View source for Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

{{short description|Second highest-ranking military officer in the United States Armed Forces}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = Vice Chairman
| body = the<br/> Joint Chiefs of Staff
| native_name = 
| insignia = Joint Chiefs of Staff seal (2).svg
| insigniasize = 
| insigniacaption = Seal of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
| flag = Flag of the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.svg
| flagsize = 
| flagborder = yes
| flagcaption = Flag of the vice chairman of the JCS
| image = Gen Christopher J. Mahoney (3).jpg
| imagesize = 
| alt = 
| incumbent = [[General (United States)|General]] [[Christopher J. Mahoney]], [[United States Marine Corps|USMC]]
| acting = 
| incumbentsince = 1 October 2025
| department = [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]]<br>[[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]]
| style = 
| type = 
| status = 
| abbreviation = VJCS
| member_of = [[Defense Acquisition Board]]<br/>[[Joint Chiefs of Staff]]<br/>{{nowrap|[[Joint Requirements Oversight Council]]}}
| reports_to = [[President of the United States|President]]<br/>[[United States Secretary of Defense|Secretary of Defense]]<br/>{{nowrap|[[Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff|Chairman]]}}
| residence = 
| seat = [[The Pentagon]], [[Arlington County, Virginia|Arlington County]], [[Virginia]], U.S.
| nominator = 
| appointer = The [[President of the United States|president]]
| appointer_qualified = with [[United States Senate|Senate]] [[advice and consent]]
| termlength = 4 years, not renewable
| termlength_qualified = 
| constituting_instrument = {{UnitedStatesCode|10|154}}
| precursor = 
| formation = February 6, 1987
| first = [[Robert T. Herres]]
| last = 
| abolished = 
| succession = 
| unofficial_names = 
| deputy = [[Director of the Joint Staff|Director]]
| salary = 
| website = {{url|www.jcs.mil}}
}}

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-->)<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=2570515013206334&ref=watch_permalink Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman - DSD/VJCS NEWS CONFERENCE]</ref><ref>[https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=2570498083208027 Department of Defense - DSD/VJCS NEWS CONFERENCE]</ref> is, by U.S. law, the second highest-ranking military officer in the [[United States Armed Forces]],<ref name="VJCS">{{USC|10|154}} - Vice Chairman</ref> 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 [[National Command Authority (United States)|operational command authority]] over their service branches.<ref name="VJCS" /> The vice chairman assists the chairman in exercising their duties. In the absence of the chairman, the vice chairman presides over the meetings of the [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]] and performs all other duties prescribed under {{USC|10|153}} and may also perform other duties that the [[President of the United States|president]], the chairman, or the [[United States Secretary of Defense|secretary of defense]] prescribes.<ref name="VJCS" />

The 13th and current vice chairman is General [[Christopher J. Mahoney]], who assumed office on 1 October 2025.

==Responsibilities==
Although the office of Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is considered to be very important and highly prestigious, neither the vice chairman nor the Joint Chiefs of Staff as a body have any command authority over combatant forces. The operational [[command hierarchy|chain of command]] runs from the president to the secretary of defense directly to the commanders of the [[unified combatant command]]s.<ref>{{USC|10|162}} - Combatant commands: assigned forces; chain of command</ref> The vice chairman's primary duties include: "overseeing joint military requirements, representing the military in [[United States National Security Council|National Security Council]] deputies meetings, and performing other duties as directed by the chairman."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.defense.gov/About/Vice-Chairman-of-the-Joint-Chiefs-of-Staff/|title=Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff}}</ref>

==Appointment and term limitations==
The vice chairman is nominated by the president for appointment from any of the regular components of the [[United States Armed Forces|armed forces]], and must be confirmed via majority vote by the [[United States Senate|Senate]].<ref name="VJCS" /> The chairman and vice chairman may not be members of the same armed force service branch.<ref name="VJCS" /> However, the president may waive that restriction for a limited period of time in order to provide for the orderly transition of officers appointed to serve in those positions.<ref name="VJCS" /> The vice chairman serves a single four-year term of office at the pleasure of the president,<ref name="VJCS" /><ref name="NDAA2017" /> and cannot be reappointed to serve additional terms unless in times of war or national emergency,<ref name="VJCS" /><ref name="NDAA2017" /> in which case there is no limit to how many times an officer can be reappointed.<ref name="VJCS" />

The vice chairman is also not eligible to be appointed for promotion to chairman, or any other four-star position in the armed forces, unless the president determines that it is necessary in the interest of the nation.<ref name="VJCS" /><ref name="NDAA2017" /> The vice chairman assumes office on October 1 of every odd-number year, except the assumption of that term may not begin in the same year as the term of the chairman.<ref name="NDAA2017">[https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/2943 Public Law 114–328] - The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 increased the term length Chairman and the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from two years to four years and the Vice Chairman is no longer eligible to become Chairman.</ref> By statute, the vice chairman is appointed as a [[4-star rank|four-star]] [[General (United States)|general]] or [[Admiral (United States)|admiral]].<ref name="VJCS" />

==History==
The position of vice chairman was created by the [[Goldwater–Nichols Act]] of 1986 in order to centralize the military advisory chain of command to the president, the secretary of defense, and to the National Security Council. Originally the vice chairman was not included as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, until the [[National Defense Authorization Act|National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1992]] made him a full voting member.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Joint Chiefs of Staff > About > The Joint Staff > Vice Chairman|url=https://www.jcs.mil/About/The-Joint-Staff/Vice-Chairman/|access-date=2021-02-21|website=www.jcs.mil}}</ref> 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.<ref name="NDAA2017" /> The same act also set a statutory beginning term date.<ref name="NDAA2017" /> Prior to that, the position was filled whenever the previous holder left office.

==List of vice chairman==
General Richard B. Myers and General Peter Pace were later appointed to serve as [[Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff|chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff]] from 2001 to 2005 and from 2005 to 2007, respectively.
{{Officeholder table start
| showorder               = y
| showimage               = y
| image_title             = Portrait
| officeholder_title      = Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
| showtermlenght          = y
| showparty               = n
| showdefencebranch       = y
| defence_branch_title    = Service branch
| showaltofficeholder     = y
| alt_officeholder_title  = [[Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff|Chairman]]
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order                   = 1
| image                   = Gen Robert T. Herres, VJCS portrait.jpg
| military_rank           = [[General (United States)|General]]
| officeholder            = [[Robert T. Herres]]
| officeholder_sort       = Herres, Robert
| officeholder_note       = 
| born_year               = 1932
| died_year               = 2008
| term_start              = February 6, 1987
| term_end                = February 28, 1990<br />{{small|''(retired)''}}
| timeinoffice            = {{ayd|1987|02|06|1990|02|28}}
| defence_branch          = [[File:U.S. Air Force service mark.svg|75px]]<br>[[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]]
| alt_officeholder        = [[William J. Crowe]]
| alt_officeholder2       = [[Colin Powell]]
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order                   = 2
| image                   = ADM David E Jeremiah.JPG
| military_rank           = [[Admiral (United States)|Admiral]]
| officeholder            = [[David E. Jeremiah]]
| officeholder_sort       = Jeremiah, David
| officeholder_note       = {{efn|Served as acting chairman from October 1 to October 24, 1993.}}
| born_year               = 1934
| died_year               = 2013
| term_start              = March 1, 1990
| term_end                = February 28, 1994<br />{{small|''(retired)''}}
| timeinoffice            = {{ayd|1990|03|01|1994|02|28}}
| defence_branch          = [[File:Emblem of the United States Navy.svg|75px]]<br>[[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]]
| alt_officeholder        = [[Colin Powell]]
| alt_officeholder2       = [[John Shalikashvili]]
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order                   = 3
| image                   = Adm. William A. Owens VJCS.jpg
| military_rank           = Admiral
| officeholder            = [[William Owens (admiral)|William A. Owens]]
| officeholder_sort       = Owens, William
| officeholder_note       = 
| born_year               = 1940
| died_year               = 
| term_start              = March 1, 1994
| term_end                = February 27, 1996<br />{{small|''(retired)''}}
| timeinoffice            = {{ayd|1994|03|01|1996|02|27}}
| defence_branch          = [[File:Emblem of the United States Navy.svg|75px]]<br>[[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]]
| alt_officeholder        = [[John Shalikashvili]]
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order                   = 4
| image                   = Gen Joseph W. Ralston as VJCS.jpg
| military_rank           = General
| officeholder            = [[Joseph Ralston]]
| officeholder_sort       = Ralston, Joseph
| officeholder_note       = 
| born_year               = 1943
| died_year               = 
| term_start              = March 1, 1996
| term_end                = February 29, 2000<br />{{small|''(appointed [[Supreme Allied Commander Europe|SACEUR]])''}}
| timeinoffice            = {{ayd|1996|03|01|2000|02|29}}
| defence_branch          = [[File:U.S. Air Force service mark.svg|75px]]<br>[[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]]
| alt_officeholder        = [[John Shalikashvili]]
| alt_officeholder2       = [[Hugh Shelton]]
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order                   = 5
| image                   = Richard Myers official portrait.jpg
| military_rank           = General
| officeholder            = [[Richard Myers]]
| officeholder_sort       = Myers, Richard
| officeholder_note       = 
| born_year               = 1942
| died_year               = 
| term_start              = February 29, 2000
| term_end                = October 1, 2001<br />{{small|''(appointed JCS chairman)''}}
| timeinoffice            = {{ayd|2000|02|29|2001|10|01}}
| defence_branch          = [[File:U.S. Air Force service mark.svg|75px]]<br>[[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]]
| alt_officeholder        = [[Hugh Shelton]]
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order                   = 6
| image                   = VJCS Peter Pace.jpg
| military_rank           = General
| officeholder            = [[Peter Pace]]
| officeholder_sort       = Pace, Peter
| officeholder_note       = 
| born_year               = 1945
| died_year               = 
| term_start              = October 1, 2001
| term_end                = August 12, 2005<br />{{small|''(appointed JCS chairman)''}}
| timeinoffice            = {{ayd|2001|10|01|2005|08|12}}
| defence_branch          = [[File:Emblem of the United States Marine Corps.svg|75px]]<br>[[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine Corps]]
| alt_officeholder        = [[Richard Myers]]
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order                   = 7
| image                   = Giambastiani - 27 Feb 07.jpg
| military_rank           = Admiral
| officeholder            = [[Edmund Giambastiani]]
| officeholder_sort       = Giambastiani, Edmund
| officeholder_note       = 
| born_year               = 1948
| died_year               = 
| term_start              = August 12, 2005
| term_end                = July 27, 2007<br />{{small|''(retired)''}}
| timeinoffice            = {{ayd|2005|08|12|2007|07|27}}
| defence_branch          = [[File:Emblem of the United States Navy.svg|75px]]<br>[[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]]
| alt_officeholder        = [[Richard Myers]]
| alt_officeholder2       = [[Peter Pace]]
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order                   = 8
| image                   = GEN Cartwright VJCS.jpg
| military_rank           = General
| officeholder            = [[James E. Cartwright]]
| officeholder_sort       = Cartwright, James
| officeholder_note       = 
| born_year               = 1949
| died_year               = 
| term_start              = August 31, 2007
| term_end                = August 3, 2011<br />{{small|''(retired)''}}
| timeinoffice            = {{ayd|2007|08|31|2011|08|03}}
| defence_branch          = [[File:Emblem of the United States Marine Corps.svg|75px]]<br>[[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine Corps]]
| alt_officeholder        = [[Peter Pace]]
| alt_officeholder2       = [[Michael Mullen]]
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order                   = 9
| image                   = Admiral James A. Winnefeld, Jr.jpg
| military_rank           = Admiral
| officeholder            = [[James A. Winnefeld Jr.]]
| officeholder_sort       = Winnefeld, James
| officeholder_note       = 
| born_year               = 1956
| died_year               = 
| term_start              = August 4, 2011
| term_end                = July 31, 2015<br />{{small|''(retired)''}}
| timeinoffice            = {{ayd|2011|08|04|2015|07|31}}
| defence_branch          = [[File:Emblem of the United States Navy.svg|75px]]<br>[[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]]
| alt_officeholder        = [[Michael Mullen]]
| alt_officeholder2       = [[Martin Dempsey]]
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order                   = 10
| image                   = General Paul J. Selva, USAF (VJCS).jpg
| military_rank           = General
| officeholder            = [[Paul J. Selva]]
| officeholder_sort       = Selva, Paul
| officeholder_note       = 
| born_year               = 1958
| died_year               = 
| term_start              = July 31, 2015
| term_end                = July 31, 2019<br />{{small|''(retired)''}}
| timeinoffice            = {{ayd|2015|07|31|2019|07|31}}
| defence_branch          = [[File:U.S. Air Force service mark.svg|75px]]<br>[[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]]
| alt_officeholder        = [[Martin Dempsey]]
| alt_officeholder2       = [[Joseph Dunford]]
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order                   = 11
| image                   = Gen John E. Hyten (5).jpg
| military_rank           = General
| officeholder            = [[John E. Hyten]]
| officeholder_sort       = Hyten, John
| officeholder_note       = 
| born_year               = 1959
| died_year               = 
| term_start              = November 21, 2019
| term_end                = November 19, 2021<br />{{small|''(retired)''}}
| timeinoffice            = {{ayd|2019|11|21|2021|11|19}}
| defence_branch          = [[File:U.S. Air Force service mark.svg|75px]]<br>[[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]]
| alt_officeholder        = [[Mark Milley]]
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order                   = 12
| image                   = ADM Christopher W. Grady (2).jpg
| military_rank           = Admiral
| officeholder            = [[Christopher W. Grady]]
| officeholder_sort       = Grady, Christopher
| officeholder_note       = {{efn|Served as acting chairman from February 21 to April 11, 2025.}}
| born_year               = 1962
| died_year               = 
| term_start              = December 20, 2021
| term_end                = September 30, 2025 <br />{{small|''(retired)''}}
| timeinoffice            = {{ayd|2021|12|20|2025|09|30}}
| defence_branch          = [[File:Emblem of the United States Navy.svg|75px]]<br>[[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]]
| alt_officeholder        = [[Mark Milley]]
| alt_officeholder2       = [[Charles Q. Brown Jr.]]
| alt_officeholder3       = [[Dan Caine]]
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order                   = 13
| image                   = Gen Christopher J. Mahoney (3).jpg
| military_rank           = General
| officeholder            = [[Christopher J. Mahoney]]
| officeholder_sort       = Mahoney, Christopher J.
| officeholder_note       = 
| born_year               = 
| died_year               = 
| term_start              = October 1, 2025
| timeinoffice            = {{ayd|October 1, 2025}}
| defence_branch          = [[File:Emblem of the United States Marine Corps.svg|75px]]<br>[[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine Corps]]
| alt_officeholder        = [[Dan Caine]]
}}
{{Officeholder table end}}

===Timeline===

{{#tag:timeline|
ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:10
PlotArea  = top:10 bottom:50 right:160 left:20
AlignBars = late

DateFormat = x.y
Period     = from:1985 till:{{#expr:{{#time:Y}}+4}}
TimeAxis   = orientation:horizontal
ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:1985

Define $now = {{CURRENTYEAR}}

Colors     =
  id:vjcs value:rgb(0.7,0.7,0.7) legend: VJCS
  id:time value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.9)

Legend     = orientation:vertical position:right

LineData =
  layer:back
  width:0.1
  color:time
  at:1985
  at:1990
  at:1995
  at:2000
  at:2005
  at:2010
  at:2015
  at:2020
  at:2025
 
BarData =
  barset:PM
  bar:herres
  bar:jeremiah
  bar:owens
  bar:ralston
  bar:myers
  bar:pace
  bar:giambastiani
  bar:cartwright
  bar:winnefeld
  bar:selva
  bar:hyten
  bar:grady

PlotData=
  width:6 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till
  barset:PM
  bar:herres  from:1987  till:1990  color:vjcs  text:"[[Robert T. Herres|Herres]]"
  bar:jeremiah  from:1990  till:1994  color:vjcs  text:"[[David E. Jeremiah|Jeremiah]]"
  bar:owens   from:1994  till:1996  color:vjcs  text:"[[William Owens (admiral)|Owens]]"
  bar:ralston  from:1996  till:2000  color:vjcs  text:"[[Joseph Ralston|Ralston]]"
  bar:myers   from:2000  till:2001  color:vjcs  text:"[[Richard Myers|Myers]]"
  bar:pace    from:2001  till:2005  color:vjcs  text:"[[Peter Pace|Pace]]"
  bar:giambastiani  from:2005  till:2007  color:vjcs  text:"[[Edmund Giambastiani|Giambastiani]]"
  bar:cartwright  from:2007  till:2011  color:vjcs  text:"[[James E. Cartwright|Cartwright]]"
  bar:winnefeld  from:2011  till:2015  color:vjcs  text:"[[James A. Winnefeld Jr.|Winnefeld]]"
  bar:selva   from:2015  till:2019  color:vjcs  text:"[[Paul J. Selva|Selva]]"
  bar:hyten   from:2019  till:2021  color:vjcs  text:"[[John E. Hyten|Hyten]]"
  bar:grady   from:2021  till:$now  color:vjcs  text:"[[Christopher W. Grady|Grady]]"
  
}}

==Vice chairmen by branch of service within the Department of Defense==
* Army: 0
* Marine Corps: 3
* Navy: 5
* Air Force: 5
* Space Force: 0

==Positional color ==
[[File:Vice_Chairman_of_the_Joint_Chiefs_of_Staff_flag.jpg|thumb|right|VJCS flag with yellow fringe.]]

The positional color (flag) of the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is white with a diagonal medium blue strip from upper hoist to lower fly. Centered on the flag is an American [[bald eagle]] with wings spread horizontally, in proper colors. The talons grasp three crossed arrows. A shield with blue chief and thirteen red and white stripes is on the eagle's breast. Diagonally, from upper fly to lower hoist are four five-pointed stars, medium blue on the white, two above the eagle, and two below. The fringe is yellow; the cord and tassels are medium blue and white. The design was approved by Secretary of Defense [[Caspar Weinberger]] on 20 January 1987.<ref>Army Regulation 840-10, paragraph 3-14 (2 Apr. 1992).</ref>

==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==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.jcs.mil/About/The-Joint-Staff/Vice-Chairman/ Official site]

{{VCJCS}}
{{Current US Department of Defense Secretaries}}
{{Current JCS members}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vice Chairman Of The Joint Chiefs Of Staff}}
[[Category:Vice chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff| ]]
[[Category:Joint Chiefs of Staff]]