The Chiefs of Staff Committee (CSC) is composed of the most senior

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

personnel in the

British Armed Forces The British Armed Forces are the unified military, military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its British Overseas Territories, Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests ...

, who advise on operational military matters and the preparation and conduct of military operations. The committee consists of the chief of the defence staff, who is the chairman and professional head of the armed forces, and the vice-chief of the defence staff, who is the vice-chairman and deputy professional head of the armed forces. The committee also includes the heads of the three branches of the armed forces – the first sea lord and chief of the naval staff, the chief of the general staff and the chief of the air staff.

History

The Chiefs of Staff Committee was initially established as a sub-committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence in 1923. It remained as such until the abolition of the CID upon the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

in 1939. The initial composition of the committee was the professional heads of the three services, the

first sea lord First Sea Lord, officially known as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff (1SL/CNS), is the title of a statutory position in the British Armed Forces, held by an Admiral (Royal Navy), admiral or a General (United Kingdom), general of the ...

, the chief of the imperial general staff and the chief of the air staff. Each service head took turns being chairman of the committee. During the Second World War the committee was a sub-committee of the War Cabinet, and in addition to the three service chiefs, it had an additional member, in the person of

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

Sir Hastings Ismay, who acted as its secretary. Subcommittees of the committee were also formed, including the Joint Planning Staff and Joint Intelligence Committee. The Chiefs of Staff Committee was responsible for the overall conduct of the

part of the war effort. When matters required joint Anglo-American decision, the Chiefs of Staff Committee members formed part of the Combined Chiefs of Staff, meeting in concert with their American counterparts, the

Joint Chiefs of Staff The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, which advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and ...

. The Combined Chiefs of Staff were based in Washington, so for most of the time the Chiefs of Staff were represented at meetings by the British Joint Staff Mission. Following World War II, the Chiefs of Staff Committee was transferred to the

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

. In 1955 the Government decided to create the post of chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. The post came into existence on 1 January 1956 and the only incumbent was

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Marshal of the Royal Air Force (MRAF) is the highest rank in the UK's Royal Air Force (RAF). In peacetime it was granted to RAF officers in the appointment of Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom), Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), and to ...

Sir William Dickson who served until 1 January 1959 when he became the first chief of the defence staff. The CDS remained as chairman of the committee and was also recognized as the professional head of the British Armed Forces. In 1964, the post of chief of the imperial general staff was discontinued and the Army was thereafter represented by the chief of the general staff. Since then, the only major changes have been the appointment of the vice-chief of the defence staff to act as a deputy to the CDS and the inclusion of the commander, Joint Forces Command on the committee.

Senior Enlisted Advisor

A senior enlisted advisor to the Chiefs of Staff Committee was appointed on 1 November 2018 to provide advice to the committee on the views of other ranks.

Membership

The current membership of the Chiefs of Staff Committee:

Role

The role of the committee is to provide advice on operational military matters and the preparation and conduct of military operations.The Management of Defence
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References

External links

Ministry of Defence - Chiefs of Staff

{{Authority control Military of the United Kingdom

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...