# Vice Director of the Joint Staff

The vice director of the Joint Staff (VDJS) is a two-star officer in the Joint Staff. The vice director reports to the director of the Joint Staff and provides oversight of Joint Staff support activities, including administration and action management, budget, information technology services, support services, and security. The vice director also oversees the directorate of management in the Joint Staff.

## List of vice directors of the Joint Staff

| No. | Vice Director | Vice Director | Term | Term | Term | Service branch | Ref(s) |
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | Service branch | Ref(s) |
| 1 | | Rear Admiral Joseph H. Wellings (1903–1988) | 30 September 1958 | ~30 April 1962 | ~3 years, 212 days | U.S. Navy | |
| 2 | | Major General John M. Reynolds | ~30 April 1962 | ~January 1963 | ~246 days | U.S. Air Force | |
| 3 | | Major General Ashton H. Manhart (1909–1969) | ~January 1963 | ~January 1966 | ~3 years | U.S. Army | |
| 4 | | Rear Admiral Louis Joseph Kirn (1908–1995) | January 1966 | December 1966 | ~1 year, 334 days | U.S. Navy | |
| 5 | | Major General John B. McPherson (born 1917) | ~May 1967 | ~August 1968 | ~1 year, 92 days | U.S. Air Force | |
| 6 | | Major General Kelsie L. Reaves (1911–1994) | ~August 1968 | ~January 1969 | ~153 days | U.S. Army | |
| 7 | | Major General Charles M. Mount | ~January 1969 | ~August 1970 | ~1 year, 212 days | U.S. Army | |
| 8 | | Rear Admiral Mason B. Freeman (1914–2003) | August 1970 | ~March 1972 | ~1 year, 213 days | U.S. Navy | |
| 9 | | Major General Martin G. Colladay (born 1925) | May 1972 | ~March 1974 | ~1 year, 304 days | U.S. Air Force | |
| 10 | | Major General Adrian St. John II (1921–2007) | ~March 1974 | ~January 1977 | ~2 years, 306 days | U.S. Army | |
| 11 | | Major General Philip D. Shutler (born 1926) | ~January 1977 | ~July 1978 | ~1 year, 181 days | U.S. Marine Corps | |
| 12 | | Major General James E. Dalton (born 1930) | July 1978 | ~July 1980 | ~2 years | U.S. Air Force | |
| 13 | | Major General Charles W. Dyke (born 1935) | ~July 1980 | 1982 | ~1 year, 364 days | U.S. Army | |
| 14 | | Major General George B. Crist (born 1931) | 1982 | ~June 1984 | ~1 year, 337 days | U.S. Marine Corps | |
| 15 | | Major General Bradley C. Hosmer (born 1937) | June 1984 | September 1986 | ~2 years | U.S. Air Force | |
| 16 | | Major General Howard D. Graves (1939–2003) | ~September 1986 | ~September 1987 | ~1 year, 0 days | U.S. Army | |
| 17 | | Major General Richard B. Goetze (born 1935) | September 1987 | ~December 1989 | ~2 years, 91 days | U.S. Air Force | |
| 18 | | Major General Gene A. Deegan (born 1936) | ~December 1989 | ~January 1992 | ~2 years, 31 days | U.S. Marine Corps | |
| 19 | | Major General Rudolph Ostovich III (born 1941) | ~January 1992 | ~June 1993 | ~1 year, 151 days | U.S. Army | |
| 20 | | Major General Charles T. Robertson Jr. (born 1946) | June 1993 | June 1995 | ~2 years | U.S. Air Force | |
| 21 | | Major General Carlton W. Fulford Jr. (born 1944) | ~June 1995 | ~June 1996 | ~1 year | U.S. Marine Corps | |
| 22 | | Major General Stephen T. Rippe | ~June 1996 | June 1999 | ~3 years | U.S. Army | |
| 23 | | Major General Garry R. Trexler | June 1999 | August 2001 | ~2 years, 61 days | U.S. Air Force | |
| 24 | | Major General James A. Hawkins | September 2001 | December 2003 | ~2 years, 91 days | U.S. Air Force | |
| 25 | | Major General Michael D. Maples (born 1971) | December 2003 | October 2005 | ~1 year, 304 days | U.S. Army | |
| 26 | | Major General Scott S. Custer | October 2005 | February 2007 | ~1 year, 123 days | U.S. Air Force | |
| 27 | | Major General Stephen M. Goldfein | February 2007 | 28 July 2008 | ~1 year, 178 days | U.S. Air Force | |
| 28 | | Major General Walter E. Gaskin | 28 July 2008 | May 2009 | ~277 days | U.S. Marine Corps | |
| 29 | | Rear Admiral Bruce E. Grooms (born 1958) | May 2009 | November 2010 | ~1 year, 184 days | U.S. Navy |
| 30 | | Major General Craig A. Franklin | November 2010 | ~30 March 2012 | ~1 year, 150 days | U.S. Air Force | |
| 31 | | Rear Admiral Nora W. Tyson (born 1957) | ~30 March 2012 | July 2013 | ~1 year, 93 days | U.S. Navy |
| 32 | | Major General Frederick S. Rudesheim | ~July 2013 | February 2015 | ~1 year, 215 days | U.S. Army | |
| 33 | | Major General Jacqueline Van Ovost (born 1965) | February 2015 | August 2017 | ~2 years, 181 days | U.S. Air Force | |
| 34 | | Rear Admiral Mike Dumont | ~August 2017 | August 2018 | ~1 year | U.S. Navy | |
| 35 | | Major General Glen D. VanHerck (born 1962) | August 2018 | ~26 September 2019 | ~1 year, 56 days | U.S. Air Force | |
| 36 | | Rear Admiral William D. Byrne Jr. | 26 September 2019 | 10 May 2021 | 1 year, 226 days | U.S. Navy | |
| 37 | | Rear Admiral George Wikoff (born 1968) | 10 May 2021 | May 2023 | ~2 years, 5 days | U.S. Navy |
| 38 | | Major General Michael L. Downs (born c. 1971) | May 2023 | October 2024 | ~1 year, 139 days | U.S. Air Force |
| 39 | | Major General Stephen E. Liszewski | October 2024 | Incumbent | ~163 days | U.S. Marine Corps |