Director of the Joint Staff

The Director of the Joint Staff (DJS) is a three-star officer who assists the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with the management of the Joint Staff, an organization composed of approximately equal numbers of officers contributed by the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force, who have been assigned to assist the Chairman with the unified strategic direction, operation, and integration of the combatant land, naval, and air forces. The Director also chairs meetings of the Operations Deputies, a subsidiary body comprising the Director and a three-star delegate from each service who preview or resolve issues before they are escalated to the level of the four-star Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The Director of the Joint Staff is selected by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in consultation with the other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and subject to the approval of the Secretary of Defense. As with all three- and four-star positions, the Director's appointment is subject to Senate confirmation. The position of Director is considered one of the most desirable three-star billets in the United States military establishment, for the position has historically served as a large stepping stone for an officer to be considered for a four-star billet.

The current Director of the Joint Staff is Lieutenant General David L. Goldfein, USAF.

List of Directors of the Joint Staff
This is a complete list of the Directors of the Joint Staff. An asterisk (*) indicates an acting Director.

Of the 41 Directors of the Joint Staff, 30 have been promoted to four-star rank while on active duty, as has one acting Director; and a 31st former Director was promoted to that rank upon retirement. Moreover, 22 of the last 23 Directors have been promoted to four-star rank within a year of leaving the Joint Staff.