Chief of Staff of the United States Army - wikipedia Chief of Staff of the United States Army Not to be confused with United States Secretary of the Army. Chief of Staff of the United States Army CSA Flag of the Chief of Staff of the Army Incumbent General Mark A. Milley since August 14, 2015 Department of the Army The Army Staff Member of Joint Chiefs of Staff Reports to Secretary of Defense Secretary of the Army Seat The Pentagon, Arlington County, Virginia, U.S. Appointer The President with Senate advice and consent Term length 4 years Renewable Constituting instrument 10 U.S.C. § 3033 Precursor Commanding General of the Army Formation August 15, 1903 First holder LTG Samuel B.M. Young Deputy Vice Chief of Staff of the Army Website Official Website The Chief of Staff of the Army ( CSA ) is a statutory office ( 10 U.S.C. § 3033 ) held by a four - star general in the United States Army. As the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Army, the CSA is the principal military advisor and a deputy to the Secretary of the Army. In a separate capacity, the CSA is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ( 10 U.S.C. § 151 ) and, thereby, a military advisor to the National Security Council, the Secretary of Defense, and the President of the United States. The CSA is typically the highest - ranking officer on active - duty in the U.S. Army unless the Chairman and / or the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are Army officers. The Chief of Staff of the Army is an administrative position based in the Pentagon. While the CSA does not have operational command authority over Army forces proper ( which is within the purview of the Combatant Commanders who report to the Secretary of Defense ), the CSA does exercise supervision of army units and organizations as the designee of the Secretary of the Army. The current Chief of Staff of the Army is General Mark A. Milley. Contents 1 Responsibilities 2 History 3 List of Chiefs of Staff of the Army ( 1903 -- present ) 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links Responsibilities The senior leadership of the Department of the Army consists of two civilians, the Secretary of the Army ( Head of the department and subordinate to the Secretary of Defense ) and the Under Secretary of the Army, and two military officers, the Chief of Staff of the Army and the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army. The Chief of Staff reports directly to the Secretary of the Army for army matters and assists in the Secretary 's external affairs functions, including presenting and enforcing army policies, plans, and projections. The CSA also directs the Inspector General of the Army to perform inspections and investigations as required. In addition, the CSA presides over the Army Staff and represents army capabilities, requirements, policy, plans, and programs in Joint fora. Under delegation of authority made by the Secretary of the Army, the CSA designates army personnel and army resources to the Commanders of the Combatant Commands. The CSA performs all other functions enumerated in 10 U.S.C. § 3033 under the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of the Army, or delegates those duties and responsibilities to other officers in his administration in his name. Like the other service counterparts, the CSA has no operational command authority over army forces, dating back to the passage of the Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1958. The CSA is served by a number of Deputy Chiefs of Staff of the Army, such as G - 1, Personnel. The CSA base pay is $21,147.30 per month plus Personal Money Allowance ( Monthly Amount ) of $333.33, basic allowance for subsistence of $253.38, basic allowance for housing from $50.70 -- 1923.30. The Chief of Staff of the Army is nominated by the President and must be confirmed by the Senate. By statute, the CSA is appointed as a four - star general. The Chief of Staff of the Army has an official residence, Quarters 1 at Joint Base Myer -- Henderson Hall, Virginia. The Chief of Staff holds an annual future study program called Unified Quest. History Prior to 1903, the senior military officer in the army was the Commanding General, who reported to the Secretary of War. From 1864 to 1865, Major General Henry Halleck ( who had previously been Commanding General ) served as `` Chief of Staff of the Army '' under the Commanding General, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, thus serving in a different office and not as the senior officer in the army. The first chief of staff moved his headquarters to Fort Myer in 1908. List of Chiefs of Staff of the Army ( 1903 -- present ) The rank listed is the rank when serving in the office. # Name Photo Term began Term ended Notes 1. LTG Samuel B.M. Young August 15, 1903 January 8, 1904 Retired upon reaching mandatory retirement age of 64. 2. LTG Adna Chaffee August 19, 1904 January 14, 1906 Resigned position ; retired in February at own request, shortly before reaching mandatory retirement age of 64. 3. LTG John C. Bates January 15, 1906 April 13, 1906 Last Civil War veteran to serve as Chief of Staff. Retired in April 1906 at own request, shortly before reaching mandatory retirement age of 64. 4. MG J. Franklin Bell April 14, 1906 April 21, 1910 Commanded several divisions and departments after serving as Chief of Staff. Died while commanding Department of the East shortly after the end of World War I. 5. MG Leonard Wood April 22, 1910 April 21, 1914 Commanded divisions and departments, including organizing and training two divisions for combat in World War I. Retired in 1921. 6. MG William W. Wotherspoon April 22, 1914 November 16, 1914 Retired upon reaching mandatory retirement age of 64. 7. MG Hugh L. Scott November 17, 1914 September 22, 1917 Retired upon reaching mandatory retirement age of 64. Recalled to active duty for World War I ; commanded a division during its organization and training before retiring again in 1919. 8. GEN Tasker H. Bliss September 23, 1917 May 19, 1918 Retired upon reaching mandatory retirement age of 64 in 1917. Continued on active duty to remain Chief of Staff during World War I ; served as U.S. representative on Supreme War Council and as U.S. representative during post-war Paris Peace Conference. Retired again in 1920. 9. GEN Peyton C. March May 20, 1918 June 30, 1921 Retired at own request in 1921. 10. GAS John J. Pershing July 1, 1921 September 13, 1924 Last Indian Wars veteran to serve as Chief of Staff. Retired from active military service upon reaching age 64 in 1924. 11. MG John L. Hines September 14, 1924 November 20, 1926 Commanded IX Corps Area and Department of the Philippines ; retired upon reaching mandatory retirement age of 64 in 1932. 12. GEN Charles P. Summerall November 21, 1926 November 20, 1930 Last Spanish -- American War veteran to serve as Chief of Staff. Placed on extended leave until reaching mandatory retirement age of 64 in 1931. 13. GEN Douglas MacArthur November 21, 1930 October 1, 1935 Supervised creation of Philippines Army. Retired in 1937, and continued to serve in the Philippines as military advisor to the president. Recalled to active duty in 1941 ; led defense of the Philippines during World War II, and then commanded Southwest Pacific Area. Served in post-war Japan, and led initial U.S. effort during Korean War. Relieved of command and retired from active military service in 1951. 14. GEN Malin Craig October 2, 1935 August 31, 1939 Retired upon reaching mandatory retirement age of 64 in 1939 ; recalled to active duty for World War II as head of the War Department Personnel Board. 15. GA George C. Marshall September 1, 1939 November 18, 1945 Attained mandatory retirement age of 64 in 1944, but continued to serve as Chief of Staff. Relieved from active military duties in November 1945. 16. GA Dwight D. Eisenhower November 19, 1945 February 6, 1948 Relieved from active military duties in 1948. Recalled to active duty in 1951 to serve as first Supreme Allied Commander Europe. Retired in May 1952 upon becoming a candidate for President of the United States. Returned to the active rolls as a General of the Army in 1961, with no assigned duties. 17. GEN Omar Bradley February 7, 1948 August 15, 1949 Resigned to become first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on August 19, 1949. Promoted to General of the Army on September 22, 1950. Relieved as CJCS on August 15, 1953. 18. GEN J. Lawton Collins August 16, 1949 August 14, 1953 US Representative to NATO from 1953 to 1954. Special representative of the United States in Vietnam from 1954 to 1955. US representative to NATO from 1955 until reaching mandatory retirement age of 60 in 1956. 19. GEN Matthew B. Ridgway August 15, 1953 June 29, 1955 Last World War I veteran to serve as Chief of Staff. Retired in June 1955, declining age waiver that would have allowed him to complete full term. 20. GEN Maxwell D. Taylor June 30, 1955 June 30, 1959 Retired in 1959. Recalled to active duty in 1961 to serve as Military Representative to the President. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1962 to 1964. Retired in 1964 to become United States Ambassador to South Vietnam. 21. GEN Lyman L. Lemnitzer July 1, 1959 September 30, 1960 Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1960 to 1962. Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, 1963 to 1969. Retired upon reaching mandatory retirement age of 60 in 1969. 22. GEN George H. Decker October 1, 1960 September 30, 1962 Retired upon reaching mandatory retirement age of 60 in 1962. 23. GEN Earle G. Wheeler October 1, 1962 July 2, 1964 Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1964 to 1970, including waiver to serve beyond mandatory retirement age of 60. Retired in 1970. 24. GEN Harold K. Johnson July 3, 1964 July 2, 1968 Retired at end of term. 25. GEN William C. Westmoreland July 3, 1968 June 30, 1972 Retired at end of term. GEN Bruce Palmer Jr. July 1, 1972 October 11, 1972 Acting Chief of Staff. Resumed duties as Vice Chief of Staff upon appointment of Creighton W. Abrams as Chief of Staff. Commander, United States Readiness Command, 1973 to 1974. Retired in 1974. 26. GEN Creighton W. Abrams October 12, 1972 September 4, 1974 Died in office. 27. GEN Frederick C. Weyand October 3, 1974 September 30, 1976 Retired upon reaching mandatory retirement age of 60. 28. GEN Bernard W. Rogers October 1, 1976 June 21, 1979 Last World War II veteran to serve as Chief of Staff. Supreme Allied Commander Europe, 1979 to 1987, including waiver to continue service past age 60. Retired in 1987. 29. GEN Edward C. Meyer June 22, 1979 June 21, 1983 Last Korean War veteran to serve as Chief of Staff. Retired at end of term. 30. GEN John A. Wickham Jr. July 23, 1983 June 23, 1987 Retired at end of term. 31. GEN Carl E. Vuono June 23, 1987 June 21, 1991 Retired at end of term. 32. GEN Gordon R. Sullivan June 21, 1991 June 20, 1995 Retired at end of term. 33. GEN Dennis J. Reimer June 20, 1995 June 21, 1999 Retired at end of term. 34. GEN Eric K. Shinseki June 21, 1999 June 11, 2003 Last Vietnam War veteran to serve as Chief of Staff. Retired at end of term. 35. GEN Peter J. Schoomaker August 1, 2003 April 10, 2007 Retired in 2000. Recalled to active duty to serve as Chief of Staff. Retired again at end of term. 36. GEN George W. Casey Jr. April 10, 2007 April 10, 2011 Retired at end of term. 37. GEN Martin E. Dempsey April 11, 2011 September 7, 2011 Term shortened due to appointment as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 38. GEN Raymond T. Odierno September 7, 2011 August 14, 2015 Retired at end of term. 39. GEN Mark A. Milley August 14, 2015 Incumbent See also United States Army portal Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army Army Staff Senior Warrant Officer Sergeant Major of the Army References Jump up ^ `` General George Casey - Chief of Staff Army ''. Archived from the original on September 11, 2007. Retrieved September 22, 2007. Jump up ^ Law.cornell.edu, 10 USC 165. Combatant commands : administration and support ^ Jump up to : Law.cornell.edu, 10 USC 3033. Chief of Staff Jump up ^ `` Unified Quest ( UQ ). '' Jump up ^ `` Unified Quest 2012. '' Jump up ^ `` Unified Quest 2011 Combined Arms Maneuver and Wide Area Security Tabletop Wargame. '' Jump up ^ Historical Resources Branch, United States Army Center of Military History Bell, William Gardner ( 2005 ) ( 1983 ). `` Appendix B : Chronological List of Senior Officers of the United States Army ''. Commanding Generals and Chiefs of Staff 1775 - 2005 : Portraits & Biographical Sketches of the United States Army 's Senior Officer. United States Army Center of Military History. ISBN 0 - 16 - 072376 - 0. CMH Pub 70 - 14. Further reading Bell, William Gardner ( 2005 ). Commanding Generals and Chiefs of Staff 1775 - 2005 : Portraits & Biographical Sketches of the United States Army 's Senior Officer. Washington, D.C. : United States Army Center of Military History. ISBN 0 - 16 - 072376 - 0. CMH Pub 70 -- 14. Watson, Mark Skinner. Chief of Staff : Prewar Plans and Preparations. United States Army in World War II. Washington D.C. : United States Army Center of Military History. - full text External links The short film Big Picture : Top Soldier is available for free download at the Internet Archive Leaders of the United States Army Senior Officer / Commanding General Washington Knox Doughty Harmar St. Clair Wayne Wilkinson Washington Hamilton Wilkinson Dearborn J. Brown Macomb W. Scott McClellan Halleck Grant Sherman Sheridan Schofield Miles Chiefs of Staff Young Chaffee Bates Bell Wood Wotherspoon H. Scott Bliss March Pershing Hines Summerall MacArthur Craig Marshall Eisenhower Bradley Collins Ridgway Taylor Lemnitzer Decker Wheeler Johnson Westmoreland B. Palmer Abrams Weyand Rogers Meyer Wickham Vuono Sullivan Reimer Shinseki Schoomaker Casey Dempsey Odierno Milley Vice Chiefs of Staff Collins Haislip Hull Bolte W. Palmer Lemnitzer Decker Eddleman Hamlett Abrams Haines B. Palmer Haig Weyand Kerwin Kroesen Vessey Wickham Thurman A. Brown RisCassi Sullivan Reimer Peay Tilelli Griffith Crouch Shinseki Keane Casey Cody Chiarelli Austin Campbell Allyn McConville United States Army Leadership Secretary of the Army Under Secretary of the Army Chief of Staff Vice Chief of Staff 4 - star generals Army Staff Senior Warrant Officer Sergeant Major of the Army House Armed Services Committee ( House Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces ) Senate Committee on Armed Services ( Senate Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces ) Components and commands Regular Army Army Reserve Army National Guard Active Units Reorganization plan of United States Army Army commands Forces Training and Doctrine Materiel Futures Service components Africa Central Europe Pacific North South Special Operations Surface Deployment and Distribution Space and Missile Defense Cyber Command Direct reporting units Second Army Medical Intelligence and Security Criminal Investigation Corps of Engineers Military District of Washington Test and Evaluation Military Academy Reserve Acquisition Support Center Installation Management War College Field armies First Second Third Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth Ninth Branches Acquisition Corps Adjutant General 's Corps Air Defense Artillery Branch Armor Branch Aviation Branch Army Band Chaplain Corps Chemical Corps Civil Affairs Corps Corps of Engineers Dental Corps Field Artillery Branch Finance Corps Infantry Branch Inspector General 's Corps Judge Advocate General 's Corps Logistics Branch Medical Corps Medical Service Corps Medical Specialist Corps Military Intelligence Corps Military Police Corps Nurse Corps Ordnance Corps Psychological Operations Quartermaster Corps Signal Corps Special Forces Transportation Corps Veterinary Corps Installations United States and Overseas Germany Kosovo Kuwait South Korea Training Basic Training BOLC ROTC ( ECP ) OCS WOBC WOCS Military Academy ( West Point ) MOS Uniforms and insignia Awards and decorations Badges Branch Officer Warrant Enlisted World War I World War II Uniforms Equipment Individual weapons Crew - served weapons Vehicles Premier ensembles Army Field Band Army Band Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps West Point Band History and traditions History Continental Army Union Army National Army Army of the United States Center of Military History Institute of Heraldry America 's Army Army Art Program Flag National Museum West Point Museum Rangers U.S. Army Regimental System Soldier 's Creed `` The Army Goes Rolling Along '' Division nicknames Draft Service numbers Category Portal Senior officials in the United States Department of Defense Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan Chief Management Officer John H. Gibson Secretaries of the Military Departments Secretary of the Army : Mark Esper Secretary of the Navy : Richard V. Spencer Secretary of the Air Force : Heather Wilson Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Joe Dunford, USMC Under Secretaries of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment : Ellen Lord Research and Engineering : Michael D. Griffin Policy : John Rood Comptroller / Chief Financial Officer : David Norquist Personnel and Readiness : Robert Wilkie Intelligence : Joseph D. Kernan Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Paul Selva, USAF Chiefs of the Military Services Chief of Staff of the Army : GEN Mark Milley Commandant of the Marine Corps : Gen Robert Neller Chief of Naval Operations : ADM John Richardson Chief of Staff of the Air Force : Gen David Goldfein Chief of the National Guard Bureau Gen Joseph Lengyel, USAF Unified Combatant Command Commanders Africa : Gen Tom Waldhauser, USMC Central : GEN Joe Votel, USA European : GEN Mike Scaparrotti, USA Northern : Gen Lori Robinson, USAF Pacific : ADM Harry Harris, USN Southern : ADM Kurt Tidd, USN Special Operations : GEN Tony Thomas, USA Strategic : Gen John Hyten, USAF Transportation : Gen Darren McDew, USAF - Acting United States Armed Forces Book Portal MC AF CG Category MC AF CG Navbox MC AF CG Leadership Commander - in - chief : President of the United States Secretary of Defense Deputy Secretary of Defense Secretary of Homeland Security Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Joint Chiefs of Staff : Chairman Vice Chairman United States Congress : Committees on Armed Services : Senate House Active duty four - star officers United States military seniority National Security Act of 1947 Goldwater -- Nichols Act Organization Service departments Department of Defense ( Secretary ) : Army ( Secretary ) Navy ( Secretary ) Air Force ( Secretary ) Department of Homeland Security ( Secretary ) : Coast Guard Branches Army ( Chief of Staff ) Marine Corps ( Commandant ) Navy ( Chief of Naval Operations ) Air Force ( Chief of Staff ) Coast Guard ( Commandant ) Reserve components Reserves : A MC N AF CG National Guard : A AF Civilian auxiliaries Military Auxiliary Radio System Merchant Marine Civil Air Patrol Coast Guard Auxiliary Unified Combatant Command Northern Central European Indo - Pacific Southern Africa Cyber Special Operations Strategic Transportation Structure United States Code Title 10 Title 14 Title 32 Title 50 The Pentagon Installations Units : A MC N AF CG Logistics Media Unit mottoes Operations and history Current deployments Conflicts Wars Timeline History : A MC N AF CG Colonial World War II Civil affairs Officers ' clubs African Americans Asian Americans Buddhist Americans Jewish Americans Muslim Americans Pakistani Americans Sikh Americans Historiography : Army Center of Military History MC History Division Naval History and Heritage Command Air Force Historical Research Agency American official war artists : Army Art Program AF Art Program Personnel Training MEPS ASVAB Recruit training : A MC N AF CG Officer candidate school : A MC N AF Warrant : A MC Service academies : A ( prep ) N ( prep ) AF ( prep ) CG Merchant Marine ROTC A : ECP MC / N AF Medical Other education Uniforms Uniforms : A MC N AF CG Awards & decorations : Inter-service A MC / N AF CG Foreign International Devices Badges : Identification A MC N AF CG Ranks Enlisted : A MC N AF CG Warrant officers Officer : A MC N AF CG Other Oath : Enlistment Office Creeds & Codes : Code of Conduct NCO A MC N AF CG Service numbers : A MC N AF CG Military Occupational Specialty / Rating / Air Force Specialty Code Pay Uniform Code of Military Justice Judge Advocate General 's Corps Military Health System / TRICARE Separation Veterans Affairs Conscription Chiefs of Chaplains : A MC N AF CG Equipment MC : vehicles weapons other AF CG Land Individual weapons Crew - served weapons Vehicles ( active ) Sea All watercraft Ships : A N ( active ) AF CG MSC Weapons : N CG Reactors Air Aircraft World War I active Aircraft designation Missiles Helicopter arms Other Nuclear football Electronics ( designations ) Flags : A MC N AF CG Ensign Jack Guidons Food WMDs : Nuclear Biological Chemical Legend A = Army MC = Marine Corps N = Navy AF = Air Force CG = Coast Guard United States Joint Chiefs of Staff Dunford ( Chairman ) Selva ( Vice Chairman ) Milley ( Army ) Neller ( Marine Corps ) Richardson ( Navy ) Goldfein ( Air Force ) Lengyel ( National Guard ) Highest military ranks General officer Flag officer Air officer Ancient Autokrator Beylerbey Constable of France Domestic of the Schools Dux bellorum Grand Domestic Imperator Ispahsalar Magister militum Megas doux Polemarch Rigsmarsk Sardar Shōgun Spahbed Voivode Modern Admiral of the Navy Da yuan shuai Dai - gensui Field marshal ( Serbia and Yugoslavia ) First marshal of the empire General of the Air Force General of the Armies Generalfeldmarschall Generalissimo Generalissimus of the Soviet Union Grand marshal Chom Thap Thai Hetman Jenderal besar Marshal Mareşal Marshal of Italy Marshal of the air force Marshal of the Russian Federation Marshal of the Soviet Union Marshal of Yugoslavia Mushir Reichsmarschall Serasker Supreme Allied Commander Taewonsu Wonsu Yuan shuai Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chief_of_Staff_of_the_United_States_Army&oldid=836199295 '' Categories : United States Army Chiefs of Staff Joint Chiefs of Staff United States Army organization Army chiefs of staff 1903 establishments in the United States Hidden categories : Wikipedia articles needing clarification from October 2011 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Català Deutsch Eesti Español Français 한국어 Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Magyar Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Русский Slovenščina Suomi Svenska Українська Tiếng Việt 中文 12 more Edit links This page was last edited on 13 April 2018, at 08 : 29 ( UTC ). 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Question: who is the us army chief of staff
Answer: General Mark A. Milley