By law, the direction of the Joint Staff rests exclusively with which official?

• A. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
• B. The Director of the Joint Staff
• C. The Secretary of Defense
• D. The President

Answer: (A)

The authority to direct the Joint Staff rests with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Joint Staff exists to support the Chairman, handling planning, analysis, and coordination to help the CJCS fulfill his advisory duties to the President, the Secretary of Defense, and the National Security Council. The Director of the Joint Staff carries out the Chairman’s direction and helps run the staff, but does not possess independent authority to direct it. The Secretary of Defense oversees the armed forces as a whole and sets policy, but the day-to-day direction of the Joint Staff is centralized with the Chairman. The President, while appointing the CJCS and serving as Commander in Chief, does not directly direct the Joint Staff.