Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army
The vice chief of staff of the Army (VCSA) is the principal deputy to the chief of staff of the Army, and is the second-highest-ranking officer on active duty in the Department of the Army.
| Vice Chief of Staff of the Army | |
|---|---|
 Army Staff Identification Badge | |
 Flag of the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army | |
 | |
| Department of the Army Army Staff | |
| Abbreviation | VCSA |
| Member of | Army Staff Joint Requirements Oversight Council |
| Reports to | Chief of Staff of the Army |
| Seat | The Pentagon, Arlington County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Appointer | The President with Senate advice and consent |
| Term length | Not fixed |
| Constituting instrument | 10 U.S.C. § 7034 |
| Precursor | Deputy Chief of Staff of the United States Army |
| Formation | November 1, 1948 |
| First holder | GEN J. Lawton Collins |
| Succession | First in Chief of Staff succession |
| Deputy | Director of the Army Staff |
| Website | www.army.mil/ |
The vice chief of staff generally handles the day-to-day administration of the Army Staff, freeing the chief of staff to attend to the interservice responsibilities of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. By statute, the vice chief of staff is appointed as a four-star general in the United States Army while so serving.
The 39th and current vice chief of staff of the Army is General James J. Mingus.
Role
The senior leadership of the U.S. Department of the Army consists of two civilians, the secretary of the Army and the under secretary of the Army, as well as two commissioned officers, the Army Chief of Staff and the Army Vice Chief of Staff.
Under the supervision and direction of the secretary of the Army (who in turn is under the authority, direction and control of the secretary of defense) the vice chief of staff assists the chief of staff on missions and functions related to their duties. The vice chief of staff also assists the chief of staff in the management/oversight of U.S. Army installations and facilities.
Furthermore, the vice chief of staff may also represent the Army at the Office of the Secretary of Defense/Joint Staff level in areas relating to the chief of staff's responsibility and U.S. Army capabilities, requirements, policy, plans, and programs. The vice chief of staff is the designated Army representative to the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC).
If the chief of staff is incapacitated or otherwise relieved of duty, the vice chief of staff serves as the acting chief of staff. If both the chief of staff and the vice chief of staff were to be incapacitated, the senior-most general on the Army Staff would become the acting chief of staff of the Army until someone else is appointed.[1][2]
Appointment
The vice chief of staff of the Army is appointed by the president, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, from among the general officers of the Army.
Unlike the chief of staff of the Army, there is no fixed term nor term limit to the position of the vice chief of staff, although most of those appointed to the office have typically served for two or three year tenures.
List of Vice Chiefs of Staff of the Army
| No. | Portrait | Vice Chief of Staff[3] | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Chief of Staff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General J. Lawton Collins (1896–1987) | November 1, 1948 | August 15, 1949 (became CSA) | 287 days | Omar Bradley | |
| 2 | General Wade H. Haislip (1889–1971) | August 16, 1949 | July 29, 1951 (retired) | 1 year, 347 days | J. Lawton Collins | |
| 3 | General John E. Hull (1895–1975) | July 30, 1951 | August 14, 1953 (reassigned) | 2 years, 15 days | J. Lawton Collins | |
| 4 | General Charles L. Bolte (1895–1989) | August 15, 1953 | June 29, 1955 (retired) | 1 year, 318 days | Matthew Ridgway | |
| 5 | General Williston B. Palmer (1899–1973) | June 30, 1955 | May 31, 1957 (reassigned) | 1 year, 335 days | Maxwell D. Taylor | |
| 6 | General Lyman L. Lemnitzer (1899–1988) | June 1, 1957 | June 30, 1959 (became CSA) | 2 years, 29 days | Maxwell D. Taylor | |
| 7 | General George H. Decker (1902–1980) | July 1, 1959 | September 29, 1960 (became CSA) | 1 year, 90 days | Lyman Lemnitzer | |
| 8 | General Clyde D. Eddleman (1902–1992) | September 30, 1960 | March 31, 1962 (retired) | 1 year, 181 days | George Decker | |
| 9 | General Barksdale Hamlett (1908–1979) | April 1, 1962 | September 3, 1964 (retired) | 2 years, 155 days | George Decker Earle Wheeler Harold K. Johnson | |
| 10 | General Creighton W. Abrams Jr. (1914–1974) | September 4, 1964 | April 30, 1967 (reassigned) | 2 years, 238 days | Harold K. Johnson | |
| 11 | General Ralph E. Haines Jr. (1913–2011) | May 1, 1967 | July 2, 1968 (reassigned) | 1 year, 62 days | Harold K. Johnson | |
| 12 | General Bruce Palmer Jr. (1913–2000) | July 3, 1968 | January 4, 1973 (reassigned) | 4 years, 185 days | William Westmoreland Creighton Abrams | |
| 13 | General Alexander M. Haig Jr. (1924–2010) | January 4, 1973 | May 4, 1973 (reassigned) | 120 days | Creighton Abrams | |
| 14 | General Frederick C. Weyand (1916–2010) | May 4, 1973 | October 20, 1974 (became CSA) | 1 year, 169 days | Creighton Abrams Himself (acting) | |
| 15 | General Walter T. Kerwin Jr. (1917–2008) | October 21, 1974 | September 23, 1978 (retired) | 3 years, 337 days | Frederick C. Weyand Bernard W. Rogers | |
| 16 | General Frederick J. Kroesen (1923–2020) | October 26, 1978 | October 7, 1979 (reassigned) | 346 days | Bernard W. Rogers Edward C. Meyer | |
| 17 | General John W. Vessey Jr. (1922–2016) | October 10, 1979 | January 19, 1982 (became JCS chairman) | 2 years, 101 days | Edward C. Meyer | |
| 18 | General John A. Wickham Jr. (1928–2024) | January 27, 1982 | June 22, 1983 (became CSA) | 1 year, 146 days | Edward C. Meyer | |
| 19 | General Maxwell R. Thurman (1931–1995) | August 26, 1983 | February 4, 1987 (reassigned) | 3 years, 162 days | John A. Wickham Jr. | |
| 20 | General Arthur E. Brown Jr. (born 1929) | February 15, 1987 | January 20, 1989 (retired) | 1 year, 340 days | John A. Wickham Jr. Carl E. Vuono | |
| 21 | General Robert W. RisCassi (born 1936) | January 21, 1989 | December 10, 1990 (reassigned) | 1 year, 323 days | Carl E. Vuono | |
| 22 | General Gordon R. Sullivan (1937–2024) | December 17, 1990 | June 20, 1991 (became CSA) | 185 days | Carl E. Vuono | |
| 23 | General Dennis J. Reimer (born 1939) | June 21, 1991 | January 20, 1993 (reassigned) | 1 year, 213 days | Gordon R. Sullivan | |
| 24 | General J. H. Binford Peay III (born 1940) | January 23, 1993 | January 15, 1994 (reassigned) | 357 days | Gordon R. Sullivan | |
| 25 | General John H. Tilelli Jr. (born 1941) | January 20, 1994 | January 2, 1995 (reassigned) | 347 days | Gordon R. Sullivan | |
| 26 | General Ronald H. Griffith (1936–2018) | January 26, 1995 | July 20, 1997 (retired) | 2 years, 175 days | Gordon R. Sullivan Dennis Reimer | |
| 27 | General William W. Crouch (born 1941) | August 6, 1997 | November 22, 1998 (retired) | 1 year, 108 days | Dennis Reimer | |
| 28 | General Eric K. Shinseki (born 1942) | November 24, 1998 | June 21, 1999 (became CSA) | 209 days | Dennis Reimer | |
| 29 | General John M. Keane (born 1943) | June 22, 1999 | October 16, 2003 (retired) | 4 years, 116 days | Eric Shinseki Peter Schoomaker | |
| 30 | General George W. Casey Jr. (born 1948) | October 17, 2003 | July 23, 2004 (reassigned) | 280 days | Peter Schoomaker | |
| 31 | General Richard A. Cody (born 1950) | July 24, 2004 | July 31, 2008 (retired) | 4 years, 7 days | Peter Schoomaker George W. Casey Jr. | |
| 32 | General Peter W. Chiarelli (born 1950) | August 4, 2008 | January 31, 2012 (retired) | 3 years, 180 days | George W. Casey Jr. Martin Dempsey Raymond T. Odierno | |
| 33 | General Lloyd J. Austin III (born 1953) | January 31, 2012 | March 8, 2013 (reassigned) | 1 year, 36 days | Raymond T. Odierno | |
| 34 | General John F. Campbell (born 1957) | March 8, 2013 | August 8, 2014 (reassigned) | 1 year, 153 days | Raymond T. Odierno | |
| 35 | General Daniel B. Allyn (born 1959) | August 15, 2014[4] | June 16, 2017 (retired) | 2 years, 305 days | Raymond T. Odierno Mark A. Milley | |
| 36 | General James C. McConville (born 1959) | June 16, 2017[5] | July 26, 2019 (became CSA) | 2 years, 40 days | Mark A. Milley | |
| 37 | General Joseph M. Martin (born 1962) | July 26, 2019 | August 5, 2022 (retired) | 3 years, 10 days | Mark A. Milley James C. McConville | |
| 38 | General Randy A. George (born 1964) | August 5, 2022[6] | September 21, 2023 (became CSA) | 1 year, 47 days | James C. McConville | |
| 39 | General James J. Mingus (born 1964) | January 5, 2024[7] | Incumbent | 1 year, 131 days | Randy A. George |
.jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Timeline
<timeline> ImageSize = width:850 height:auto barincrement:10 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:50 right:130 left:20 AlignBars = late
DateFormat = yyyy Period = from:1947 till:2030 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:10 start:1950
Define $now = 2025
Colors =
id:vcsa value:rgb(0.7,0.7,0.7) legend: VCSA id:time value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.9)
Legend = orientation:vertical position:right
LineData =
layer:back width:0.1 color:time at:1950 at:1960 at:1970 at:1980 at:1990 at:2000 at:2010 at:2020
BarData =
barset:PM bar:collins bar:haislip bar:hull bar:bolte bar:palmerwilliston bar:lemnitzer bar:decker bar:eddleman bar:hamlett bar:abrams bar:haines bar:palmerbruce bar:haig bar:weyand bar:kerwin bar:kroesen bar:vessey bar:wickham bar:thurman bar:brown bar:riscassi bar:sullivan bar:reimer bar:peay bar:tilelli bar:griffith bar:crouch bar:shinseki bar:keane bar:casey bar:cody bar:chiarelli bar:austin bar:campbell bar:allyn bar:mcconville bar:martin bar:george bar:mingus
PlotData=
width:6 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till barset:PM bar:collins from:1948 till:1949 color:vcsa text:"Collins" bar:haislip from:1949 till:1951 color:vcsa text:"Haislip" bar:hull from:1951 till:1953 color:vcsa text:"Hull" bar:bolte from:1953 till:1955 color:vcsa text:"Bolte" bar:palmerwilliston from:1955 till:1957 color:vcsa text:"W. Palmer" bar:lemnitzer from:1957 till:1959 color:vcsa text:"Lemnitzer" bar:decker from:1959 till:1960 color:vcsa text:"Decker" bar:eddleman from:1960 till:1962 color:vcsa text:"Eddleman" bar:hamlett from:1962 till:1964 color:vcsa text:"Hamlett" bar:abrams from:1964 till:1967 color:vcsa text:"Abrams" bar:haines from:1967 till:1968 color:vcsa text:"Haines" bar:palmerbruce from:1968 till:1973 color:vcsa text:"B. Palmer" bar:haig from:1973 till:1973 color:vcsa text:"Haig" bar:weyand from:1973 till:1974 color:vcsa text:"Weyand" bar:kerwin from:1974 till:1978 color:vcsa text:"Kerwin" bar:kroesen from:1978 till:1979 color:vcsa text:"Kroesen" bar:vessey from:1979 till:1982 color:vcsa text:"Vessey" bar:wickham from:1982 till:1983 color:vcsa text:"Wickham" bar:thurman from:1983 till:1987 color:vcsa text:"Thurman" bar:brown from:1987 till:1989 color:vcsa text:"Brown" bar:riscassi from:1989 till:1990 color:vcsa text:"RisCassi" bar:sullivan from:1990 till:1991 color:vcsa text:"Sullivan" bar:reimer from:1991 till:1993 color:vcsa text:"Reimer" bar:peay from:1993 till:1994 color:vcsa text:"Peay" bar:tilelli from:1994 till:1995 color:vcsa text:"Tilelli" bar:griffith from:1995 till:1997 color:vcsa text:"Griffith" bar:crouch from:1997 till:1998 color:vcsa text:"Crouch" bar:shinseki from:1998 till:1999 color:vcsa text:"Shinseki" bar:keane from:1999 till:2003 color:vcsa text:"Keane" bar:casey from:2003 till:2004 color:vcsa text:"Casey" bar:cody from:2004 till:2008 color:vcsa text:"Cody" bar:chiarelli from:2008 till:2012 color:vcsa text:"Chiarelli" bar:austin from:2012 till:2013 color:vcsa text:"Austin" bar:campbell from:2013 till:2014 color:vcsa text:"Campbell" bar:allyn from:2014 till:2017 color:vcsa text:"Allyn" bar:mcconville from:2017 till:2019 color:vcsa text:"McConville" bar:martin from:2019 till:2022 color:vcsa text:"Martin" bar:george from:2022 till:2023 color:vcsa text:"George" bar:mingus from:2024 till:$now color:vcsa text:"Mingus"
</timeline>
See also
- Sergeant Major of the Army
- Under Secretary of the Army
- Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps (USMC counterpart)
- Vice Chief of Naval Operations (USN counterpart)
- Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force (USAF counterpart)
- Vice Chief of Space Operations (USSF counterpart)
- Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard (USCG counterpart)
References
- ^ "General Richard Cody - Vice Chief of Staff Army". Archived from the original on September 12, 2007. Retrieved September 22, 2007.
- ^ "WAIS Document Retrieval". Retrieved September 22, 2007.
- ^ Hewes, James E. Jr. (1983) [1975]. "Appendix B". From Root to McNamara Army Organization and Administration. Special Studies. Washington, D.C.: United States Army Center of Military History. Retrieved September 23, 2007.
- ^ Hinnant, Jim (15 August 2014). "Milley takes FORSCOM colors as Army's new vice chief of staff departs Fort Bragg". The United States Army. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
- ^ Panzino, Charlsy (16 June 2017). "Army personnel chief sworn in as vice chief of staff". ArmyTimes. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
- ^ Stitt, Douglas F. (August 5, 2022). Promotion Ceremony for MG Douglas Stitt to LTG (video). Army Multimedia and Visual Information Directorate. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
- ^ Mingus, James J. (January 5, 2024). Promotion and Swearing-In Ceremony iho LTG Mingus (video). Army Multimedia and Visual Information Directorate. Retrieved January 6, 2024.