01 December 2008
The Future Cabinet
National Security
The advisers listed below counsel the president on issues related to national security but are not members of the Cabinet.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen
U.S. Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, the 17th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is a Naval Academy graduate who has commanded three ships and served as chief of naval operations.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff, established in 1947, includes the highest-ranking officers of each military service branch. It is headed by a chairman responsible for the unified strategic direction of the combatant forces, their operation under unified command, and their integration into an efficient team of land, naval and air forces. The chairman, appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, serves two-year terms beginning October 1 of odd-numbered years.
National Security Advisor James Jones
Retired General James Logan Jones Jr. was selected by President-elect Barack Obama to be the 21st national security advisor on December 1. Jones was Supreme Allied Commander for Europe (SACEUR) and served as the 32nd Commandant of the Marine Corps before his retirement from the Marines in 2007.
The special assistant to the president for national security affairs, commonly referred to as the national security advisor, serves on the National Security Council (NSC) and is supported by a staff that produces research, briefings and intelligence to present to the NSC and the president. The national security advisor is appointed by the president without Senate confirmation and is independent from the departments of State and Defense.
For additional information, see “President-elect Obama Selects National Security Team.”
Director of National Intelligence
The director of national intelligence, a post created by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, is the principal adviser to the president, the National Security Council and the Homeland Security Council for intelligence matters related to national security. The director heads the 16-member U.S. Intelligence Community and directs the National Intelligence Program.
National Security Council
Staff: The president chairs the National Security Council, which includes the national security advisor, the vice president, the secretaries of State, Treasury, and Defense, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the director of national intelligence. The White House chief of staff, the counsel to the White House, and the economic adviser to the president also may attend NSC meetings, as may the attorney general and the director of the Office of Management and Budget when meetings pertain to their areas of responsibility.
Duties: The council advises and assists the president in national security and foreign policies. It also coordinates action to carry out these policies.
History: The National Security Council was created in 1947. It became part of the Executive Office of the President in 1949.
Fun fact: Three national security advisors went on to serve as secretary of state: Henry Kissinger, Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice. Powell also served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
More information: http://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc
