minister
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...
established the Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS) during the 1942 Arcadia Conference. 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 The Chiefs of Staff Committee (CSC) is composed of the most senior military personnel in the British Armed Forces who advise on operational military matters and the preparation and conduct of military operations. The committee consists of the ...
, 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. 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." 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: 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. Members included Lieutenant General
Stanley D. Embick Stanley Dunbar Embick (January 22, 1877 – October 23, 1957) was a lieutenant general in the United States Army. Military career Embick was born in Greencastle, Franklin County, Pennsylvania on January 22, 1877. He attended Dickinson College b ...
, U.S. Army, chairman, 1942–1946, Vice Admiral
Russell Willson Vice Admiral Russell Willson (December 27, 1883, Fredonia, New York – June 6, 1948, Chevy Chase, Maryland) was a flag officer of the United States Navy and inventor of the Navy Cipher Box (also called 'Naval Cipher Box' or 'Navy Code ...
, U.S. Navy, 1942–1945, Vice Admiral
Theodore Stark Wilkinson Theodore Stark "Ping" Wilkinson (December 22, 1888 – February 21, 1946) was a Vice-Admiral of the United States Navy during World War II. He also received the Medal of Honor for his actions in Veracruz, Mexico. Early life and career After ...
, U.S. Navy, 1946, and Major General
Muir S. Fairchild General Muir Stephen Fairchild (September 2, 1894 – March 17, 1950) was a United States Air Force officer and the service's second Vice Chief of Staff. Early service Born in Bellingham, Washington, Fairchild moved to Olympia in 1905 when his ...
, U.S. Army Air Force, 1942–?.


National Security Act of 1947

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. Lemuel Cornick Shepherd Jr. (February 10, 1896 – August 6, 1990) was a four-star general of the United States Marine Corps. A veteran of World War I, World War II, and the Korean War, he was the 20th Commandant of the Marine Corps. As C ...
, 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. 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). General
Colin L. Powell Colin Luther Powell ( ; April 5, 1937 – October 18, 2021) was an American politician, statesman, diplomat, and United States Army officer who served as the 65th United States Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African ...
(1989–1993) was the first African American to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. General
Charles Q. Brown Jr. Charles Quinton Brown Jr. (born 1962) is a United States Air Force four-star general who serves as the 22nd chief of staff of the Air Force. He is the first African American to be appointed as chief of staff and the first African American to le ...
was the first African-American to be appointed as Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force and the first African-American to lead any branch of the services. General
Richard B. Myers Richard Bowman Myers (born March 1, 1942) is a retired four-star general in the United States Air Force who served as the 15th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As chairman, Myers was the highest ranking uniformed officer of the United Stat ...
(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 Peter Pace (born November 5, 1945) is a retired United States Marine Corps general who served as the 16th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Pace was the first Marine officer appointed as chairman and the first Marine officer to be appointed ...
(Vice Chairman 2001–2005; Chairman, 2005–2007) was the first Marine to serve in either position. No woman has ever served on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.


National Defense Authorization Act of 2012

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 The Militia Act of 1903 (), also known as the Efficiency in Militia Act of 1903 or the Dick Act, was legislation enacted by the United States Congress to create an early National Guard and which codified the circumstances under which the Guard co ...
.


National Defense Authorization Act of 2020

The 2020 National Defense Authorization Act established the
U.S. Space Force The United States Space Force (USSF) is the space service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and the world's only independent space force. Along with its sister branch, the U.S. Air Force, the Space ...
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 , the chief of space operations became a statutory member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on 20 December 2020.


Organization and leadership positions


Chairman

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is, by law, the highest-ranking military officer of the
United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is ...
,
10 USC 152. Chairman: appointment; grade and rank
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, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the
chief of staff of the United States Army The chief of staff of the Army (CSA) is a statutory position in the United States Army held by a general officer. As the highest-ranking officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Army, the chief is the principal military advisor and ...
, 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 Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a metony ...
. The chairman outranks all service chiefs,
10 USC 152(c). Chairman: appointment; grade and rank – Grade and Rank.
but does not maintain authority over them, their branches or the
Unified Combatant Command A unified combatant command (CCMD), also referred to as a combatant command, is a joint military command of the United States Department of Defense that is composed of units from two or more service branches of the United States Armed Forces, ...
s. All combatant commanders receive their orders directly from the
secretary of defense A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in so ...
. 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. The current and 20th chairman is General Mark Milley, who began his tenure on 30 September 2019.


Vice Chairman

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 A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...
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. The current vice chairman is Admiral
Christopher W. Grady Christopher Watson Grady (born November 28, 1962) is a United States Navy admiral who serves as the 12th vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since December 20, 2021. He most recently served as the commander of United States Fleet Forces ...
, who began his tenure on 20 December 2021.


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 Ramón Colón-López, who was sworn in by General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on 13 December 2019, replacing SEAC
John W. Troxell John Wayne Troxell (born 1964) is a retired United States Army senior Non-commissioned officer, non-commissioned officer who served as the third Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (SEAC). This position made him ...
.


Joint Staff

The Joint Staff (JS)"Joint Doctrine constitutes official advice, however, the judgment of the commander is paramount in all situations." —Director Joint Force Development (1JAN19
Joint Electronic Library
/ref>Joint Staff, J-
(Jan 2020) DOD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms
is a military headquarters staff based at
The Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a metony ...
(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. 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 A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in so ...
unified strategic direction, operation, and integration of the combatant land, naval, space, and air forces. Former Secretary of Defense
Mark Esper Mark Thomas Esper (born April 26, 1964) is an American politician and manufacturing executive who served as the 27th United States secretary of defense from 2019 to 2020. A member of the Republican Party, he had previously served as the 23rd U ...
tasked the Joint Staff with developing a Joint Warfighting ConceptJADC2 as a concept— Like the Integrated Tactical Network, instances of a concept can exist before acquisition— se
PEO C3T (2018) Integrated Tactical Network
/ref> for the services by December 2020.Theresa Hitchens (29 January 2020) New Joint Warfighting Plan Will Help Define ‘Top Priority’ JADC2: Hyten
/ref> Developing Joint all-domain command and control ( JADC2) as a concept is a key goal of the
20th 20 (twenty; Roman numeral XX) is the natural number following 19 and preceding 21. A group of twenty units may also be referred to as a score. In mathematics *20 is a pronic number. *20 is a tetrahedral number as 1, 4, 10, 20. *20 is the ba ...
CJCS. An OSD/Joint Staff
Cross-Functional Team A cross-functional team, also known as a multidisciplinary team or interdisciplinary team, is a group of people with different functional expertise working toward a common goal. It may include people from finance, marketing, operations, and huma ...
for JADC2 is underway.Sydney J Freedberg Jr (11 May 2021) Revised JADC2 Strategy Hits DepSecDef’s Desk
JADC2 strategy: federate the data fabric
Theresa Hitchens (14 November 2019) OSD & Joint Staff Grapple With Joint All-Domain Command
/ref> 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).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 he nuclear triad (for mutually assured destruction in the Cold War, an evolving concept in itself) transportation, electromagnetic spectrum operations, missile defense"
The Joint Chiefs and Combatant Commanders witnessed demonstrations of the concept in September 2020.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


Organization

The Joint Staff includes the following departments where all the planning, policies,
intelligence Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. More generally, it can ...
,
manpower Human resources (HR) is the set of people who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, industry, or economy. A narrower concept is human capital, the knowledge and skills which the individuals command. Similar terms includ ...
, communications and logistics functions are translated into action.jcs.mil
*Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff **Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff ***Director, Joint Staff - assists the Chairman in his role as advisor to the President and Secretary of Defense, coordinates and directs activities of the Joint Staff in support of the Chairman, and serves as the staff inspector general. ****Vice Director, Joint Staff *****J1 - Director, Manpower and Personnel *****J2 - Director, Intelligence *****J3 - Director, Operations *****J4 - Director, Logistics *****J5 - Director, Strategy, Plans, and Policy *****J6 - Director, Command, Control, Communications, and Computers / Chief Information Officer *****J7 - Director, Joint Force Development *****J8 - Director, Force Structure, Resources, and Assessment *****Director of Management *****Joint History Office - record activities of the chairman and the Joint Staff ***Assistant to the Chairman - oversees matters requiring close personal control by the chairman with particular focus on international relations and politico-military concerns ***Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman (SEAC) - advisor to the chairman on all matters involving joint and combined total force integration, utilization, health of the force, and joint development for enlisted personnel


Directorates of the Joint Staff

The Joint Staff includes the following departments where all the planning, policies,
intelligence Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. More generally, it can ...
,
manpower Human resources (HR) is the set of people who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, industry, or economy. A narrower concept is human capital, the knowledge and skills which the individuals command. Similar terms includ ...
, communications and logistics functions are translated into action. * Joint Staff Information Management Division (United States) * DOM – Directorate of Management * J1 – Personnel and Manpower * J2 – Intelligence ** The National Military
Joint Intelligence Center A Joint Intelligence Center (JIC) is a focal point for military intelligence gathered by different intelligence agencies and administered by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). The intelligence center of the joint force headquarters. The joint in ...
(NMJIC) is part of the J2 directorate and is staffed by
Defense Intelligence Agency The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is an intelligence agency and combat support agency of the United States Department of Defense, specializing in defense and military intelligence. A component of the Department of Defense (DoD) and the ...
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 ** The J-6 directorate is one of a group of agencies that administer the
SIPRNet The Secure Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet) is "a system of interconnected computer networks used by the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of State to transmit classified information (up to and including information cl ...
. Other administrators include: the
National Security Agency The National Security Agency (NSA) is a national-level intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collecti ...
, the
Defense Intelligence Agency The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is an intelligence agency and combat support agency of the United States Department of Defense, specializing in defense and military intelligence. A component of the Department of Defense (DoD) and the ...
, and the Defense Information Systems Agency. The J-6 chairs the DOD's Military Command, Control, Communications, and Computers Executive Board (MC4EB) 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. * 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

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.
* CJCS Award for Distinguished Public Service (DPS) * CJCS Award for Outstanding Public Service (OPS) * Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint Distinguished Civilian Service Award, 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

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 and 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 2020, 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.


Gallery

File:Joint Chiefs of Staff 1949.jpg, The Joint Chiefs of Staff during its early days in 1949. File:Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Nathan F. Twining during a briefing with the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at The Pentagon.jpg, Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at
The Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a metony ...
in 1958. File:The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1959.jpg, The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1959. File:JCS 1961.jpg, The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1961. File:Joint Chief of Staff March 1968.jpg, The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1968. File:JointChiefsofStaff January1971.jpg, The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1971. File:The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1977.jpg, The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1977. File:President-Elect Jimmy Carter with U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld During a Visit to The Pentagon.jpg, Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with President-Elect
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld on December 17, 1976. File:White House meeting with Joint Chiefs of Staff - NARA - 175830.tif, Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during a cabinet meeting in the White House in 1977 File:The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1981.jpg, The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1981. File:The Joint Chiefs of Staff during President Ronald Reagan Inaugural Parade in January 20, 1981.jpg, Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during
President Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
Inaugural Parade The inauguration of the president of the United States is a ceremony to mark the commencement of a new four-year term of the president of the United States. During this ceremony, between 73 to 79 days after the presidential election, the pres ...
in January 20, 1981. File:The Joint Chiefs of STAFF (JCS) pose for a portrait in an office at the Pentagon 1983.jpg, The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1983. File:US Joint Chiefs of Staff Dec 1986.jpg, The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1986. File:Joint Chiefs of Staff (December 2001).jpg, The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2001. File:Joint Chiefs salute Ronald Reagan, June 11, 2004.jpg, Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff render a salute for the late President Ronald Reagan at
Andrews Air Force Base Andrews Air Force Base (Andrews AFB, AAFB) is the airfield portion of Joint Base Andrews, which is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force. In 2009, Andrews Air Force Base merged with Naval Air Facility Washington to form Joint Ba ...
in 2004. File:US Navy 061230-F-0193C-008 The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Peter Pace, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff walk to their vehicles to continue the ceremony for former U.S. President Gerald Ford.jpg, Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at
Andrews Air Force Base Andrews Air Force Base (Andrews AFB, AAFB) is the airfield portion of Joint Base Andrews, which is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force. In 2009, Andrews Air Force Base merged with Naval Air Facility Washington to form Joint Ba ...
during a funeral service ceremony for the late President Gerald Ford on December 26, 2006. File:Seated in front from left, Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright 101203-A-VO565-003.jpg, The Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Senate Armed Services Committee testimony in The Capitol Hill 2010. File:Joint Chiefs of Staff (31662768614).jpg, The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2017.


See also

*
Armed Forces Council (Canada) The Armed Forces Council is the senior military body of the Canadian Armed Forces. It meets to advise and assist the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) on all matters concerning the command, control, and administration of the forces, and generally ...
* Chiefs of Staff Committee (United Kingdom) * General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation *
General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces Israeli General Staff or General Headquarters ( he, המטה הכללי של צה"ל), abbreviated Matkal (מטכ"ל), is the supreme command of the Israel Defense Forces. It is based in the Kirya compound (Rabin Camp) in Tel Aviv. Members T ...
*
Joint Chiefs of Staff (Republic of Korea) A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw ...
* Chief of Defence Staff (India) *
Staff (military) A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, enlisted and civilian staff who serve the commander of a division or other large milita ...
– see Modern United States military usage for organization of Joint Staff (J1 through J8)


Notes


References


Further reading

* Gillespie, Robert M. ''The Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Escalation of the Vietnam Conflict, 1964–1965''. Masters Thesis, Clemson University, 1994. . * 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: Harper Collins, 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, . * 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''
. Washington, D.C.: Joint History Office, The Joint Staff, 1996. * Taylor, Maxwell D. ''The Uncertain Trumpet''. New York: Harper & Row, 1959.


External links

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(1935 Joint Board publication)
Joint Chiefs of Staff
on the
Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Joint Chiefs Of Staff United States Department of Defense officials