Which individuals are members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff?

• A. The Chairman; Vice Chairman; Chief of Staff of the Army; Chief of Naval Operations; Chief of Staff of the USAF; Chief of Space Operations; Commandant of the Marine Corps; and Chief of the National Guard Bureau.
• B. Only the service chiefs and the Secretary of Defense.
• C. The President and the Secretary of Defense.
• D. The Secretaries of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Space Force.

Answer: (A)

Membership on the Joint Chiefs of Staff is made up of the top uniformed leaders from each service plus one senior flag officer who leads the National Guard Bureau. Specifically, it includes the Chairman and Vice Chairman, the Chief of Staff of the Army, the Chief of Naval Operations, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force (and now the Chief of Space Operations for the Space Force), the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau. This group forms the principal military advisory body to the Secretary of Defense and the President. The President and the Secretary of Defense themselves are not members, and the service secretaries are not part of the Joint Chiefs. Therefore, the listed lineup exactly matches who sits on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.