Joint Chiefs of Staff

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is a group of important military leaders in the United States Department of Defense. They give advice to the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council, and the National Security Council about matters related to the military.

The group is made up of several key leaders: a chairman, a vice chairman, the leaders of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Space Force, and the leader of the National Guard Bureau. Each of these leaders also works directly for the secretaries of their own military departments, like the secretary of the Army, the secretary of the Navy, and the secretary of the Air Force.

After the Goldwater–Nichols Act in 1986, the Joint Chiefs of Staff do not have the power to command troops directly. Instead, the president gives orders to the secretary of defense, who then passes them to the leaders of different areas around the world, known as combatant commanders. The Goldwater–Nichols Act also created the position of vice chairman and made the chairman the main military advisor to the president, the secretary of defense, and the security councils. The Joint Staff, located in the Pentagon, helps the chairman and vice chairman with their duties and is led by the director of the Joint Staff.

Role and responsibilities

The Joint Chiefs of Staff are important military leaders who help guide the United States' armed forces. After changes in 1986, they no longer control soldiers directly in battles. Instead, they focus on making sure troops are ready, planning, and training.

The main job of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is to give advice to the president and the secretary of defense about military matters. They are part of important meetings that help decide on military policies.

Current members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Non-member attendee

The Coast Guard is part of the Armed Forces but works under the Department of Homeland Security, not the Department of Defense. However, during special times like war, the president can move it to the Department of the Navy. The leader of the Coast Guard, called the commandant, is not an official member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Still, they sometimes act like a member, getting the same extra pay and joining meetings when invited. Unlike the Joint Chiefs, the commandant leads the Coast Guard directly.

History

Joint Board

As the U.S. military grew after the American Civil War, working together between the Army and Navy became harder. They didn’t support each other well during planning or action, especially in the Spanish–American War in the Caribbean. In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt created the Joint Army and Navy Board. This group included leaders from both the Army and Navy to help plan together and solve problems. But the Joint Board couldn’t make decisions happen, so it didn’t change much.

World War II

During World War II, U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt and British prime minister Winston Churchill created the Combined Chiefs of Staff to guide the war effort together. The United States didn’t have a group like this, so the Joint Board wasn’t very helpful. A new group, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was suggested to better organize the military. Their first meeting was on 9 February 1942. Admiral William D. Leahy became a key leader, and the group helped coordinate the war effort.

National Security Act of 1947

After World War II, the Joint Chiefs of Staff became official with the National Security Act of 1947. The group included a chairman, the chief of staff of the Army, the chief of staff of the Air Force, and the chief of naval operations. The leader of the Marine Corps was also included when matters about the Marines came up.

Goldwater–Nichols Act of 1986

The Goldwater–Nichols Act of 1986 added a vice chairman to help the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with tasks.

Historic appointments and firings

General Colin L. Powell was the first African American to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. General Charles Q. Brown Jr. was the first African American to lead a service branch and later became chairman. Admiral Lisa Franchetti was the first woman to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

National Defense Authorization Act of 2012

The 2012 National Defense Authorization Act added the Chief of the National Guard Bureau to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

National Defense Authorization Act of 2020

The 2020 National Defense Authorization Act created the U.S. Space Force, and its leader became a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on 20 December 2020.

Organization and leadership positions

Chairman

Main article: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the top military officer in the United States Armed Forces. He gives important advice to the president and helps lead meetings of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This group includes leaders from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and the National Guard. The chairman works in the Pentagon but does not control the other leaders.

Vice Chairman

Main article: Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

The vice chairman was added in 1986. This person is the second-highest military officer and helps lead the meetings when the chairman is not there. The current vice chairman is General Christopher J. Mahoney, who started in 2025.

Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman

Main article: Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman

The senior enlisted advisor helps the chairman with important tasks about soldiers and works with leaders from all the services. The current advisor is David Isom, who began in 2025.

Joint Staff

The Joint Staff is a team of military leaders based at the Pentagon and several other locations, including Hampton Roads, Fort Leavenworth, Lackland Air Force Base, Fort Belvoir, Fairchild Air Force Base, and Fort McNair. These leaders come from all six armed services and help the chairman and vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with their duties. They work closely with the Office of the Secretary of Defense and other military teams.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is helped by the director of the Joint Staff, a high-ranking officer. The director manages the Joint Staff, which includes officers from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. Their job is to give the secretary of defense unified plans and directions for all military forces on land, sea, in space, and in the air. The director is also helped by another officer called the vice director.

The Joint Staff has several departments that handle different jobs, such as planning, policies, intelligence, and logistics. These departments work together to turn plans into action.

Joint Chiefs of Staff: civilian awards

The Joint Chiefs of Staff can honor special people, groups, or workers in government who have done very helpful work for the military. They give out several special awards for this, including:

• CJCS Award for Distinguished Public Service
• CJCS Award for Outstanding Public Service
• CJCS Joint Distinguished Civilian Service Award
• CJCS Joint Meritorious Civilian Service Award
• Joint Civilian Service Commendation Award
• Joint Civilian Service Achievement Award

Coast Guard

The leader of the Coast Guard, called the commandant, is not automatically a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but Coast Guard officers can be chosen to be the Chairman or Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. They can also serve in other important roles. As of 2025, no Coast Guard officer has been chosen for these top jobs, but Coast Guard officers often work as part of the Joint Chiefs of Staff team. One such officer served in an important role in 2016.