- Director of the Joint Staff
-
Director of the Joint Staff
Incumbent:
VADM William E. Gortney, USN
since: 1 July 2010First MG Alfred M. Gruenther, USA Formation 19 September 1949 Website Official Website
The Director of the Joint Staff (DJS) is a three-star officer who assists the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with the management of the Joint Staff, an organization composed of approximately equal numbers of officers contributed by the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force, who have been assigned to assist the Chairman with the unified strategic direction, operation, and integration of the combatant land, naval, and air forces. The Director also chairs meetings of the Operations Deputies, a subsidiary body comprising the Director and a three-star delegate from each service who preview or resolve issues before they are escalated to the level of the four-star Joint Chiefs of Staff.[1]
The Director of the Joint Staff is selected by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in consultation with the other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and subject to the approval of the Secretary of Defense.[1] As with all three- and four-star positions, the Director's appointment is subject to Senate confirmation. The position of Director is considered one of the most desirable three-star billets in the United States military establishment,[2] for the position has historically served as a large stepping stone for an officer to be considered for a four-star billet.
The current Director of the Joint Staff is Vice Admiral William E. Gortney, USN.
List of Directors of the Joint Staff
This is a complete list of the Directors of the Joint Staff.[3] An asterisk (*) indicates an acting Director.
Of the 40 Directors of the Joint Staff as of 2010, 29 have been promoted to four-star rank while on active duty, as has one acting Director; and a 30th former Director was promoted to that rank upon retirement. Moreover, 21 of the last 22 Directors have been promoted to four-star rank within a year of leaving the Joint Staff.
No. Image Name Service Start End Notes 1 MG Alfred M. Gruenther USA September 17, 1947 September 19, 1949 Promoted to general, 1951 2 RADM Arthur C. Davis USN September 20, 1949 November 1, 1951 Retired as admiral, 1955 3 
Lt Gen Charles P. Cabell USAF November 2, 1951 April 23, 1953 Promoted to general, 1958 4 
LTG Frank F. Everest USAF April 24, 1953 March 18, 1954 Promoted to general, 1957 5 
LTG Lemuel Mathewson USA March 19, 1954 March 14, 1956 6 VADM Bernard L. Austin USN March 15, 1956 March 31, 1958 7 
Lt Gen Oliver S. Picher USAF April 1, 1958 March 31, 1960 8 
LTG Earle G. Wheeler USA April 1, 1960 February 24, 1962 Promoted to general, 1962 9 VADM Herbert D. Riley USN February 25, 1962 February 23, 1964 10 
Lt Gen David A. Burchinal USAF February 24, 1964 July 31, 1966 Promoted to general, 1966 11 LTG Andrew J. Goodpaster USA August 1, 1966 March 31, 1967 Promoted to general, 1968 12 
LTG Berton E. Spivy USA April 1, 1967 July 31, 1968 Promoted to general, 1968 13 VADM Nels C. Johnson USN Aug 1, 1968 July 19, 1970 14 
Lt Gen John W. Vogt USAF July 20, 1970 April 7, 1972 Promoted to general, 1972 * RADM Mason B. Freeman USN April 8, 1972 June 11, 1972 15 LTG George M. Seignious II USA June 12, 1972 May 31, 1974 16 VADM Harry D. Train II USN June 1, 1974 June 30, 1976 Promoted to admiral, 1978 17 
Lt Gen Ray B. Sitton USAF July 1, 1976 June 30, 1977 18 VADM Patrick J. Hannifin USN July 1, 1977 June 20, 1978 * MG John A. Wickham Jr. USA July 1, 1978 August 21, 1978 19 
LTG John A. Wickham Jr. USA August 22, 1978 June 22, 1979 Promoted to general, 1979 20 VADM Carl Thor Hanson USN June 22, 1979 June 30, 1981 21 
Lt Gen James E. Dalton USAF July 1, 1981 June 30, 1983 Promoted to general, 1983 22 
LTG Jack N. Merritt USA July 1, 1983 June 30, 1985 Promoted to general, 1985 23 
VADM Powell F. Carter Jr. USN July 1, 1985 August 14, 1987 Promoted to admiral, 1987 24 
LTG Robert W. RisCassi USA August 15, 1987 November 30, 1988 Promoted to general, 1988 25 
Lt Gen Hansford T. Johnson USAF December 1, 1988 September 20, 1989 Promoted to general, 1989 * MajGen Gene A. Deegan USMC September 21, 1989 September 26, 1989 26 
Lt Gen Michael P.C. Carns USAF September 27, 1989 May 16, 1991 Promoted to general, 1991 27 Lt Gen Henry Vicellio Jr. USAF May 17, 1991 December 1, 1992 Promoted to general, 1992 28 
VADM Richard C. Macke USN December 1, 1992 July 17, 1994 Promoted to admiral, 1994 * 
Maj Gen Charles T. Robertson Jr. USAF July 19, 1994 July 24, 1994 Promoted to general, 1998 29 
Lt Gen Walter Kross USAF July 25, 1994 July 12, 1996 Promoted to general, 1996 * MG Stephen T. Rippe USA July 13, 1996 September 13, 1996 30 
VADM Dennis C. Blair USN September 14, 1996 December 12, 1998 Promoted to admiral, 1999 31 
VADM Vernon E. Clark USN December 12, 1998 July 26, 1999 Promoted to admiral, 1999 32 
LtGen Carlton W. Fulford Jr. USMC July 26, 1999 July 14, 2000 Promoted to general, 2000 33 VADM Scott A. Fry USN July 2000 October 2001 34 
LTG John P. Abizaid USA October 16, 2001 January 23, 2003 Promoted to general, 2003 35 
LTG George W. Casey Jr. USA January 2003 October 2003 Promoted to general, 2003 36 
VADM Timothy J. Keating USN October 13, 2003 October 2004 Promoted to admiral, 2004 37 
Lt Gen Norton A. Schwartz USAF October 2004 August 2005 Promoted to general, 2005 38 
LTG Walter L. Sharp USA August 2005 May 2008 Promoted to general, 2008 * Maj Gen Stephen M. Goldfein USAF May 2008 August 2008 39 
LTG Stanley A. McChrystal USA August 2008 June 10, 2009 Promoted to general, 2009 * 
RADM Bruce E. Grooms USN June 10, 2009 August 2009 40 
LTG Lloyd J. Austin III USA August 2009 June 30, 2010 Promoted to general, 2010 41 
VADM William E. Gortney USN July 1, 2010 Incumbent See also
- List of active duty United States four-star officers
- List of United States Army four-star generals
- List of United States Navy four-star admirals
- List of United States Air Force four-star generals
- List of United States Marine Corps four-star generals
References
- ^ a b Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Director Responsibility Statement, Joint Chiefs of Staff, http://www.jcs.mil/page.aspx?id=13
- ^ Woodward, Bob (2006), State of Denial: Bush at War, Part III, Simon and Schuster, p. 22, 40, ISBN 9780743272230, http://books.google.com/?id=qvBrQ7n5z-8C&pg=PA22&lpg=PA22&dq=scott+fry+%22joint+staff%22
- ^ Historical Office (2004), Department of Defense Key Officials, 1947-2004, Office of the Secretary of Defense, p. 61, http://www.whs.mil/library/key2004.html
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