[United States Government Manual] [July 01, 1995] [Pages 180-182] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint Chiefs of Staff The Joint Chiefs of Staff consists of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; the Vice Chairman; the Chief of Staff of the Army; the Chief of Naval Operations; the Chief of Staff of the Air Force; and the Commandant of the Marine Corps. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the principal military adviser to the President, the National Security Council, and the Secretary of Defense. The other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are military advisers who may provide additional information upon request from the President, the National Security Council, or the Secretary of Defense. They may also submit their advice when it does not agree with that of the Chairman. Subject to the authority of the President and the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is responsible for: --assisting the President and the Secretary of Defense in providing for the strategic direction and planning of the Armed Forces; --allocating resources to fulfill strategic plans; --making recommendations for the assignment of responsibilities within the Armed Forces in accordance with and in support of those logistic and mobility plans; --comparing the capabilities of American and allied Armed Forces with those of potential adversaries; --preparing and reviewing contingency plans that conform to policy [[Page 181]] guidance from the President and the Secretary of Defense; --preparing joint logistic and mobility plans to support contingency plans; and --recommending assignment of logistic and mobility responsibilities to the Armed Forces to fulfill logistic and mobility plans. The Chairman advises the Secretary of Defense on critical deficiencies and strengths in force capabilities (including manpower, logistic, and mobility support) and assesses the effect of such deficiencies and strengths on meeting national security objectives and policy and on strategic plans. He establishes and maintains a uniform system for evaluating the preparedness of each unified combatant command to carry out assigned missions. The Chairman advises the Secretary of Defense on the priorities of the requirements identified by the commanders of the unified combatant commands and on the extent to which program recommendations and budget proposals of the military departments and other DOD components for a fiscal year conform with priorities established in requirements of the unified combatant commands. He is responsible for submitting to the Secretary alternative program recommendations and budget proposals with guidance provided by the Secretary, in order to achieve greater conformance with priorities established by the unified combatant commands. The Chairman also advises the Secretary on the extent to which major programs and policies of the Armed Forces in the area of manpower conform with strategic plans and assesses military requirements for defense acquisition programs. Additionally, the Chairman: --formulates doctrine and training policies and coordinates military education and training; --represents the United States on the Military Staff Committee of the United Nations; --performs such other duties as may be prescribed by law or by the President and the Secretary of Defense; --convenes and presides over regular meetings of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; --assists the Joint Chiefs in carrying on their business as promptly as practicable; and --schedules issues for consideration by the Joint Chiefs. The Chairman, while so serving, holds the grade of general or admiral and outranks all other officers of the Armed Forces. The Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs performs duties assigned by the Chairman, with the approval of the Secretary of Defense. The Vice Chairman acts as Chairman when there is a vacancy in the office of the Chairman, or in the absence or disability of the Chairman. The Vice Chairman, while so serving, holds the grade of general or admiral and outranks all other officers of the Armed Forces except the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Joint Staff The Joint Staff under the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff assists the Chairman and, subject to the authority of the Chairman, the other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in carrying out their responsibilities. The Joint Staff is headed by a Director who is selected by the Chairman in consultation with the other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and with the approval of the Secretary of Defense. Officers assigned to serve on the Joint Staff are selected by the Chairman in approximate equal numbers from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force. The Joint Staff is composed of all members of the Armed Forces and civilian employees assigned or detailed to permanent duty to perform the functions assigned to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. [[Page 182]] Sources of Information Contracts and Small Business Activities Contact the Director, Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Room 2A340, The Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-3061. Phone, 703-697- 9383. DOD Directives and Instructions Correspondence and Directives Directorate, Washington Headquarters Services, Room 2A286, The Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-1155. Phone, 703-697-4111. Employment Almost all positions are in the competitive service and are filled from civil service registers. College recruiting requirements are limited primarily to management intern positions at the B.S. and M.S. levels. For additional information, inquiries should be addressed to the Chief, Staffing Division, Directorate for Personnel and Security, Washington Headquarters Services, Room 2E148, The Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-1155. Phone, 703-614-4066. Films The Department of Defense has certain motion pictures and videotapes available for public, nonprofit exhibition. These are productions required to support training and internal information objectives. There is a catalog of productions available to the public for sale from the National Technical Information Service, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161. Each Service has its own catalog for internal use. Interested persons should contact the nearest installation of each Service to obtain the appropriate address of the film/videotape distribution center serving that area. Additionally, the Public Affairs Office of each Service at its headquarters in Washington, DC, should be contacted. There is no charge for listings of films. No admission or any other fees may be charged for viewing of films and each film must be shown in its entirety, including all titles at beginning and end; no portion of the film may be reproduced, edited, or cut in any manner; and qualified operators must be provided by the borrower. Interested purchasers of Department of Defense films may also contact the Sales Branch, National Audio-Visual Center, 8750 Edgeworth Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743-3701. Phone, 301-763-1896. Pentagon Tours Guided tours of the Pentagon are available Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays. The 1-hour tours start at the Concourse. For further information or reservations, call 703-695- 1776; or write: Pentagon Tour Director, Room 3C1054, Washington, DC 20301-1400. Speakers Scheduling of speaking engagements for civilian and military representatives of the Department of Defense is a responsibility of the Director for Programs, Office of the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs). Speakers on a variety of defense subjects are available in response to invitations at no cost to the local sponsor. However, any speaker can accept transportation, meals, and lodging, if offered by the sponsor of the public event in which he is to participate. Written requests for speakers should be forwarded to the Director for Community Relations, Office of the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs), The Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-1400 (phone, 703-695-2113); or to the Public Affairs Officer of the nearest military installation. Telephone Directory The Department of Defense telephone directory is available for sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Phone, 202-512-1800. For further information concerning the Department of Defense, contact the Director, Directorate for Public Communication, Office of the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs), The Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-1400. Phone, 703-697-5737.