The Army and the Joint Chiefs of Staff: Evolution of Army Ideas on the Command, Control, and Coordination of the U.S. Armed Forces, 1942-1985

This paper, the fourth publication in the Historical Analysis Series, treats a significant topic--the Armys initiation of and reaction to proposals for reform of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Originally established during World War II to foster cooperation with the British high command, the Joint Chiefs of Staff have proved a perennial focus for contention. Issues of civilian control of the military, national strategy, and the division of the budget among the services have intermingled with more technical questions concerning command, control and coordination. The current proposals for reform of the Joint Chiefs of Staff occasioned the publication of this study, but the history of similar debates over forty years suggests that the study will remain pertinent. Questions regarding what policy is and what it should be are central to discussion. Part of the intellectual process of formulating answers is a careful consideration of past experience. The Armys historical community provides pertinent, objective research on questions of interest. In the present essay, the Center of Military History offers current and future policy makers a detailed treatment of this major issue in U.S. military affairs.