The United States Fleet was an organization in the United States Navy from 1922 until after World War II . The acronym CINCUS, pronounced "sink us", was used for the Commander in Chief, United States Fleet. This was replaced by COMINCH in December, 1941, under the Executive Order 8984 , when it was redefined and given operational command over the Atlantic, Pacific, and Asiatic Fleets, as well as all naval coastal forces. The Executive Order 9096 authorized the offices of the CNO and COMINCH to be held by a single officer; Admiral Ernest J. King was first to do so, and in 1944 was promoted to the five-star rank of fleet admiral .
31-788: The directive of 6 December 1922 combined the U.S. Pacific Fleet and the U.S. Atlantic Fleet to form the United States Fleet . The main body of its ships, the Battle Fleet , was stationed in the Pacific Ocean and the Scouting Fleet was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. In addition, the "Control Force", protecting the Atlantic sea lanes, and the "Fleet Base Force" were included. Remaining independent of
62-612: A majority of the United States' surface fleet: all of the newer battleships, all of the carriers, a light cruiser squadron and "three or four" destroyer squadrons were all a part of the Battle Force. In 1939, the Battle Force had five aircraft carriers, 12 battleships, 14 light cruisers , and 68 destroyers . On 1 February 1941, General Order 143 reorganized the United States Fleet with three separate fleets,
93-549: A statutory and permanent Joint Chiefs of Staff chair was created by the 1949 amendments to the National Security Act of 1947 . The 1986 Goldwater–Nichols Act elevated the chairman from the first among equals to becoming the "principal military advisor" to the president and the secretary of defense. The Joint Staff , managed by the director of the Joint Staff and consisting of military personnel from all
124-779: The President of the United States and the Secretary of the Navy . Rear Admiral Husband E. Kimmel was appointed the Commander in Chief, United States Fleet (CINCUS) and the Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Fleet (CINCPAC) on 1 February 1941, carrying the temporary rank of admiral starting on that date. Kimmel was relieved as the CINCUS / CINCPAC on 17 December 1941, shortly after the devastating Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor . On
155-835: The United States Atlantic Fleet , the United States Pacific Fleet and the Asiatic Fleet . Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ( CJCS ) is the presiding officer of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The chairman is the highest-ranking and most senior military officer in the United States Armed Forces and the principal military advisor to
186-602: The president , the National Security Council , the Homeland Security Council , and the secretary of defense . While the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff outranks all other commissioned officers, the chairman is prohibited by law from having operational command authority over the armed forces; however, the chairman assists the president and the secretary of defense in exercising their command functions. The chairman convenes
217-741: The Joint Chiefs of Staff (a position created by the Goldwater-Nichols Act in 1986) is also a U.S. Navy officer. Commanders of the United States Fleet: Battle Fleet The United States Battle Fleet or Battle Force was part of the organization of the United States Navy from 1922 to 1941. The General Order of 6 December 1922 organized the United States Fleet , with the Battle Fleet as
248-519: The Joint Chiefs of Staff is assisted by the Joint Staff , led by the director of the Joint Staff , a three-star general or admiral. The Joint Staff is an organization composed of approximately equal numbers of officers contributed by the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force who have been assigned to assist the chairman with the unified strategic direction, operation, and integration of
279-819: The Pacific presence. This fleet comprised the main body of ships in the Navy, with the smaller Scouting Fleet as the Atlantic presence. Most battleships , including the most modern ones, and new aircraft carriers were assigned to the Battle Fleet. On September 1, 1923, the Battle Fleet was under the command of Admiral Samuel S. Robison . Battleships, Battle Fleet was under the command of Vice Admiral Henry A. Wiley , with his flag aboard New Mexico (BB-40) . Battleship Division Three, under Rear Admiral Louis M. Nulton , consisted of New York (BB-34) (F), Texas (BB-35) under Captain A. M. Proctor, Oklahoma (BB-37) under Captain W. F. Scott, and California (BB-44) under Captain H. H. Christy, which
310-477: The U.S. Fleet. The United States Fleet was reorganized on 1 April 1931 into Battle Force, Scouting Force, Submarine Force, and Base Force. With the start of World War II in Europe, the U.S. Navy began to plan for the possibility of war in the Atlantic as well as the Pacific. On 1 February 1941, General Order 143 was issued, abolishing the "United States Fleet" organization. In its place, the U.S. Atlantic Fleet and
341-439: The U.S. Pacific Fleet were re-established, each under its own commander in chief. The Asiatic Fleet remained an independent organization as before. The additional title of Commander in Chief, United States Fleet was given to one of the three fleet commanders (Atlantic, Pacific, or Asiatic) in the event of two or more fleets operating together. Except for this provision, the individual commanders in chief were responsible directly to
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#1732780066900372-731: The United States Fleet were the Asiatic Fleet , the Naval Forces in Europe, the Special Service Squadron (Caribbean), and all U.S. Navy submarines . During 1930, the Battle Fleet and Scouting Fleet were renamed the Battle Force and the Scouting Force. The Submarine Force was also placed under control of the CINCUS. The Control Force was abolished in 1931. The Special Service Squadron and the Asiatic Fleet were retained, both still apparently independent of
403-435: The chairman, the vice chairman, nor the Joint Chiefs of Staff as a body has any command authority over combatant forces. The Goldwater–Nichols Act places the operational chain of command from the president to the secretary of defense directly to the commanders of the unified combatant commands . However the service chiefs do have authority over personnel assignments and oversight over resources and personnel allocated to
434-465: The combatant commands within their respective services (derived from the service secretaries). The chairman may also transmit communications to the combatant commanders from the president and secretary of defense as well as allocate additional funding to the combatant commanders if necessary. The chairman also performs all other functions prescribed under 10 U.S.C. § 153 or allocates those duties and responsibilities to other officers in
465-417: The combatant commands. Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy , USN , served as the chief of staff to the commander in chief of the Army and Navy from 20 July 1942 to 21 March 1949. He presided over meetings of what was called the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Leahy's office was the precursor to the post of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The chairman is nominated by the president for appointment from any of
496-492: The combatant land, naval, air, and space forces. The National Military Command Center (NMCC) is part of the Joint Staff operations directorate (J-3). The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is also advised on enlisted personnel matters by the senior enlisted advisor to the chairman , who serves as a communication conduit between the chairman and the senior enlisted advisors ( command sergeants major , command master chief petty officers , and command chief master sergeants ) of
527-596: The fifth chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Since that, the traditional rotation was abolished. According to the Monthly Rates of Basic Pay for commissioned officers, effective January 1, 2023, basic pay is limited to the rate of basic pay for level II of the Executive Schedule in effect during calendar year 2023, which is $ 17,675.10 per month for officers at pay grades O-7 through O-10. This includes officers serving as chairman or vice chairman of
558-588: The first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Omar Bradley , was eventually awarded a fifth star, the CJCS does not receive one by right, and Bradley's award was so that his subordinate, General of the Army Douglas MacArthur , would not outrank him. In the 1990s, there were proposals in Department of Defense academic circles to bestow on the chairman a five-star rank. Previously during
589-419: The following day, by Executive Order 8984 of 18 December 1941, the position of Commander in Chief, United States Fleet (COMINCH) was redefined, and given operational command over the Atlantic, Pacific, and Asiatic Fleets, as well as all naval coastal forces. The acronym change from CINCUS to COMINCH was suggested by Admiral Ernest J. King , who feared that the pronunciation of the post would be demoralizing in
620-492: The joint staff. The current chairman is General Charles Q. Brown Jr. , who assumed office on 1 October 2023, having been ceremonially sworn in on 29 September. The principal deputy to the chairman is the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (VCJCS), another four-star general or admiral, who among many duties chairs the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC). The chairman of
651-615: The meetings and coordinates the efforts of the Joint Chiefs, an advisory body within the Department of Defense comprising the chairman, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , the chief of staff of the Army , the commandant of the Marine Corps , the chief of naval operations , the chief of staff of the Air Force , the chief of space operations , and the chief of the National Guard Bureau . The post of
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#1732780066900682-535: The offices of the CNO and COMINCH would be held by a single officer, and Admiral King was selected to be CNO in addition to being COMINCH. King relieved Stark as CNO on 29 March 1942, and wore both of these "hats" for the remainder of the war. After the war, the position of Commander in Chief, United States Fleet was no longer needed. Thus, on September 29, 1945, President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9635, which revoked both EO 8984 & EO 9096 and transferred all
713-578: The pleasure of the president , with reappointment to additional terms only possible during times of war or national emergency. Historically, the chairman served two two-year terms, until the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 amended the chairman's term of office to a single four-year term. By statute, the chairman is appointed as a four-star general or admiral while holding office and assumes office on 1 October of odd-numbered years. Although
744-746: The presidency of Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower , the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff position was rotated in accordance with the incumbent chairman's armed force service branch. In this rotation, the incoming chairman would be from a different service branch. For example, in 1957, following the retirement of Admiral Arthur Radford as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, President Eisenhower nominated Air Force general Nathan Twining as Radford's successor. When General Twining retired, Eisenhower nominated Army general Lyman Lemnitzer to succeed Twining as chairman. In October 1962, when President Kennedy appointed Army general Maxwell Taylor as General Lemnitzer's successor, Kennedy eventually broke
775-486: The regular components of the armed forces , and must be confirmed via majority vote by the Senate . The chairman and vice chairman may not be members of the same armed force service branch. However, the president may waive that restriction for a limited period of time in order to provide for the orderly transition of officers appointed to serve in those positions. The chairman serves a single four-year term of office at
806-663: The responsibilities of the COMINCH to the CNO. Since that time, the CNO has nearly always been the highest-ranking U.S. Navy officer. Following passage of the National Security Act of 1947 , the CNO is by law the highest-ranking naval officer on active duty, except when the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (a position created by the 1949 amendments of the National Security Act) and/or the Vice Chairman of
837-438: The services, assists the chairman in fulfilling his duties to the president and secretary of defense, and functions as a conduit and collector of information between the chairman and the combatant commanders . The National Military Command Center (NMCC) is part of the Joint Staff operations directorate (J-3). Although the office of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is considered very important and highly prestigious, neither
868-465: The tender Gannet (AM-41) . Destroyer Squadrons, Battle Fleet, under Rear Admiral Sumner E. W. Kittelle , comprised Destroyer Squadron 11 and Destroyer Squadron 12 . Submarine Divisions, Pacific, was under Captain A. Bronson, Jr. In 1930, the name of the fleet was changed to "Battle Force", but the structure remained the same. In 1931, the force was based in Pearl Harbor and consisted of
899-523: The traditional rotation for the position between the Air Force, Navy, Marines, and Army. Kennedy replaced a chairman who was from the Army with another general who was also from the Army. At that time, Kennedy should have appointed either Air Force chief of staff General Curtis LeMay , chief of naval operations Admiral George Anderson Jr. , or commandant of the Marine Corps General David Shoup to succeed General Lemnitzer as
930-748: The wake of the Pearl Harbor attack. On 20 December, Admiral Ernest J. King was assigned as the COMINCH. One important difference from the previous post of CINCUS was that Admiral King insisted that his headquarters would always be in Washington, D.C. , rather than with the Fleet. Dividing command of the Navy between the COMINCH, Admiral King, and the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Admiral Harold R. Stark , did not prove to be very effective. President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed this problem with his Executive Order 9096 of 12 March 1942, which designated that
961-584: Was also the Battle Fleet flagship . Battleship Division Four, under Rear Admiral William Veazie Pratt , comprised Arizona (BB-39) (F), under Captain J. R. Y. Blakely, Nevada (BB-36) , Mississippi (BB-41) , and Pennsylvania (BB-38) . Battleship Division Five under Vice Admiral Wiley himself comprised New Mexico (BB-40) , Idaho (BB-42) , Tennessee (BB-43) , and Maryland (BB-46) . Aircraft Squadrons, Battle Fleet, under Captain A. W. Marshall , comprised Aroostook (CM-3) (F), Langley (CV-1) , and