The vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (VJCS<!--Do not change to VCJCS as that is the incorrect abbreviation. The correct abbreviation is VJCS-->) is, by U.S. law, the second highest-ranking military officer in the United States Armed Forces, ranking just below the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The vice chairman outranks all respective heads of each service branch, with the exception of the chairman, but does not have operational command authority over their service branches. The vice chairman's primary duties include: "overseeing joint military requirements, representing the military in National Security Council deputies meetings, and performing other duties as directed by the chairman."

Appointment and term limitations

The vice chairman is nominated by the president for appointment from any of the regular components of the armed forces, and must be confirmed via majority vote by the Senate. By statute, the vice chairman is appointed as a four-star general or admiral. Historically, the vice chairman has served two, two-year terms before the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 amended the vice chairman's term length, beginning on January 1, 2021.

See also

  • Defense Acquisition Board
  • Deputy's Advisory Working Group, a policy review panel co-chaired by DEPSECDEF and VJCS
  • Joint Requirements Oversight Council

Notes

References

  • Official site