The CJCS is the JCS chief executive and the highest-ranking military officer in the US Armed Forces. The leader advises the president, the secretary of defense, and the Homeland Security Council. The CJCS does not have the legal provision for undertaking operational command authorities over militants. On the other hand, the senior-most military personnel assists the National Security Council in conducting command activities.
The CJSCS organizes meetings and harmonizes Joint Chiefs of Staff efforts in the Department of Defense. The military personnel in all services help the chairman to accomplish the advisory duties to the secretary of defense and the president. They form the Joint Staff and operate as information conduits and collectors between the CJSCS and the combatant commanders. The Goldwater-Nichols Act ensures that the unified combatant commanders serve as the functional chain of command between the secretary of defense and the president.
CJCS Powell was successful in uniting the Joint Staff control, and the Pentagon felt his presence. President Bush and Secretary of Defense Cheney accepted Powell’s advice on the First Gulf War plans. However, the Clinton administration appointed the CJSC based on its cooperative nature and compatibility. The Secretary of Defense’s tendency to deal with combatant commanders directly blurred the advisory role of the CSJS.