Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army
| Vice Chief of Staff of the Army | |
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 Army Staff Identification Badge
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 Flag of the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army
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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 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.
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.
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 | 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. (born 1928) |
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 (born 1937) |
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 | June 16, 2017 (retired) |
2 years, 305 days |
Raymond T. Odierno Mark A. Milley |
|
| 36 |
General James C. McConville (born 1959) |
June 16, 2017 | 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 | September 21, 2023 (became CSA) |
1 year, 47 days | James C. McConville | |
| 39 |
General James J. Mingus (born 1964) |
January 5, 2024 | Incumbent | 4 days | Randy A. George |
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)