1. The Department of Defense National Command Authority
(DoD)
& the
National Command Authority

3. National Command Authority (Chain of Command)
The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. military iaw the U.S. Constitution.
The current command structure of the Department of Defense is defined by the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986 , signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on 1 October 1986.
The Act reworked the command structure of the United States military, introducing the most sweeping changes to the Department since it was established in the National Security Act of 1947.

4. National Command Authority (continued)
Under the act, the chain of command runs from the President of the United States, through the Secretary of Defense, to the combatant commanders (COCOM) who command all military forces within their area of responsibility.
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) & the military service Chiefs of Staff (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines) are responsible for readiness of the U.S. military and serve as the President's military advisers, but are NOT in the chain of command. The CJCS is by law the highest ranking military officer in the United States.
Each military service is responsible for organizing, training & equipping military units for the commanders of the various Unified Combatant Commands (combatant commanders; COCOM).

5. National Command Authority (Chain of Command)

6. National Security Council (Presidents Advisors)
The National Security Council was created in 1947 by the National Security Act.
The White House National Security Council (NSC) is the principal forum used by the President for considering national security & foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors & Cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States.
Since its inception under Harry S. Truman, the function of the Council has been to advise and assist the president on national security and foreign policies.
The Council also serves as the president's principal arm for coordinating these policies among various government agencies.
The U.S. Council has counterparts in the national security councils of many other nations.

7. National Security Council (Presidents Advisors)
TITLE
POSITION
WHO
Chairman
President
Barack Obama
Statutory Attendees
Vice President
Secretary of State
Secretary of Defense
Secretary of Energy
Joe Biden
John Kerry
Chuck Hagel
Ernest Moniz
Military Advisor
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS)
General Martin Dempsey, USA
Intelligence Advisor
Director of National Intelligence
Director of CIA
Lt. Gen (R) James Clapper
John O. Brennan
Regular Attendees
National Security Advisor
White House Chief of Staff
Deputy National Security Advisor
Attorney General
Susan Rice
Denis McDonough
Tony Blinken
Eric Holder
Additional Participants
Secretary of the Treasury
Secretary of Homeland Security
Counsel to the President
Asst. to the President for Economic Policy
Ambassador to the United Nations
Director of Office of Management & Budget
Homeland Security Advisor
Jack Lew
Jeh Johnson
W. Neil Eggleston
Jeffery Zients
Samantha Power
Shaun Donovan
Lisa Monaco

8. National Command Authority (Chain of Command)

9. Run by “Civilians”
with some military

10. Secretary of Defense Secretary of Defense Secretary of the
The Secretary of Defense by statute also exercises authority, direction & control over
the three (3) Service Secretaries (civilian) of the Military Departments
Secretary of Defense
Secretary of the Army
Secretary of the
Air Force
Secretary of the Navy
Chuck Hagel since Feb 27, 2013
The Honorable John M. McHugh since: September 21, 2009
Deborah Lee James since: December 20, 2013
Ray Mabus since: June 18, 2009

11. National Command Authority (Chain of Command)

12. Military Service Chiefs (of Staff)
Secretary of Defense
Secretary of the NAVY
Commandant of the MARINE CORPS
Chief of NAVAL OPERATIONS
Secretary of the AIR FORCE
Chief of Staff of the AIR FORCE
Secretary of the ARMY
Chief of Staff of the ARMY
GEN Raymond T. Odierno Gen Mark A. Welsh III ADM Jonathan W. Greenert Gen Joseph F. Dunford, Jr.

13. National Command Authority (Chain of Command)

14. Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS)
* The Military Service Chiefs
(Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines)
report to the Service Secretaries,
NOT the CJCS!
NEW

15. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS)
Admiral James A. Winnefeld, Jr. since: August 4, 2011
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
General Martin E. Dempsey
Since: October 1, 2011
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

16. Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS)
GEN Amos ADM Greenert ADM Winnefeld GEN Dempsey GEN Odierno GEN Welsh GEN Grass
USMC USN VCJCS CJCS USA USAF NGB

17. Chief, National Guard Bureau (NGB) - JCS
Top Guard officer joins Joint Chiefs of Staff (Jan 2012)
The National Guard Bureau’s top officer is now a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. A provision in the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, (NDAA) signed into law Dec. 31 by President Obama, adds the Guard leader to the nation’s highest military advisory group.
The first Chief of NGB to serve as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was Air Force General Craig McKinley.
The addition of the top Guard officer to the Joint Chiefs of Staff has been hailed by Guard historians as the “most significant development” since the Militia Act of 1903 codified the modern day dual-status structure of the Guard, according to a statement from the Guard Bureau.

18. Chief, NGB – JCS Debate
During the hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, the six (6) 4-star generals voiced opposition to the proposal, saying it would create needless confusion and reduce their authority.
“There is no compelling military need for this change,” Army GEN Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, said at the time.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta also opposed the measure, telling reporters in October that membership on the Joint Chiefs should “be reserved for those who have direct command and direct budgets that deal with the military.”
Traditionally, the Guard chief attended Joint Chiefs of Staff meetings but was not a voting member. However, “voting” is not a central role for the Joint Chiefs, which typically seeks to reach consensus and make unanimous recommendations.
NOTE: NGB is ONLY Army & Air Force National Guard.

19. National Command Authority (Chain of Command)
COMBAT

20. “JOINT” Unified Combatant Commands
GEN Lloyd Austin, USA
GEN Charles H. Jacoby, Jr., USA
GEN Phillip Breedlove, USAF
ADM Samuel J. Locklear, USN
Gen John F. Kelly, USMC
GEN David Rodriquez, USA
A Unified Combatant Command (UCC) is a US joint military command that is composed of forces from 2 or more services and has a broad and continuing mission.
These commands are established to provide effective command and control of U.S. military forces, regardless of branch of service, in peace and war.