The Department of Defense
(DoD)
& the
National Command Authority
National Command Authority (Chain of Command)
 The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S.
military iaw the U.S. Constitution.
 The current command structure of the Department of
Defense is defined by the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986 ,
signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on 1 October
1986.
 The Act reworked the command structure of the United
States military, introducing the most sweeping changes to
the Department since it was established in the National
Security Act of 1947.
National Command Authority (continued)
 Under the act, the chain of command runs from the President of
the United States, through the Secretary of Defense, to the combatant
commanders (COCOM) who command all military forces within their
area of responsibility.
 The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) & the military
service Chiefs of Staff (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines) are responsible
for readiness of the U.S. military and serve as the President's military
advisers, but are NOT in the chain of command. The CJCS is by law the
highest ranking military officer in the United States.
 Each military service is responsible for organizing, training &
equipping military units for the commanders of the various Unified
Combatant Commands (combatant commanders; COCOM).
National Command Authority (Chain of Command)
National Security Council (Presidents Advisors)
 The National Security Council was created in 1947 by the National
Security Act.
The White House National Security Council (NSC) is the principal
forum used by the President for considering national security & foreign
policy matters with his senior national security advisors & Cabinet officials
and is part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States.
 Since its inception under Harry S. Truman, the function of the Council
has been to advise and assist the president on national security and
foreign policies.
 The Council also serves as the president's principal arm for
coordinating these policies among various government agencies.
 The U.S. Council has counterparts in the national security councils of
many other nations.
National Security Council (Presidents Advisors)
TITLE
POSITION
WHO
Chairman
President
Barack Obama
Statutory
Attendees
Vice President
Secretary of State
Secretary of Defense
Secretary of Energy
Joe Biden
John Kerry
Chuck Hagel
Ernest Moniz
Military Advisor Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS)
General Martin Dempsey, USA
Intelligence
Advisor
Director of National Intelligence
Director of CIA
Lt. Gen (R) James Clapper
John O. Brennan
Regular
Attendees
National Security Advisor
White House Chief of Staff
Deputy National Security Advisor
Attorney General
Susan Rice
Denis McDonough
Tony Blinken
Eric Holder
Additional
Participants
Secretary of the Treasury
Secretary of Homeland Security
Counsel to the President
Asst. to the President for Economic Policy
Ambassador to the United Nations
Director of Office of Management & Budget
Homeland Security Advisor
Tim Geithner
Jeh Johnson
Kathryn Ruemmler
Gene Sperling
Samantha Power
Sylvia Mathews Burwell
Lisa Monaco
National Command Authority (Chain of Command)
Run by “Civilians”
with some military
Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of Defense by statute also exercises authority, direction & control over
the three (3) Service Secretaries (civilian) of the Military Departments
Chuck Hagel
since Feb 27, 2013
Secretary of the
Army
The Honorable
John M. McHugh
since: September 21, 2009
Secretary of
Defense
Secretary of the
Air Force
Eric Fanning
since: June 21, 2013 (Acting)
Secretary of the
Navy
Ray Mabus
since: June 18, 2009
National Command Authority (Chain of Command)
Military Service Chiefs (of Staff)
Secretary of
Defense
Secretary of
the ARMY
Secretary of
the AIR FORCE
Chief of Staff of
the ARMY
Chief of Staff of
the AIR FORCE
GEN Raymond T. Odierno
Gen Mark A. Welsh III
Secretary of
the NAVY
Chief of NAVAL
OPERATIONS
ADM Jonathan W. Greenert
Commandant of the
MARINE CORPS
Gen James F. Amos
National Command Authority (Chain of Command)
Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS)
* The Military Service Chiefs
(Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines)
report to the Service Secretaries,
NOT the CJCS!
Chief, NGB
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS)
United States Army General Martin E. Dempsey,
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
ADM James A. Winnefeld, Jr.
since: August 4, 2011
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Chief, National Guard Bureau (NGB) - JCS
Top Guard officer joins Joint Chiefs of Staff
Posted : Wednesday Jan 4, 2012 10:43:26 EST
The National Guard Bureau’s top officer is now a member of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff. A provision in the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act,
(NDAA) signed into law Dec. 31 by President Obama, adds the Guard
leader to the nation’s highest military advisory group.
As of Tuesday, the biography of the current chief of the Guard, Air Force
Gen. Craig McKinley, was on the Joint Chiefs website, alongside bios for
the other military service chiefs.
The addition of the top Guard officer to the Joint Chiefs of Staff has been
hailed by Guard historians as the “most significant development” since the
Militia Act of 1903 codified the modern day dual-status structure of the
Guard, according to a statement from the Guard Bureau.
Chief, NGB – JCS Debate
During the Nov. 10 hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, the six
(6) four-star generals voiced opposition to the proposal, saying it would
create needless confusion and reduce their authority.
“There is no compelling military need for this change,” Army Gen. Martin
Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, said at the time.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta also opposed the measure, telling reporters
in October that membership on the Joint Chiefs should “be reserved for
those who have direct command and direct budgets that deal with the
military.”
Traditionally, the Guard chief attended Joint Chiefs of Staff meetings but was
not a voting member. However, “voting” is not a central role for the Joint
Chiefs, which typically seeks to reach consensus and make unanimous
recommendations.
NOTE: NGB is ONLY Army & Air Force National Guard.
National Command Authority (Chain of Command)
COMBAT
“JOINT” Unified Combatant Commands
GEN Lloyd Austin, USA
GEN Charles H. Jacoby, Jr., USA
GEN Phillip Breedlove, USAF
ADM Samuel J. Locklear, USN
Gen John F. Kelly, USMC
GEN David Rodriquez, USA
 A Unified Combatant Command (UCC) is a US joint military command that is composed
of forces from 2 or more services and has a broad and continuing mission.
 These commands are established to provide effective command and control of U.S.
military forces, regardless of branch of service, in peace and war.