<P> The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is , by law , the highest - ranking military officer of the United States Armed Forces , and the principal military adviser to the President of the United States . He leads the meetings and coordinates the efforts of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , comprising the chairman , the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , the Chief of Staff of the United States Army , the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps , the Chief of Naval Operations , the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force , and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau . The Joint Chiefs of Staff have offices in The Pentagon . The chairman outranks all respective heads of each service branch , but does not have command authority over them , their service branches or the Unified Combatant Commands . All combatant commanders receive operational orders directly from the Secretary of Defense . </P>
who is the highest ranking member of the presidents staff
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff