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Chief of Staff of the Army
Army Staff Identification Badge
Flag of the Chief of Staff
Incumbent General Randy A. George since 21 September 2023
Department of the Army Army Staff
Type	United States Army service chief
Abbreviation	CSA
Member of	Joint Chiefs of Staff
Reports to	Secretary of the Army
Residence	Quarters 1, Fort Myer
Seat	The Pentagon, Arlington County, Virginia
Appointer	The President with Senate advice and consent
Term length	4 years Renewable one time, only during war or national emergency
Constituting instrument	10 U.S.C. § 3033
Precursor	Commanding General of the Army
Formation	15 August 1903
First holder	LTG Samuel B. M. Young
Deputy	Vice Chief of Staff of the Army
Website	www.army.mil

The chief of staff of the Army (CSA) is a statutory position in the United States Army held by a general officer. As the highest-ranking officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Army, the chief is the principal military advisor and a deputy to the secretary of the Army. In a separate capacity, the CSA is 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 of the United States. The CSA is typically the highest-ranking officer on active duty in the U.S. Army unless the chairman 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. While the CSA does not have operational command authority over Army forces proper (which is within the purview of the Combatant Commanders who report to the Secretary of Defense), the CSA 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 Randy George, who was sworn in on 21 September 2023, having previously served as acting CSA from 4 August.

Appointment

The chief of staff of the Army is nominated for appointment by the president, for a four-year term of office, and must be confirmed by the Senate. The chief can be reappointed to serve one additional term, but only during times of war or national emergency declared by Congress. By statute, the chief is a four-star general.

The chief has an official residence, Quarters 1 at Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall, Virginia.

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 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 also directs the inspector general of the Army to perform inspections and investigations as required. In addition, the chief presides over the Army Staff and represents Army capabilities, requirements, policy, plans, and programs in Joint forums. Under delegation of authority made by the secretary of the Army, the chief designates army personnel and army resources to the commanders of the unified combatant commands. The chief 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 has no operational command authority over army forces, dating back to the passage of the Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1958. The chief is served by a number of Deputy Chiefs of Staff of the Army, such as G-1, Personnel. The chief's base pay is $21,147.30 per month and also received a Personal Money Allowance (Monthly Amount) of $333.33, a basic allowance for subsistence of $253.38, and a basic allowance for housing from $50.70 to $1,923.30.

History

In the 19th century the American land military used the title of "General-in-Chief" beginning with Gen. James Wilkinson (1757-1825), and later for several decades of commanding Gen. Winfield Scott (1786-1866). Later Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), given the title after being recalled to come east from the Western Theater of the Civil War in 1864. By 1903, the senior military officer in the army was the commanding general of the United States Army, who reported to the U.S. secretary of war. From 1864 to 1865, Major General Henry Halleck (1815-1872), who had previously been Commanding General earlier in the war, served as "Chief of Staff of the Army" under the newly appointed Commanding General, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, thus serving in a different office and not as the senior officer in the army. Halleck was centered in the old brick War Department building adjacent west of the White House, along with the War Secretary, whereas Gen. Grant was out in the field.

The first chief of staff moved his headquarters to Fort Myer in northern Virginia, near the national capital of Washington, D.C.. in 1908.

List of chiefs of staff of the Army

The rank listed is the rank when serving in the office.

No.	Portrait	Name	Term			Branch	Secretaries served under:		Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Duration		War / Army	Defense
1		Young, Samuel Baldwin MarksLieutenant General Samuel B. M. Young (1840–1924)	15 August 1903	8 January 1904	146 days	Cavalry	Elihu Root	—
2		Chaffee, AdnaLieutenant General Adna R. Chaffee (1842–1914)	9 January 1904	14 January 1906	2 years, 5 days	Cavalry	Elihu Root William Howard Taft	—
3		Bates, JohnLieutenant General John C. Bates (1842–1919)	15 January 1906	13 April 1906	89 days	Infantry	William Howard Taft	—
4		Bell, JamesMajor General J. Franklin Bell (1856–1919)	14 April 1906	21 April 1910	4 years, 7 days	Cavalry	William Howard Taft Luke Edward Wright Jacob M. Dickinson	—
5		Wood, LeonardMajor General Leonard Wood (1860–1927)	22 April 1910	21 April 1914	3 years, 364 days	Medical and cavalry	Jacob M. Dickinson Henry L. Stimson Lindley Miller Garrison	—
6		Wotherspoon, WilliamMajor General William W. Wotherspoon (1850–1921)	22 April 1914	16 November 1914	208 days	Infantry	Lindley Miller Garrison	—
7		Scott, HughMajor General Hugh L. Scott (1853–1934)	17 November 1914	22 September 1917	2 years, 309 days	Cavalry	Lindley Miller Garrison Newton D. Baker	—
8		Bliss, TaskerGeneral Tasker H. Bliss (1853–1930)	23 September 1917	19 May 1918	238 days	Field artillery	Newton D. Baker	—
9		March, PeytonGeneral Peyton C. March (1864–1955)	20 May 1918	30 June 1921	3 years, 41 days	Field artillery	Newton D. Baker John W. Weeks	—
10		Pershing, JohnGeneral of the Armies John J. Pershing (1860–1948)	1 July 1921	13 September 1924	3 years, 74 days	Cavalry	John W. Weeks	—
11		Hines, JohnMajor General John L. Hines (1868–1968)	14 September 1924	20 November 1926	2 years, 68 days	Infantry	John W. Weeks Dwight F. Davis	—
12		Summerall, CharlesGeneral Charles P. Summerall (1867–1955)	21 November 1926	20 November 1930	3 years, 364 days	Infantry and artillery	Dwight F. Davis James William Good Patrick J. Hurley	—
13		MacArthur, DouglasGeneral Douglas MacArthur (1880–1964)	21 November 1930	1 October 1935	4 years, 315 days	Infantry and engineers	Patrick J. Hurley George Dern	—
14		Craig, MalinGeneral Malin Craig (1875–1945)	2 October 1935	31 August 1939	3 years, 333 days	Infantry and cavalry	George Dern Harry Hines Woodring	—
15		Marshall, GeorgeGeneral of the Army George C. Marshall (1880–1959)	1 September 1939	18 November 1945	6 years, 78 days	Infantry	Harry Hines Woodring Henry L. Stimson Robert P. Patterson	—
16		Eisenhower, DwightGeneral of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969)	19 November 1945	6 February 1948	2 years, 79 days	Infantry	Robert P. Patterson (of War) Kenneth Claiborne Royall (of War, 1947; of the Army, 1947–1949)	James Forrestal (from Sep. 1947)
17		Bradley, OmarGeneral Omar N. Bradley (1893–1981)	7 February 1948	15 August 1949	1 year, 189 days	Infantry	Kenneth Claiborne Royall Gordon Gray	James Forrestal Louis A. Johnson
18		Collins, JosephGeneral J. Lawton Collins (1896–1987)	16 August 1949	14 August 1953	3 years, 363 days	Infantry	Gordon Gray Frank Pace Robert T. Stevens	Louis A. Johnson George C. Marshall Robert A. Lovett Charles Erwin Wilson
19		Ridgway, MatthewGeneral Matthew B. Ridgway (1895–1993)	15 August 1953	29 June 1955	1 year, 319 days	Infantry	Robert T. Stevens	Charles Erwin Wilson
20		Taylor, MaxwellGeneral Maxwell D. Taylor (1901–1987)	30 June 1955	30 June 1959	4 years, 0 days	Field artillery	Robert T. Stevens Wilber M. Brucker	Charles Erwin Wilson Neil H. McElroy
21		Lemnitzer, LymanGeneral Lyman L. Lemnitzer (1899–1988)	1 July 1959	30 September 1960	1 year, 91 days	Infantry and coast artillery	Wilber M. Brucker	Neil H. McElroy Thomas S. Gates Jr.
22		Decker, GeorgeGeneral George H. Decker (1902–1980)	1 October 1960	30 September 1962	1 year, 364 days	Infantry	Wilber M. Brucker Elvis Stahr Jr. Cyrus Vance	Thomas S. Gates Jr. Robert McNamara
23		Wheeler, EarleGeneral Earle G. Wheeler (1908–1975)	1 October 1962	2 July 1964	1 year, 275 days	Infantry and armor	Cyrus Vance Stephen Ailes	Robert McNamara
24		Johnson, HaroldGeneral Harold K. Johnson (1912–1983)	3 July 1964	2 July 1968	3 years, 365 days	Infantry and cavalry	Stephen Ailes Stanley Rogers Resor	Robert McNamara Clark Clifford
25		Westmoreland, WilliamGeneral William C. Westmoreland (1914–2005)	3 July 1968	30 June 1972	3 years, 363 days	Field artillery	Stanley Rogers Resor Robert Froehlke	Clark Clifford Melvin Laird
–		Palmer, BruceGeneral Bruce Palmer Jr. (1913–2000) Acting	1 July 1972	11 October 1972	102 days	Infantry and cavalry	Robert Froehlke	Melvin Laird
26		Abrams, CreightonGeneral Creighton W. Abrams Jr. (1914–1974)	12 October 1972	4 September 1974 †	1 year, 327 days	Armor	Robert Froehlke Bo Callaway	Melvin Laird Elliot Richardson James R. Schlesinger
–		General Frederick C. Weyand (1916–2010)	5 September 1974	4 October 1974	29 days	Infantry and intelligence	Bo Callaway Martin R. Hoffmann	James R. Schlesinger Donald Rumsfeld
27			4 October 1974	30 September 1976	1 year, 362 days
28		Rogers, BernardGeneral Bernard W. Rogers (1921–2008)	1 October 1976	21 June 1979	2 years, 263 days	Infantry	Martin R. Hoffmann Clifford Alexander Jr.	Donald Rumsfeld Harold Brown
29		Meyer, EdwardGeneral Edward C. Meyer (1928–2020)	22 June 1979	21 June 1983	3 years, 364 days	Infantry	Clifford Alexander Jr. John O. Marsh Jr.	Harold Brown Caspar Weinberger
30		Wickham, JohnGeneral John A. Wickham Jr. (1928–2024)	23 June 1983	23 June 1987	4 years, 0 days	Infantry and cavalry	John O. Marsh Jr.	Caspar Weinberger
31		Vuono, CarlGeneral Carl E. Vuono (born 1934)	23 June 1987	21 June 1991	3 years, 363 days	Field artillery	John O. Marsh Jr. Michael P. W. Stone	Caspar Weinberger Frank Carlucci Dick Cheney
32		Sullivan, GordonGeneral Gordon R. Sullivan (1937–2024)	21 June 1991	20 June 1995	3 years, 364 days	Armor and mechanized infantry	Michael P. W. Stone Togo D. West Jr.	Dick Cheney Les Aspin William J. Perry
33		Reimer, DennisGeneral Dennis J. Reimer (born 1939)	20 June 1995	21 June 1999	4 years, 1 day	Artillery and mechanized infantry	Togo D. West Jr. Louis Caldera	William J. Perry William Cohen
34		Shinseki, EricGeneral Eric K. Shinseki (born 1942)	21 June 1999	11 June 2003	3 years, 355 days	Cavalry	Louis Caldera Thomas E. White	William Cohen Donald Rumsfeld
–		Keane, JohnGeneral John M. Keane (born 1943) Acting	11 June 2003	1 August 2003	51 days	Infantry	None	Donald Rumsfeld
35		Schoomaker, PeterGeneral Peter J. Schoomaker (born 1946)	1 August 2003	10 April 2007	3 years, 252 days	Cavalry and Special Forces	Francis J. Harvey Pete Geren	Donald Rumsfeld Robert Gates
36		Casey, GeorgeGeneral George W. Casey Jr. (born 1948)	10 April 2007	11 April 2011	4 years, 1 day	Armor and mechanized infantry	Pete Geren John M. McHugh	Robert Gates
37		Dempsey, MartinGeneral Martin E. Dempsey (born 1952)	11 April 2011	7 September 2011	149 days	Armor and armored cavalry	John M. McHugh	Robert Gates Leon Panetta
38		Odierno, RaymondGeneral Raymond T. Odierno (1954–2021)	7 September 2011	14 August 2015	3 years, 341 days	Field artillery	John M. McHugh	Leon Panetta Chuck Hagel Ash Carter
39		Milley, MarkGeneral Mark A. Milley (born 1958)	14 August 2015	9 August 2019	3 years, 360 days	Armor and light infantry	John M. McHugh Eric Fanning Mark Esper Ryan D. McCarthy	Ash Carter Jim Mattis Mark Esper
40		McConville, JamesGeneral James C. McConville (born 1959)	9 August 2019	4 August 2023	3 years, 360 days	Aviation and cavalry	Ryan D. McCarthy Christine Wormuth	Mark Esper Lloyd Austin
–		General Randy A. George (born 1964)	4 August 2023	21 September 2023	48 days	Infantry	Christine Wormuth	Lloyd Austin
41			21 September 2023	Incumbent	1 year, 89 days

Timeline

See also

• Army Staff Senior Warrant Officer
• Sergeant Major of the Army
• Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army

References

Notes

1. ^ Appointed as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
2. ^ Served prior as Vice Chief of Staff of the Army.
3. Appointed Military Representative of the President from 1959 to 1962; Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1962 to 1964.
4. ^ In capacity as Vice Chief of Staff of the Army.
5. Last World War II veteran to serve as Chief of Staff.
6. Last Vietnam War veteran to serve as Chief of Staff.
7. Les Brownlee served as acting Secretary of the Army during this period.
8. Recalled to active duty to serve as Chief of Staff. Schoomaker previously served as Commander in Chief, United States Special Operations Command from 1997 to 2000.

Citations

1. ^ Law.cornell.edu, 10 USC 3033. Chief of Staff
2. "General George Casey - Chief of Staff Army". Archived from the original on 11 September 2007. Retrieved 22 September 2007.
3. Law.cornell.edu, 10 USC 165. Combatant commands: administration and support
4. ^ Bell 2005, p. 186-187.
5. "Acting chief of staff held Vietnam posts". Ventura County Star-Free Press. Camarillo, CA. United Press International. 5 September 1974. p. B-7 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Weyand OKd". The Honolulu Advertiser. Honolulu, HI. United Press International. 4 October 1974. p. C-1 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "The Surge – Collective Memory Project" (PDF). Southern Methodist University. 18 August 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
8. Leopold, J.D. (10 April 2007). "Gen. George W. Casey Jr. Becomes Army Chief of Staff". U.S. Army. Army News Service. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
9. Garamone, Jim (12 April 2011). "Dempsey lays out themes for tenure as Army chief". U.S. Army. American Forces Press Service. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
10. Smith, Derek (9 September 2011). "Familiar face accepts new role: Gen. Odierno becomes Army Chief of Staff". U.S. Army. 362nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
11. Callahan, Guv (20 August 2015). "The new boss: Army welcomes Milley on JBM-HH and says goodbye to a 'moral giant'". U.S. Army. Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
12. Dickstein, Corey (9 August 2019). "McConville, Grinston sworn in as Army's top uniformed soldiers". Stars & Stripes. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
13. "Webcast: Relinquishment of Responsibility for GEN James McConville / Change of Responsibility SMA Michael Grinston". DVIDS. Retrieved 28 July 2023. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
14. Sword, Michael (21 September 2023). "Army Gen. Randy George sworn in as 41st Army Chief of Staff". DVIDS. Alaska: 11th Airborne Division. Retrieved 22 September 2023.

Sources

• Bell, William Gardner (2005) . "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.

Further reading

• Hewes Jr., James E. From Root to McNamara: Army Organization and Administration, 1900–1963 (1975) .
• Semsch, Philip L. "Elihu Root and the General Staff." Military Affairs (1963): 16–27.
• Skowronek, Stephen. Building a New American State: The Expansion of National Administrative Capacities, 1877–1920 (Cambridge University Press, 1982) pp 212–247.
• 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. Archived from the original on 13 December 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2010. - full text
• White, Richard D. "Civilian management of the military: Elihu Root and the 1903 reorganization of the army general staff." Journal of Management History (1998) 4#1 (1998), pp. 43–59.

External links

• The short film Big Picture: Top Soldier is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive.

v t e Leaders of the United States Army
Senior Officer / Commanding General	Washington Knox Doughty Harmar St. Clair Wayne Hamilton Wilkinson Dearborn J. Brown Macomb W. Scott McClellan Halleck Grant Sherman Sheridan Schofield Miles
Chiefs of Staff	Young Chaffee Bates Bell Wood Wotherspoon H. Scott Bliss March Pershing Hines Summerall MacArthur Craig Marshall Eisenhower Bradley Collins Ridgway Taylor Lemnitzer Decker Wheeler Johnson Westmoreland B. Palmer Abrams Weyand Rogers Meyer Wickham Vuono Sullivan Reimer Shinseki Schoomaker Casey Dempsey Odierno Milley McConville George
Vice Chiefs of Staff	Collins Haislip Hull Bolte W. Palmer Lemnitzer Decker Eddleman Hamlett Abrams Haines B. Palmer Haig Weyand Kerwin Kroesen Vessey Wickham Thurman A. Brown RisCassi Sullivan Reimer Peay Tilelli Griffith Crouch Shinseki Keane Casey Cody Chiarelli Austin Campbell Allyn McConville Martin George Mingus

v t e United States Army
Leadership	Secretary of the Army Under Secretary of the Army Chief of Staff Vice Chief of Staff 4-star generals 3-star generals 1798–1959 1990–1999 2000–2009 2010–2019 2020–present Army Staff Senior Warrant Officer Sergeant Major of the Army House Armed Services Committee (House Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces) Senate Committee on Armed Services (Senate Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces)
Components and commands	Regular Army Army Reserve Army National Guard Active Units Reorganization plan of United States Army Commands Forces Futures Materiel Training and Doctrine Service components Central Europe and Africa Pacific North South Special Operations Surface Deployment and Distribution Space and Missile Defense Cyber Command Direct reporting units Second Army Medical Intelligence and Security Criminal Investigation Division Corps of Engineers Military District of Washington Test and Evaluation Military Academy Reserve Acquisition Support Center Installation Management War College Field armies First Third Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth Ninth Branches Acquisition Corps Adjutant General's Corps Air Defense Artillery Branch Armor Branch Aviation Branch Army Band Chaplain Corps Chemical Corps Civil Affairs Corps Corps of Engineers Cyber Corps Dental Corps Field Artillery Branch Finance Corps Infantry Branch Inspector General's Corps Judge Advocate General's Corps Logistics Branch Medical Corps Medical Service Corps Medical Specialist Corps Military Intelligence Corps Military Police Corps Nurse Corps Ordnance Corps Psychological operations Quartermaster Corps Signal Corps Special Forces Transportation Corps Veterinary Corps
Installations	United States and overseas Germany Japan Kuwait South Korea
Training	Basic Training BOLC ROTC (ECP) OCS WOBC WOCS Military Academy (West Point) MOS
Uniforms and insignia	Awards and decorations Badges Branch Officer Warrant Enlisted World War I World War II Uniforms
Equipment	Individual weapons Crew-served weapons Vehicles
Premier ensembles	Army Field Band Army Band Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps West Point Band
History and traditions	History Continental Army Union army National Army Army of the United States Center of Military History Institute of Heraldry America's Army Army Art Program Flag National Museum West Point Museum Rangers U.S. Army Regimental System Soldier's Creed "The Army Goes Rolling Along" Division nicknames Draft Service numbers Seventh Army Symphony Orchestra
Historical	Buffalo Soldiers Army Air Forces Army Service Forces Women's Army Corps Rough Riders U.S. Cavalry United States Colored Troops United States Army Hospital Corps U.S. Sanitary Commission
Category

v t e Senior officials in the United States Department of Defense
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks Secretaries of the Military Departments Secretary of the Army: Christine Wormuth Secretary of the Navy: Carlos Del Toro Secretary of the Air Force: Frank Kendall III Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Charles Q. Brown Jr., USAF Under Secretaries of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment: William A. LaPlante Research and Engineering: Heidi Shyu Policy: Amanda J. Dory (acting) Comptroller/Chief Financial Officer: Michael J. McCord Personnel and Readiness: Ashish Vazirani (acting) Intelligence: Milancy Harris (acting) Under Secretaries of the Military Departments Under Secretary of the Army: Gabe Camarillo Under Secretary of the Navy: Thomas Mancinelli (acting) Under Secretary of the Air Force: Melissa Dalton Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ADM Christopher W. Grady, USN Chiefs of the Military Services Chief of Staff of the Army: GEN Randy A. George Commandant of the Marine Corps: Gen Eric M. Smith Chief of Naval Operations: ADM Lisa M. Franchetti Chief of Staff of the Air Force: Gen David W. Allvin Chief of Space Operations: Gen B. Chance Saltzman Chief of the National Guard Bureau Gen Steven S. Nordhaus, USAF Unified Combatant Command Commanders Africa: Gen Michael E. Langley, USMC Central: GEN Michael E. Kurilla, USA Cyber: Gen Timothy D. Haugh, USAF European: GEN Christopher G. Cavoli, USA Indo-Pacific: ADM Samuel J. Paparo Jr., USN Northern: Gen Gregory M. Guillot, USAF Southern: ADM Alvin Holsey, USN Space: Gen Stephen N. Whiting, USSF Special Operations: GEN Bryan P. Fenton, USA Strategic: Gen Anthony J. Cotton, USAF Transportation: Gen Randall Reed, USAF
- Acting

v t e United States Joint Chiefs of Staff
Brown (Chairman) Grady (Vice Chairman) George (Army) Smith (Marine Corps) Franchetti (Navy) Allvin (Air Force) Saltzman (Space Force) Nordhaus (National Guard)

• 1903 establishments in the United States
• Army chiefs of staff
• Joint Chiefs of Staff
• United States Army Chiefs of Staff
• United States Army organization