Joint Chiefs of Staff facts for kids

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

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

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is a group of the most important military leaders in the United States Department of Defense. They give advice to the president of the United States, the Secretary of Defense, and other important councils about military matters.

The JCS includes a Chairman (CJCS), a Vice Chairman (VJCS), and the top leaders from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and the chief of the National Guard Bureau. Each of these leaders also works directly for their own military department.

After a law called the Goldwater–Nichols Act in 1986, the Joint Chiefs of Staff do not directly command troops. Instead, the chain of command goes from the president to the Secretary of Defense, and then to the commanders who lead military operations around the world. This law also created the role of Vice Chairman. The Chairman is now the main military advisor to the president and other key councils.

The Joint Staff is a team of military personnel from all six branches. They work at The Pentagon and help the Chairman and Vice Chairman with their duties.

What the Joint Chiefs Do
Who are the Current Members?
- Coast Guard's Role
History of the Joint Chiefs
How the Joint Chiefs are Organized
The Joint Staff
- Departments of the Joint Staff
Images for kids
See also

What the Joint Chiefs Do

The Joint Chiefs of Staff in November 2024

After the Goldwater–Nichols Act in 1986, the Joint Chiefs of Staff no longer have direct control over military operations. Instead, the president and the Secretary of Defense give orders directly to the commanders in charge of different military regions.

Today, the main job of the Joint Chiefs is to make sure their military branches are ready with trained people, good plans, and proper training for the commanders to use. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is also the top military advisor to the president and the Secretary of Defense. In this role, the Joint Chiefs help make important military decisions, working with the National Security Council and the Homeland Security Council.

Who are the Current Members?

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

Coast Guard's Role

Position	Photograph	Name	Service	Serving since	Nominated by	Flag
Commandant of the Coast Guard		Admiral Kevin E. Lunday Acting	United States Coast Guard	21 January 2025	None

The Coast Guard is part of the Armed Forces, but it usually works under the Department of Homeland Security. Only during times of war or national emergency can the president move it to the Department of the Navy.

The commandant of the Coast Guard is not an official member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. However, they are sometimes invited to meetings and receive similar pay. Unlike the Joint Chiefs, the Commandant directly commands the Coast Guard.

History of the Joint Chiefs

Early Beginnings: The Joint Board

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

As the U.S. military grew after the American Civil War, it became hard for the Army and Navy to work together. They often disagreed, especially during the Spanish–American War.

To fix this, President Theodore Roosevelt created the Joint Army and Navy Board in 1903. This board was meant to plan joint operations and solve problems between the two services. However, it didn't have the power to make its decisions happen, so it didn't do much, even during World War I.

After World War I, the board was restarted in 1919 with new members and the ability to suggest ideas on its own. Still, it lacked the legal power to enforce its decisions.

World War II and the JCS Formation

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

During World War II, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill created the Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS) in 1942. This group would lead the joint U.S.-UK war effort.

The U.S. didn't have a military group like the British Chiefs of Staff Committee. So, Admiral William D. Leahy suggested a "unified high command" for the U.S. military. This led to the first official meeting of what would become the Joint Chiefs of Staff on February 9, 1942. Their goal was to coordinate the Army and Navy's efforts.

On July 20, 1942, Admiral Leahy became the "Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief," overseeing the individual service chiefs.

The first members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff were:

Name	Service	Position
Admiral William D. Leahy	USN	Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy and Special Presidential Military Advisor
General George C. Marshall	USA	Chief of Staff of the United States Army (CSUSA)
Admiral Ernest J. King	USN	Commander in Chief of the United States Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations (COMINCH-CNO)
General Henry H. 'Hap' Arnold	USA	Chief of the Army Air Forces and Deputy Chief of Staff for Air

Official Establishment: National Security Act of 1947

The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1959. From left to right: Gen. Lyman L. Lemnitzer, USA; Adm. Arleigh A. Burke, USN; Gen. Nathan F. Twining, USAF (chairman); Gen. Thomas Dresser White, USAF; and Gen. Randolph M. Pate, USMC

After World War II, the Joint Chiefs of Staff was officially created by the National Security Act of 1947. This law said the JCS would include a Chairman, the chiefs of the Army, the newly formed Air Force, and the Navy.

At first, the Commandant of the Marine Corps was only consulted on Marine matters and wasn't a full member. Later, a law change made the Commandant a full-time member of the JCS.

Changes from the Goldwater–Nichols Act of 1986

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.

The Goldwater–Nichols Act of 1986 created the position of Vice Chairman. This role helps the Chairman with some duties, especially those related to managing resources.

Important Appointments and Changes

General Colin L. Powell became the first African American Chairman of the JCS in 1989.
General Charles Q. Brown Jr. was the second African American Chairman, taking the role on October 1, 2023. He was also the first African American to lead a service branch (Air Force Chief of Staff) in 2020.
General Brown was later removed from his position by the Secretary of Defense on February 21, 2025.
Admiral Lisa Franchetti became the first woman to serve on the JCS when she became Chief of Naval Operations on November 2, 2023. She was also removed from her position on February 21, 2025.
These two removals marked the first time two members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff were dismissed from their senior military roles since the JCS was created in 1947.
General Richard B. Myers was the first Vice Chairman to later become Chairman.
General Peter Pace was the first Marine to serve as either Vice Chairman or Chairman.

Adding New Members

The 2012 National Defense Authorization Act added the Chief of the National Guard Bureau to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This was a very important change for the National Guard.
The 2020 National Defense Authorization Act created the U.S. Space Force on December 20, 2019. The chief of space operations became an official member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on December 20, 2020.

How the Joint Chiefs are Organized

The Chairman

The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2001

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the highest-ranking military officer in the United States Armed Forces. They are the main military advisor to the president. The Chairman leads the meetings and coordinates the work of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The Chairman outranks all other service chiefs but does not command them or their military branches. All combat commanders receive their orders directly from the Secretary of Defense.

Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy was the first person to hold a similar role, starting on July 20, 1942. The official position of "Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff" was created later and first held by General of the Army Omar Bradley in 1949.

The Vice Chairman

The role of Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was created by the Goldwater–Nichols Act of 1986. The Vice Chairman is the second highest-ranking member of the U.S. Armed Forces, after the Chairman. If the Chairman is not available, the Vice Chairman leads the meetings of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. They also help the Chairman with other duties.

The Vice Chairman became a full voting member of the JCS in 1992. The current Vice Chairman is Admiral Christopher W. Grady, who started his role on December 20, 2021. Admiral Grady is also currently acting as Chairman since February 21, 2025, until a new Chairman is confirmed.

Senior Enlisted Advisor

The Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (SEAC) gives advice on all matters related to enlisted service members across the military. They help develop training and education for non-commissioned officers and support the Chairman's duties.

Command Sergeant Major William Gainey was the first SEAC, starting on October 1, 2005. The current SEAC is Troy E. Black, who began his role on November 3, 2023.

The Joint Staff

Joint Staff
Agency overview
Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
Formed	1949
Headquarters	The Pentagon
Employees	Approx. 1,500
Agency executive	LTG Douglas Sims II (DJS)
Parent agency	Department of Defense

The Joint Staff (JS) is a military team located at The Pentagon. It includes personnel from all six armed services. They help the Chairman and Vice Chairman do their jobs. They also work closely with the Office of the Secretary of Defense and other military groups.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) is helped by the director of the Joint Staff (DJS), a high-ranking officer. The DJS manages the Joint Staff, which has about equal numbers of officers from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. These officers help the Chairman provide unified direction for all military forces to the Secretary of Defense.

The Joint Staff works on important military concepts like the "Joint Warfighting Concept" and "Joint All-Domain Command and Control" (JADC2). These ideas help the military operate together in all areas: air, land, sea, space, cyber, and the electromagnetic spectrum.

Departments of the Joint Staff

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

The Joint Staff has different departments, called directorates, where planning, policies, and other important functions happen:

DOM – Directorate of Management (manages the staff)
J1 – Personnel and Manpower (deals with military personnel)
J2 – Intelligence (gathers and analyzes information)
J3 – Operations (plans and directs military actions)
J4 – Logistics (manages supplies and transportation)
J5 – Strategic Plans and Policy (creates long-term plans and policies)
J6 – Command, Control, Communications and Computers/Cyber (handles military communications and technology)
J7 – Joint Force Development (develops training, education, and new ideas for joint forces)
J8 – Force Structure, Resources, and Assessment (looks at military structure and resources)

Images for kids

The Joint Chiefs of Staff during its early days in 1949.
Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at The Pentagon in 1958.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1959.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1961.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1968.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1971.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1977.
Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with President-Elect Jimmy Carter and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld on December 17, 1976.
Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during a cabinet meeting in the White House in 1977
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1981.
Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during President Ronald Reagan Inaugural Parade on January 20, 1981.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1983.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1986.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1994.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2001.
Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff render a salute for the late President Ronald Reagan at Andrews Air Force Base in 2004.
Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at Andrews Air Force Base during a funeral service ceremony for the late President Gerald Ford on December 26, 2006.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Senate Armed Services Committee testimony in The Capitol Hill 2010.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2017.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2020.