Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army

Vice Chief of Staff of the Army
Army Staff Identification Badge
Flag of the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army
Incumbent General James J. Mingus since January 5, 2024
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

Gen. Eric Shinseki, chief of staff of the Army, swears in Gen. Jack Keane as the 29th vice chief of staff of the Army on June 22, 1999.

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		Collins, Joseph LawtonGeneral J. Lawton Collins (1896–1987)	November 1, 1948	August 15, 1949 (became CSA)	287 days	Omar Bradley
2		Haislip, Wade HamptonGeneral Wade H. Haislip (1889–1971)	August 16, 1949	July 29, 1951 (retired)	1 year, 347 days	J. Lawton Collins
3		Hull, John EdwinGeneral John E. Hull (1895–1975)	July 30, 1951	August 14, 1953 (reassigned)	2 years, 15 days	J. Lawton Collins
4		Bolte, Charles LawrenceGeneral Charles L. Bolte (1895–1989)	August 15, 1953	June 29, 1955 (retired)	1 year, 318 days	Matthew Ridgway
5		Palmer, Williston BirkhimerGeneral Williston B. Palmer (1899–1973)	June 30, 1955	May 31, 1957 (reassigned)	1 year, 335 days	Maxwell D. Taylor
6		Lemnitzer, Lyman LouisGeneral Lyman L. Lemnitzer (1899–1988)	June 1, 1957	June 30, 1959 (became CSA)	2 years, 29 days	Maxwell D. Taylor
7		Decker, George HenryGeneral George H. Decker (1902–1980)	July 1, 1959	September 29, 1960 (became CSA)	1 year, 90 days	Lyman Lemnitzer
8		Eddleman, Clyde DavisGeneral Clyde D. Eddleman (1902–1992)	September 30, 1960	March 31, 1962 (retired)	1 year, 181 days	George Decker
9		Hamlett, BarksdaleGeneral Barksdale Hamlett (1908–1979)	April 1, 1962	September 3, 1964 (retired)	2 years, 155 days	George Decker Earle Wheeler Harold K. Johnson
10		Abrams, Creighton Williams Jr.General Creighton W. Abrams Jr. (1914–1974)	September 4, 1964	April 30, 1967 (reassigned)	2 years, 238 days	Harold K. Johnson
11		Haines, Ralph Edward Jr.General Ralph E. Haines Jr. (1913–2011)	May 1, 1967	July 2, 1968 (reassigned)	1 year, 62 days	Harold K. Johnson
12		Palmer, Bruce Jr.General Bruce Palmer Jr. (1913–2000)	July 3, 1968	January 4, 1973 (reassigned)	4 years, 185 days	William Westmoreland Creighton Abrams
13		Haig, AlexanderGeneral Alexander M. Haig Jr. (1924–2010)	January 4, 1973	May 4, 1973 (reassigned)	120 days	Creighton Abrams
14		Weyand, Frederick CarltonGeneral Frederick C. Weyand (1916–2010)	May 4, 1973	October 20, 1974 (became CSA)	1 year, 169 days	Creighton Abrams Himself (acting)
15		Kerwin, Walter Thomas Jr.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		Kroesen, Frederick James Jr.General Frederick J. Kroesen (1923–2020)	October 26, 1978	October 7, 1979 (reassigned)	346 days	Bernard W. Rogers Edward C. Meyer
17		Vessey, John William Jr.General John W. Vessey Jr. (1922–2016)	October 10, 1979	January 19, 1982 (became JCS chairman)	2 years, 101 days	Edward C. Meyer
18		Wickham, John Adams Jr.General John A. Wickham Jr. (1928–2024)	January 27, 1982	June 22, 1983 (became CSA)	1 year, 146 days	Edward C. Meyer
19		Thurman, Maxwell ReidGeneral Maxwell R. Thurman (1931–1995)	August 26, 1983	February 4, 1987 (reassigned)	3 years, 162 days	John A. Wickham Jr.
20		Brown, Arthur Edmon Jr.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		RisCassi, Robert WilliamGeneral Robert W. RisCassi (born 1936)	January 21, 1989	December 10, 1990 (reassigned)	1 year, 323 days	Carl E. Vuono
22		Sullivan, Gordon RussellGeneral Gordon R. Sullivan (1937–2024)	December 17, 1990	June 20, 1991 (became CSA)	185 days	Carl E. Vuono
23		Reimer, Dennis JoeGeneral Dennis J. Reimer (born 1939)	June 21, 1991	January 20, 1993 (reassigned)	1 year, 213 days	Gordon R. Sullivan
24		Peay, James Henry Binford IIIGeneral J. H. Binford Peay III (born 1940)	January 23, 1993	January 15, 1994 (reassigned)	357 days	Gordon R. Sullivan
25		Tilelli, John Harold Jr.General John H. Tilelli Jr. (born 1941)	January 20, 1994	January 2, 1995 (reassigned)	347 days	Gordon R. Sullivan
26		Griffith, Ronald HoustonGeneral Ronald H. Griffith (1936–2018)	January 26, 1995	July 20, 1997 (retired)	2 years, 175 days	Gordon R. Sullivan Dennis Reimer
27		Crouch, William WrightGeneral William W. Crouch (1941–2024)	August 6, 1997	November 22, 1998 (retired)	1 year, 108 days	Dennis Reimer
28		Shinseki, Eric KenGeneral Eric K. Shinseki (born 1942)	November 24, 1998	June 21, 1999 (became CSA)	209 days	Dennis Reimer
29		Keane, John M.General John M. Keane (born 1943)	June 22, 1999	October 16, 2003 (retired)	4 years, 116 days	Eric Shinseki Peter Schoomaker
30		Casey, George William Jr.General George W. Casey Jr. (born 1948)	October 17, 2003	July 23, 2004 (reassigned)	280 days	Peter Schoomaker
31		Cody, Richard ArthurGeneral Richard A. Cody (born 1950)	July 24, 2004	July 31, 2008 (retired)	4 years, 7 days	Peter Schoomaker George W. Casey Jr.
32		Chiarelli, Peter WilliamGeneral 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		Austin, Lloyd James IIIGeneral Lloyd J. Austin III (born 1953)	January 31, 2012	March 8, 2013 (reassigned)	1 year, 36 days	Raymond T. Odierno
34		Campbell, John FrancisGeneral John F. Campbell (born 1957)	March 8, 2013	August 8, 2014 (reassigned)	1 year, 153 days	Raymond T. Odierno
35		Allyn, Daniel BartlettGeneral Daniel B. Allyn (born 1959)	August 15, 2014 [4]	June 16, 2017 (retired)	2 years, 305 days	Raymond T. Odierno Mark A. Milley
36		McConville, James CharlesGeneral James C. McConville (born 1959)	June 16, 2017 [5]	July 26, 2019 (became CSA)	2 years, 40 days	Mark A. Milley
37		Martin, Joseph MatthewGeneral Joseph M. Martin (born 1962)	July 26, 2019	August 5, 2022 (retired)	3 years, 10 days	Mark A. Milley James C. McConville
38		George, Randy AlanGeneral Randy A. George (born 1964)	August 5, 2022 [6]	September 21, 2023 (became CSA)	1 year, 47 days	James C. McConville Himself (acting)
39		Mingus, JamesGeneral James J. Mingus (born 1964)	January 5, 2024 [7]	Incumbent	1 year, 50 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)

References

1. "General Richard Cody - Vice Chief of Staff Army". Archived from the original on September 12, 2007. Retrieved September 22, 2007.
2. "WAIS Document Retrieval" . Retrieved September 22, 2007.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Panzino, Charlsy (16 June 2017). "Army personnel chief sworn in as vice chief of staff". ArmyTimes. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
6. 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.
7. 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.

External links

• Official Website