Chief of Staff of the United States Army

The Chief of Staff of the Army (acronym: CSA) is a statutory office (10 U.S.C. § 3033) held by a four-star general in the United States Army, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Army, and as such is the principal military advisor and a deputy to the Secretary of the Army; and is, in a separate capacity, a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (10 U.S.C. § 151), and thereby a military advisor to the National Security Council, the Secretary of Defense, and the President. The Chief of Staff is typically the highest ranking officer on active-duty in the U.S. Army unless the Chairman and/or the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are Army officers.

The Chief of Staff of the Army is an administrative position based in the Pentagon, and while the Chief of Staff do not have operational command authority over Army forces proper (that is within the purview of the Combatant Commanders who reports to the Secretary of Defense), the Chief of Staff does exercise supervision of Army units and organizations as the designee of the Secretary of the Army.

The current Chief of Staff of the Army is General Raymond T. Odierno.

Responsibilities

The Senior Leadership of the Department of the Army consists of two civilians, the Secretary of the Army (Head of the department and subordinate to the Secretary of Defense) and the Under Secretary of the Army, and two military officers, the Chief of Staff of the Army and the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army.

The Chief of Staff reports directly to the Secretary of the Army for army matters and assists in the Secretary's external affairs functions including: presenting and enforcing Army policies, plans, and projections. The Chief of Staff also directs the Inspector General of the Army to perform inspections and investigations as required. The Chief of Staff also presides over the Army Staff and represents Army capabilities, requirements, policy, plans, and programs in Joint fora.^[1] Under delegation of authority made by the Secretary of the Army, the Chief of Staff also designates army personnel and army resources to the Commanders of the Combatant Commands.^[2] He also performs all other functions enumerated in 10 U.S.C. § 3033 under the authority, direction and control of the Secretary of the Army, or delegates those duties and responsibilities to other officers in his administration in his name. Like the other service counterparts, the Chief of Staff has no operational command authority over Army forces, dating back to the passage of the Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1958. The Chief of Staff is served by a number of Deputy Chiefs of Staff of the Army, such as G-1, Personnel. The Chief of Staff of the Army base pay is $19,326.60 per month.

Appointment

The Chief of Staff is nominated by the President and must be confirmed by majority vote from the Senate.^[3] By statute, the CSA is appointed as a four-star general.^[3]

History

Prior to 1903, the senior military officer in the Army was the Commanding General, who reported to the Secretary of War. From 1864 to 1865, Major General Henry Wager Halleck (who had previously been Commanding General) served as "Chief of Staff of the Army" under the Commanding General, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, thus serving in a different office and not as the senior officer in the Army.

The first Chief of Staff moved his headquarters to Fort Myer in 1908.

List of Chiefs of Staff of the Army (1903-Present)

See also

• Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army
• Sergeant Major of the Army

References

• Bell, William Gardner (2005) [1983]. "Appendix B: Chronological List of Senior Officers of the United States Army". Commanding Generals and Chiefs of Staff 1775-2005: Portraits & Biographical Sketches of the United States Army's Senior Officer. United States Army Center of Military History. ISBN 0-16-072376-0. CMH Pub 70-14. http://www.history.army.mil/books/cg&csa/APPDX-B.htm. 

Further reading

• Bell, William Gardner (2005). Commanding Generals and Chiefs of Staff 1775-2005:Portraits & Biographical Sketches of the United States Army's Senior Officer. Washington, D.C.: United States Army Center of Military History. ISBN 0-16-072376-0. CMH Pub 70–14. http://www.history.army.mil/books/CG&CSA/CG-TOC.htm. 
• Watson, Mark Skinner. Chief of Staff: Prewar Plans and Preparations. United States Army in World War II. Washington D.C.: United States Army Center of Military History. http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/csppp/index.htm.  - full text

External links

• The short film Big Picture: Top Soldier is available for free download at the Internet Archive [more]