---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 163"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "163"
heading: "Role of Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/163"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part I — Organization and General Military Powers"
  - "Chapter 6 — Combatant Commands"
---

# §163. Role of Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff

- (a) **Communications Through Chairman of JCS; Assignment of Duties.—** Subject to the limitations in [section 152(c) of this title](/usc/10/152.md?p=c), the President may—
  - (1) direct that communications between the President or the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense and the commanders of the unified and specified combatant commands be transmitted through the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and
  - (2) assign duties to the Chairman to assist the President and the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense in performing their command [function](/usc/10/467.md?p=1).
- (b) **Oversight by Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff.—**
  - (1) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense may assign to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff responsibility for overseeing the activities of the combatant commands. Such assignment by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) to the Chairman does not confer any command authority on the Chairman and does not alter the responsibility of the commanders of the combatant commands prescribed in [section 164(b)(2) of this title](/usc/10/164.md?p=b-2).
  - (2) Subject to the authority, direction, and control of the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff serves as the spokesman for the commanders of the combatant commands, especially on the operational requirements of their commands. In performing such [function](/usc/10/467.md?p=1), the Chairman shall—
    - (A) confer with and obtain information from the commanders of the combatant commands with respect to the requirements of their commands;
    - (B) evaluate and integrate such information;
    - (C) advise and make recommendations to the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense with respect to the requirements of the combatant commands, individually and collectively; and
    - (D) communicate, as appropriate, the requirements of the combatant commands to other elements of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 99–433, title II, § 211(a), Oct. 1, 1986, 100 Stat. 1013.)