View source for Joint Chiefs of Staff

{{Short description|Senior-most US military leaders}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2020}} 
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox
| above            = Joint Chiefs of Staff
| subheader        = JCS
| image            = [[File:Joint Chiefs of Staff seal (2).svg|190px]]
| caption          = Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
| headerstyle      = background-color: #efefef
| label1           = Role
| data1            = Advisory board providing professional military advice to the [[United States Secretary of Defense|secretary of defense]] and the [[President of the United States|president]]
| label2           = Established in practice
| data2            = 1942
| label3           = Constituting instrument
| data3            = [[National Security Act of 1947]]<br>currently codified at<br>{{UnitedStatesCode|10|151}}
| label4           = Predecessor entities
| data4            = Joint Board <br /><small>(1903–1942)</small>
| header5          = Members
| label6           = [[Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff|Chairman]]
| data6            = [[General (United States)|Gen]] [[Dan Caine]], [[United States Air Force|USAF]]
| label7           = [[Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff|Vice Chairman]]
| data7            = [[Admiral (United States)|ADM]] [[Christopher W. Grady]], [[United States Navy|USN]]
| label8           = Number of members
| data8            = Eight
| header9          = Administration
| label10          = Parent agency
| data10           = [[U.S. Department of Defense]]
| label11          = Staff organization
| data11           = 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)
| label12          = Seat
| data12           = [[The Pentagon]]
}}
{{United States Armed Forces sidebar}}

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 [[United States Secretary of Defense|secretary of defense]], the [[United States Homeland Security Council|Homeland Security Council]] and the [[United States National Security Council|National Security Council]] on military matters. The composition of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is defined by [[statute]] and consists of a [[chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff|chairman]] (CJCS), a [[Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff|vice chairman]] (VJCS), the chiefs of the [[Chief of Staff of the United States Army|Army]], [[Commandant of the United States Marine Corps|Marine Corps]], [[Chief of Naval Operations|Navy]], [[Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force|Air Force]], and [[Chief of Space Operations|Space Force]], and the [[chief of the National Guard Bureau]].<ref name="armytimes">{{cite news |url=http://www.armytimes.com/news/2012/01/army-air-force-top-guard-officer-joins-joint-chiefs-010412w/ |title=Top Guard officer joins Joint Chiefs of Staff |work=Army Times |date=4 January 2012}}</ref><ref>[https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/151- 10 USC 151]. Joint Chiefs of Staff: composition; functions</ref> Each of the individual service chiefs, outside their JCS obligations, works directly under the secretaries of their respective military departments, e.g. the [[United States Secretary of the Army|secretary of the Army]], the [[United States Secretary of the Navy|secretary of the Navy]], and the [[United States Secretary of the Air Force|secretary of the Air Force]].<ref>[[Title 10 of the United States Code|10 U.S.C.]] [http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/10C305.txt §3033] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130312222246/http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/10C305.txt |date=12 March 2013 }}</ref><ref>[[Title 10 of the United States Code|10 U.S.C.]] [http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/10C505.txt §5033] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130312222228/http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/10C505.txt |date=12 March 2013 }}</ref><ref>[[Title 10 of the United States Code|10 U.S.C.]] [http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/10C506.txt §5043] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130312221844/http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/10C506.txt |date=12 March 2013 }}</ref><ref>[[Title 10 of the United States Code|10 U.S.C.]] [http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/10C805.txt §8033] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130312222221/http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/10C805.txt |date=12 March 2013 }}</ref>

Following the [[Goldwater–Nichols Act]] in 1986, the Joint Chiefs of Staff do not have operational command authority, either individually or collectively, as the [[command hierarchy|chain of command]] goes from the president to the secretary of defense, and from the secretary to the regional [[Unified Combatant Command|combatant commanders]].<ref>[[Title 10 of the United States Code|10 U.S.C.]] [http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/10C6.txt §162(b)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130529014041/http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/10C6.txt |date=29 May 2013 }}</ref> 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.<ref>[[Title 10 of the United States Code|10 U.S.C]] [http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/10C5.txt §151(b)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130312222255/http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/10C5.txt |date=12 March 2013 }}</ref>

The [[#Joint_Staff|Joint Staff]] (JS) is a headquarters staff in the [[The Pentagon|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).<ref>[[Title 10 of the United States Code|10 U.S.C]] [http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/10C5.txt §155] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130312222255/http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/10C5.txt |date=12 March 2013 }}</ref>
==Role and responsibilities==
[[File:Joint Chiefs of Staff members pose for a photo inside the Pentagon, USA on 14 November 2024.jpg|thumb|The Joint Chiefs of Staff in November 2024]]
After the 1986 reorganization of the [[United States Armed Forces|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 of the United States of America|president]] to the [[United States Secretary of Defense|secretary of defense]] directly to the commanders of the [[Unified Combatant Command|unified combatant command]]s and thus bypasses the Joint Chiefs of Staff completely.{{fact|date=May 2025}}

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 [[United States National Security Council|National Security Council]] and the [[United States Homeland Security Council|Homeland Security Council]], which includes the president and other officials besides the chairman of the Joint Chiefs.{{fact|date=May 2025}}

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,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dfas.mil/MilitaryMembers/payentitlements/Pay-Tables/Basic-Pay/CO/|title=Basic Pay – Officers Effective January 1, 2025|publisher=Defense Finance and Accounting Service |date= 1 January 2025}}</ref> plus a $4,000 per year personal money allowance.<ref>{{USC|37|414}}</ref>

==Current members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Position
!Photograph
!Name
!Service
!Serving since
!Nominated by
!Flag
|-
|[[Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff]]
|[[File:General John D. Caine.jpg|border|center|93x93px]]
|style="text-align:center"|[[General (United States)|General]]<br/>'''[[Dan Caine|J. Daniel Caine]]'''
|{{Flag|United States Air Force|size=23px}}
|style="text-align:center"|11 April 2025
|style="text-align:center"|[[Donald Trump|Donald J. Trump]]
|[[File:Flag of the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff.svg|100px]]
|-
|[[Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff]]
|[[File:ADM Christopher W. Grady (2).jpg|center|94x94px|frameless]]
|style="text-align:center"|[[Admiral (United States)|Admiral]]<br/>'''[[Christopher W. Grady]]'''
|{{Flag|United States Navy|size=23px}}
|style="text-align:center"|20 December 2021
|style="text-align:center"|[[Joe Biden|Joseph R. Biden]]
|[[File:Flag of the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.svg|100px]]
|-
|[[Chief of Staff of the United States Army|Chief of Staff of the Army]]
|[[File:GEN Randy A. George (2).jpg|border|75px|center]]
|style="text-align:center"|General<br/>'''[[Randy George|Randy A. George]]'''
|{{Army|United States|size=23px}}
|style="text-align:center"|21 September 2023
|style="text-align:center"|Joseph R. Biden
|[[File:Flag of the Chief of Staff of the United States Army.svg|100px]]
|-
|[[Commandant of the United States Marine Corps|Commandant of the Marine Corps]]
|[[File:Gen Smith Official Photo V1.jpg|border|75px|center]]
|style="text-align:center"|General<br/>'''[[Eric Smith (general)|Eric M. Smith]]'''
|{{Flag|United States Marine Corps|size=23px}}
|style="text-align:center"|22 September 2023
|style="text-align:center"|Joseph R. Biden
|[[File:Flag of the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps.svg|100px]]
|-
|- style=background:#e6e6aa;
|[[Chief of Naval Operations]]
|[[File:ADM James W. Kilby.jpg|border|75px|center]]
|style="text-align:center"|Admiral<br/>'''[[James Kilby|James W. Kilby]]'''<br/>''Acting''
|{{Navy|United States|size=23px}}
|style="text-align:center"|21 February 2025
|style="text-align:center"|''None''
|[[File:Flag of the United States Chief of Naval Operations.svg|100px]]
|-
|[[Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force|Chief of Staff of the Air Force]]
|[[File:Gen David W. Allvin (3).jpg|border|75px|center]]
|style="text-align:center"|General<br/>'''[[David W. Allvin]]'''
|{{Air force|United States|size=23px}}
|style="text-align:center"|2 November 2023
|style="text-align:center"|Joseph R. Biden
|[[File:Flag of the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force.svg|100px]]
|-
|[[Chief of Space Operations]]
|[[File:Gen B. Chance Saltzman (2) (cropped).jpg|border|75px|center]]
|style="text-align:center"|General<br/>'''[[B. Chance Saltzman]]'''
|{{Space force|United States}}
|style="text-align:center"|2 November 2022
|style="text-align:center"|Joseph R. Biden
|[[File:Flag of the Chief of Space Operations.svg|100px]]
|-
|[[Chief of the National Guard Bureau]]
|[[File:Gen Steven S. Nordhaus.jpg|border|75px|center]]
|style="text-align:center"|General<br/>'''[[Steven Nordhaus|Steven S. Nordhaus]]'''
|{{Air force|United States}}
|style="text-align:center"|2 October 2024
|style="text-align:center"|Joseph R. Biden
|[[File:Flag_of_the_National_Guard_Bureau.svg|100px]]
|}

=== Non-member attendee ===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Position
!Photograph
!Name
!Service
!Serving since
!Nominated by
!Flag
|-
|- style=background:#e6e6aa;
|[[Commandant of the Coast Guard]]
|[[File:ADM Kevin E. Lunday (3).jpg|border|75px|center]]
|style="text-align:center"|Admiral<br/>'''[[Kevin Lunday|Kevin E. Lunday]]'''<br/>''Acting''
|{{Flag|United States Coast Guard|United States|size=23px}}
|style="text-align:center"|21 January 2025
|style="text-align:center"|''None''
|[[File:Flag of the Commandant of the United States Coast Guard.svg|100px]]
|}

Although it is a branch of the Armed Forces pursuant to {{USC|14|101}}, the Coast Guard operates under the [[United States Department of Homeland Security|Department of Homeland Security]] rather than the [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]], except when the president (e.g., in times of war or national emergency) transfers it to the [[United States Department of the Navy|Department of the Navy]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Coast Guard: America's Oldest Maritime Defenders {{!}} GoCoastGuard.com|url=https://www.gocoastguard.com/about-the-coast-guard/learn-the-history|access-date=22 May 2021|website=www.gocoastguard.com}}</ref> 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,<ref>{{uscsub|37|414|a|5}} – Personal money allowance ($4,000 per annum in 2009)</ref> and occasionally will attend meetings of the JCS by invitation.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Thompson|first=Mark|date=4 January 2012|title=The Changing of the Guard|language=en-US|magazine=Time|url=https://nation.time.com/2012/01/04/the-changing-of-the-guard/|access-date=22 May 2021|issn=0040-781X}}</ref> 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==

===Joint Board===
[[File:Secretary of Defense Harold Brown with the Joint Chiefs of Staff member at the Pentagon.jpg|thumb|[[United States Secretary of Defense]] [[Harold Brown (Secretary of Defense)|Harold Brown]] and [[United States Deputy Secretary of Defense]] [[Charles Duncan Jr.|Charles W. Duncan Jr]] with [[Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff]] General [[George Scratchley Brown|George S. Brown]] and the other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon in 1977]]
As the [[United States Armed Forces|U.S. military]] grew in size following the [[American Civil War]], joint military action between the [[United States Army|Army]] and [[United States Navy|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.<ref name="Millett">{{cite book |first=Allan R. |last=Millett |title=Semper Fidelis: The History of the United States Marine Corps |location=New York |publisher=Macmillan |year=1980 |page=269 [para. 2] |isbn=0-02-921590-0 }}</ref><ref name="jcs">{{Cite web|title=Joint Chiefs of Staff > About > Origin of Joint Concepts|url=https://www.jcs.mil/About/Origin-of-Joint-Concepts/|access-date=22 May 2021|website=www.jcs.mil}}</ref> 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 [[interservice rivalry|rivalry]] between the two services.<ref name="Millett"/><ref name=jcs/>

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 [[United States Secretary of War|secretaries of war]] and [[United States Secretary of the Navy|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 [[United States color-coded war plans|potential enemies were assigned various other colors]].<ref>{{cite book |page=26 |first1=John H. |last1=Bradley |first2=Thomas E. |last2=Griess |first3=Jack W. |last3=Dice |others=[[United States Military Academy]], Dept. of History |title=The Second World War: Asia and the Pacific |publisher=Square One |year=2002 |isbn=0-7570-0162-9 }}</ref>

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===
[[File:80-G-K-14010 (25667487234).jpg|thumb|right|Joint Chiefs of Staff meeting ({{circa|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]].<ref Name=WCP>{{cite book |title=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" |last=Cline |first=Ray S. |year=1990 |publisher=Center of Military History, United States Army, Washington, D. C. |pages=98–104 |url=http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/WCP/ChapterVI.htm#p98 |access-date=5 January 2012 |archive-date=11 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181211095615/https://history.army.mil/books/wwii/WCP/ChapterVI.htm#p98 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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 (United States)|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.<ref Name=WCP /><ref>{{cite book |title=United States Army in World War II – The War Department – Global Logistics and Strategy 1940–1943 |last=Leighton |first=Richard M. |author2=Robert W Coakley |year=1995 |publisher=Center of Military History, United States Army, Washington, D. C. |page=144 |url=http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/001/1-5/index.html |access-date=5 January 2012 |archive-date=11 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011204926/https://history.army.mil/html/books/001/1-5/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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."<ref Name=candc>{{cite book |title=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 |last=Craven |first=James |year=1948 |publisher=AFHRA, Maxwell AFB, Alabama |pages=254 |url=http://www.afhso.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-101105-005.pdf |access-date=15 October 2016 |archive-date=18 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018133446/http://www.afhso.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-101105-005.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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:<ref name="life1942100595">{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UUAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA95 |title=Washington Eats |magazine=Life |date=5 October 1942 |access-date=20 November 2011 |page=95}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Service !! Position
|-
|[[Admiral (United States)|Admiral]] [[William D. Leahy]]|| [[United States Navy|USN]] || [[Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff|Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy]] and<br />Special Presidential Military Advisor
|-
|[[General (United States)|General]] [[George C. Marshall]]|| [[United States Army|USA]] || [[Chief of Staff of the United States Army]] (CSUSA)
|-
|[[Admiral (United States)|Admiral]] [[Ernest J. King]] || [[United States Navy|USN]] ||[[Commander in Chief]] of the [[United States Fleet]] and<br />[[Chief of Naval Operations]] (COMINCH-CNO)
|-
|[[General (United States)|General]] [[Henry H. Arnold|Henry H. 'Hap' Arnold]] || [[United States Army|USA]] || [[United States Army Air Forces|Chief of the Army Air Forces]] and Deputy Chief of Staff for Air
|}
[[File:The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1959.jpg|thumb|The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1959. From left to right: Gen. [[Lyman L. Lemnitzer]], [[United States Army|USA]]; Adm. [[Arleigh A. Burke]], [[United States Navy|USN]]; Gen. [[Nathan F. Twining]], [[United States Air Force|USAF]] (chairman); Gen. [[Thomas Dresser White]], [[United States Air Force|USAF]]; and Gen. [[Randolph M. Pate]], [[United States Marine Corps|USMC]]]]
[[File:Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff General David C. Jones lead briefing at The Pentagon.jpg|thumb|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 (United States)|fleet admiral]]; Marshall and Arnold to [[General of the Army (United States)|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.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Mark A. |last=Stoler |title=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 |journal=[[Diplomatic History (journal)|Diplomatic History]] |volume=6 |issue=3 |year=1982 |pages=303–320 [quote at p. 307] |doi=10.1111/j.1467-7709.1982.tb00378.x }}</ref> 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===
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 United States Army|chief of staff of the Army]], the [[Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force|chief of staff of the Air Force]] (which was established as a separate service by the same Act), and the [[Chief of Naval Operations|chief of naval operations]]. The [[Commandant of the United States Marine Corps|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=== 
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=== 
General [[Colin Powell|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,<ref>Copp, T. and Baldor, L.C. [https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2025/0222/Trump-fires-chairman-of-the-Joint-Chiefs-of-Staff-and-two-other-military-officers "Trump fires chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and two other military officers."] 
The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Feb. 2025.</ref> he was later terminated by President Trump's Secretary of Defense [[Pete Hegseth]] on 21 February 2025, soon after Hegseth's confirmation.  

General [[Richard Myers|Richard B. Myers]] (Chairman, 2001–2005) was the first [[Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff|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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.defensenews.com/news/your-navy/2023/11/02/senate-finally-confirms-adm-franchetti-as-navys-top-officer/|title=Senate finally confirms Adm. Franchetti as Navy's top officer|first=Geoff|last=Ziezulewicz|date=2 November 2023|website=Defense News}}</ref><ref>{{UnitedStatesCode|10|151}}</ref> Like African American JCS chairman, General [[Charles Q. Brown Jr.]], Franchetti was also fired by [[Pete Hegseth|Hegseth]] on 21 February 2025.<ref>Copp, T., and Baldor, L. C. [https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2025/0222/Trump-fires-chairman-of-the-Joint-Chiefs-of-Staff-and-two-other-military-officers "Trump fires chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and two other military officers."] The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Feb. 2025.</ref>

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"<ref>Martinez, L. and Seyler, M. [https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-fires-cq-brown-joint-chiefs-chairman/story?id=119045945 "Trump fires CQ Brown as Joint Chiefs chairman."] ABC News, 22 Feb. 2025.</ref> since the creation of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1947.

===National Defense Authorization Act of 2012===
A provision in the [[National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012|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]].<ref name="armytimes"/>

=== National Defense Authorization Act of 2020 ===
The [[National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020|2020 National Defense Authorization Act]] established the [[United States Space Force|U.S. Space Force]] on 20 December 2019. The Space Force is headed by the chief of space operations, who reports directly to the [[United States Secretary of the Air Force|secretary of the Air Force]]. Pursuant to {{USC|10|9082}}, the chief of space operations became a statutory member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on 20 December 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|title=National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020|url=https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/s1790/BILLS-116s1790enr.pdf|access-date=20 December 2019}}</ref>


==Organization and leadership positions==

===Chairman===
<!-- This section is linked from [[Colin Powell]] -->
{{Main|Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff}}
[[File:Defense.gov News Photo 011214-D-2842B-001.jpg|thumb|247x247px|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]],<ref name="CJCS">[https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/152-] 10 USC 152. Chairman: appointment; grade and rank</ref> 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|chief of staff of the United States Army]], the [[commandant of the United States Marine Corps]], the [[Chief of Naval Operations|chief of naval operations]], the [[Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force|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,<ref name="head">[https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/152-#c] 10 USC 152(c). Chairman: appointment; grade and rank – Grade and Rank.</ref> but does not maintain authority over them, their branches or the [[Unified Combatant Command]]s.<ref name="head"/> All combatant commanders receive their orders directly from the [[United States Secretary of Defense|secretary of defense]].<ref>[https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/162-] 10 USC 162. Combatant commands: assigned forces; chain of command</ref>

On 20 July 1942, [[Fleet Admiral (United States)|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===
{{Main|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 (United States)|general]] or [[Admiral (United States)|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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jcs.mil/about_cjs.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060705063957/http://www.jcs.mil/about_cjs.html|url-status=dead|title=About the Joint Chiefs|archivedate=5 July 2006}}</ref>

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. [[Charles Q. Brown Jr. | CQ Brown]] has been confirmed.

===Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman===
{{Main|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==
{{Infobox government agency
| agency_name     = Joint Staff
| seal            = Joint Chiefs of Staff seal (2).svg
| seal_width      = 140px
| seal_caption    = [[Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge]]
| formed          = 1949
| preceding1      = 
| jurisdiction    = 
| headquarters    = [[The Pentagon]]
| employees       = Approx. 1,500
| budget          = 
| image           = 
| chief1_name     = LTG [[Douglas Sims II]] ([[Director of the Joint Staff|DJS]])
| parent_agency   = [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]]
| child1_agency   = 
| website         = 
}}

The '''Joint Staff''' ('''JS''')<ref name= jointDoctrineHome >"Joint Doctrine constitutes official advice, however, the judgment of the commander is paramount in all situations." —Director Joint Force Development (1JAN19) [https://www.jcs.mil/Doctrine/ Joint Electronic Library]</ref><ref name= dodDictionary>Joint Staff, J-7 [https://www.jcs.mil/Portals/36/Documents/Doctrine/pubs/dictionary.pdf (Jan 2020) DOD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200218033724/https://www.jcs.mil/Portals/36/Documents/Doctrine/pubs/dictionary.pdf |date=18 February 2020 }}</ref> 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.{{fact|date=May 2025}}

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 [[United States Secretary of Defense|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|vice director of the Joint Staff]], a two-star officer.{{fact|date=May 2025}}

Former Secretary of Defense [[Mark Esper]]  tasked the Joint Staff with developing a [[Reorganization plan of United States Army#jadoDevFromMdo|Joint Warfighting Concept]]<ref name=jCFT group=JadConcept >JADC2 as a concept— Like the Integrated Tactical Network, instances of a concept can exist before acquisition— see [https://web.archive.org/web/20190621145751/https://peoc3t.army.mil/tr/itn.php PEO C3T (2018) Integrated Tactical Network]</ref> for the services by December 2020.<ref name=jadc2AsConcept >{{Cite web|url=https://breakingdefense.sites.breakingmedia.com/2020/01/new-joint-warfighting-plan-will-help-define-top-priority-jadc2-hyten/|title=New Joint Warfighting Plan Will Help Define 'Top Priority' JADC2: Hyten|first=Theresa|last=Hitchens|date=29 January 2020}}</ref> Developing Joint all-domain command and control ([[Reorganization plan of United States Army#jadoRolesAllocated|JADC2]]) as a concept<ref name=jCFT group=JadConcept /> is a key goal of the [[Mark Milley|20th]] CJCS.<ref name=jadc2AsConcept /> An [[Office of the Secretary of Defense|OSD]]/Joint Staff [[Cross-Functional Team]] for [[United States Army Futures Command#JointAllDomainC2|JADC2]] is [[underway]].<ref name= jadc2ApprovalUpcoming >[https://breakingdefense.com/2021/05/revised-jadc2-strategy-hits-depsecdefs-desk/ Sydney J Freedberg Jr (11 May 2021) Revised JADC2 Strategy Hits DepSecDef's Desk] JADC2 strategy: federate the data fabric</ref><ref name=jcftJadc2 >{{Cite web|url=https://breakingdefense.sites.breakingmedia.com/2019/11/osd-joint-staff-grapple-with-joint-all-domain-command/|title=OSD & Joint Staff Grapple With Joint All-Domain Command|first=Theresa|last=Hitchens|date=14 November 2019}}</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).<ref name=hyten2020 >[https://breakingdefense.com/2020/02/gen-hyten-on-the-new-american-way-of-war-all-domain-operations/ 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"
</ref> The Joint Chiefs and Combatant Commanders witnessed [[Reorganization plan of United States Army#jadoOnrampSep2020|demonstrations of the concept]] in September 2020.<ref name= killChainInSeconds >[https://breakingdefense.com/2020/09/abms-demo-proves-ai-chops-for-c2/ 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</ref>

===Directorates of the Joint Staff===
[[File:US Joint Chiefs of Staff Nov 1989.jpg|thumb|right|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, [[Military Intelligence|intelligence]], [[Human resources|manpower]], communications and logistics functions are translated into action.<ref name="jcs.mil">[http://www.jcs.mil/j3/index.html jcs.mil] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090303034102/http://www.jcs.mil/j3/index.html|date=3 March 2009}}</ref>
* DOM – Directorate of Management
** Joint Secretariat
*** [[Joint Staff Information Management Division (United States)|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
* [[Operations (J3)|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<ref name="dtic">{{cite web|url=http://www.jcs.mil/page.aspx?id=21 |title=J6 Page at jcs.mil |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514114515/http://www.jcs.mil/page.aspx?id=21 |archive-date=14 May 2011 }}</ref>
** 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]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PAA/is_1_28/ai_103992818/ |title=SIPRNET connectivity: do's and don'ts |work=Army Communicator |first=Tim |last=Gibson |year=2003 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017050255/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PAA/is_1_28/ai_103992818/ |archive-date=17 October 2015 }}</ref> The J-6 chairs the DOD's Military Command, Control, Communications, and Computers Executive Board (MC4EB)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/Military-Command-Control-Communications-and-Computers-Executive-Board-23-Apr-2014|title=Military Command, Control, Communications, and Computers Executive Board, 23 Apr 2014|via=Internet Archive}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/fy2015/budget_justification/pdfs/03_RDT_and_E/RDTE_MasterJustificationBook_Joint_Staff_PB_2015.pdf|title=DoD Budget p.33}}</ref>
* 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.<ref>[http://www.dtic.mil/cjcs_directives/cdata/unlimit/1101_01.pdf+%22Joint+Civilian+Service+Commendation%22&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629042117/http://www.dtic.mil/cjcs_directives/cdata/unlimit/1101_01.pdf%2B%22Joint%2BCivilian%2BService%2BCommendation%22%26hl%3Den%26gl%3Dus%26ct%3Dclnk%26cd%3D1|date=29 June 2011}}</ref>
* 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 {{uscsub|10|152|a|1}} and {{uscsub|10|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}}, 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.{{fact|date=December 2024}}

== Gallery ==
<gallery widths="200px" heights="160px">
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]] 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]] 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 [[Ronald Reagan|President Ronald Reagan]] [[First inauguration of Ronald Reagan|Inaugural Parade]] on 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:John Shalikashvili with the Joint Chiefs of Staff 1994.png|The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1994.
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 [[Joint Base Andrews|Andrews Air Force Base]] 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]] 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 [[United States Senate Committee on Armed Services|Senate Armed Services Committee]] testimony in [[United States Capitol|The Capitol Hill]] 2010.
File:Joint Chiefs of Staff (31662768614).jpg|The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2017.
File:Space Force Leader to Become 8th Member of Joint Chiefs (3).jpg|The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2020.
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Chief of the Defence Force (Australia)]]
* [[Armed Forces Council (Canada)]]
* [[Chief of Defence Force (New Zealand)]]
* [[Chiefs of Staff Committee|Chiefs of Staff Committee (United Kingdom)]]
* [[General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation]]
* [[Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission|Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission (China)]]
* [[General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces]]
* [[Chief of Staff, Joint Staff|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==
{{reflist|group=JCS}}
{{reflist|group="JadConcept"}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* 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. [https://archive.org/details/historyofjointch0000unse ''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) [https://issforum.org/ISSF/PDF/RE84.pdf online book review]

==External links==
{{Spoken Wikipedia|En-Joint Chiefs of Staff-article.ogg|date=6 September 2015}}
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website|www.jcs.mil}}
* [http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ref/Joint/index.html ''Joint Action of the Army and the Navy''] (1935 Joint Board publication)
* [https://archive.org/details/joint-chiefs Joint Chiefs of Staff] on the [[Internet Archive]]

{{Current JCS members}}
{{United States Department of Defense}}
{{United States Armed Forces}}
{{Harry S. Truman}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Joint Chiefs Of Staff}}
[[Category:Joint Chiefs of Staff| ]]
[[Category:United States Department of Defense officials]]