Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data The chairmanship of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1949-1999. p. cm. 1. United States. Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff-History. UA23.7.C483 2000 [B] 00-045693 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office ISBN 0-16-050638-7 FOREWORD The recent observance of the fiftieth anniversary of the chairmanship The provided an occasion to reflect not only on what a privilege it is to serve as the fourteenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff but also on how the position has changed since its creation. This volume, The Chairmanship of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1949-1999, was prepared in conjunction with that anniversary. It gives a historical perspective on the development of the chairmanship as an institution as well as on the Chairman's and Vice Chairman's role in the formulation and implementation of our national security policy. It sheds light on civil-military relations at the highest level during the Cold War and its immediate aftermath and provides valuable insight into the interaction of individuals, circumstances, and law, which produced the chairmanship as we know it today. HENRY H. SHELTON Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff PREFACE The The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the nation's highestranking military officer. He presides over the Joint Chiefs of Staff and provides military advice to the civilian leadership. Soon after the Joint Chiefs of Staff came into existence during World War II, Admiral William D. Leahy became their presiding officer. This arrangement continued after the war, with General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower serving briefly after Leahy's departure in early 1949. When the National Security Act of 1947 gave legal sanction to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, it did not authorize a chairman. However, service disagreements over roles and missions and allocation of funds to meet the growing threat from the Soviet Union led Congress to create the position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1949. On 16 August 1949 General Omar N. Bradley, USA, became the first Chairman; he had limited statutory authority. Over the years, law, executive action, and practice extended the Chairman's role. Yet his authority remained restricted; he was only first among equals on the JCS. Believing that the JCS system required fundamental reform, Congress in 1986 enacted the GoldwaterNichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act, which greatly expanded the Chairman's authority and responsibilities. This book examines the development of the chairmanship as an institution during its first fifty years and briefly presents the careers of the men who served as Chairman and Vice Chairman during that time. The idea for a book about the Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff originated with Willard J. Webb when he was Chief of the Joint Staff Historical Division. The Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by Mr. Webb and Ronald H. Cole appeared in 1989. It presented an overview of the Chairman's role and biographical sketches of the Chairmen. In 1995 the Joint History Office produced a revised and expanded volume, The Chairmanship of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, with additional contributions by Dr. Cole, Lorna S. Jaffe, and Walter S. Poole. It included brief biographies of the Vice Chairmen as well as the Chairmen, plus other information related to the Chairman's position. This new edition, The Chairmanship of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1949-1999, was prepared as part of the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the chairmanship. It contains a new introductory essay, written by Dr. Jaffe and Dr. Poole, and adds four biographical sketches by Dr. Jaffe, who managed the overall project. The Joint History Office is grateful to Newsweek for permission to use John Ficara's photograph of General David C. Jones and General John W. Vessey. The Air Force History Support Office; General Officer Management Office, Office of the Chief of Staff, Department of the Army; the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs; the Public Affairs Office and the Office of Legal Counsel of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; the Information Management Division, Office of the Secretary, Joint Staff; Special Collections, the National Defense University Library; Flag Officer Management and Distribution, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations; the Naval Historical Center; the Pentagon Library; Dr. James Blaker; Senior Master Sergeant Mamie M. Burke, USAF (Ret.); Lieutenant Colonel Marilla J. Cushman, USA (Ret.); Janis Dolacky Jacobs; Colonel Mike Kendall, USA; Jean Kirk, Department of the Navy Board of Decorations and Medals; Captain Edward J. Kujat, USN; and Brigadier General Jack L. Rives, USAF, provided valuable assistance in the preparation of this edition. This volume is an official publication of the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but its contents are the sole responsibility of the Joint History Office and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Chairman or the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Washington, DC DAVID A. ARMSTRONG |