In the operational chain of command, who is directly above the Commanders of Combatant Commands?

In the operational chain of command, who is directly above the Commanders of Combatant Commands?

• A. President
• B. Secretary of Defense
• C. Secretary of the Navy
• D. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs

Answer: (B)

In the operational chain, the immediate superior of the Combatant Commanders is the Secretary of Defense. The President is the Commander in Chief and sets overall national policy, but the day-to-day command authority for military operations flows through the Secretary of Defense down to the combatant commands. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff provides military advice and serves as a senior officer coordinating the services; he does not personally command the combatant commands. The Secretary of the Navy handles the Navy’s affairs within his service, not the overarching command structure for all combatant commands. That immediate supervisory link to the Combatant Commanders is the Secretary of Defense.

In the operational chain, the immediate superior of the Combatant Commanders is the Secretary of Defense. The President is the Commander in Chief and sets overall national policy, but the day-to-day command authority for military operations flows through the Secretary of Defense down to the combatant commands. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff provides military advice and serves as a senior officer coordinating the services; he does not personally command the combatant commands. The Secretary of the Navy handles the Navy’s affairs within his service, not the overarching command structure for all combatant commands. That immediate supervisory link to the Combatant Commanders is the Secretary of Defense.