Vice Director of the Joint Staff

The vice director of the Joint Staff (VDJS) is a two-star officer in the Joint Staff. The vice director reports to the director of the Joint Staff and provides oversight of Joint Staff support activities, including administration and action management, budget, information technology services, support services, and security.^[1] The vice director also oversees the directorate of management in the Joint Staff.^[2]

Vice Director of the Joint Staff
Seal of the Joint Staff
Incumbent Rear Admiral Paul C. Spedero Jr., USN since July 2025
Joint Staff
Abbreviation	VDJS
Reports to	Director of the Joint Staff
Seat	The Pentagon, Arlington County, Virginia, U.S.
Appointer	The CJCS
Website	www.jcs.mil

List of vice directors of the Joint Staff

No.	Vice Director		Term			Service branch	Ref(s)
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Term length
1		Rear Admiral Joseph H. Wellings (1903–1988)	30 September 1958	~30 April 1962	~3 years, 212 days	U.S. Navy	[3][4][5][6]
2		Major General John M. Reynolds	~30 April 1962	~January 1963	~246 days	U.S. Air Force	[7][8]
3		Major General Ashton H. Manhart (1909–1969)	~January 1963	~January 1966	~3 years	U.S. Army	[8][9]
4		Rear Admiral Louis Joseph Kirn (1908–1995)	January 1966	December 1966	~1 year, 334 days	U.S. Navy	[10][11]
5		Major General John B. McPherson (born 1917)	~May 1967	~August 1968	~1 year, 92 days	U.S. Air Force	[12]
6		Major General Kelsie L. Reaves (1911–1994)	~August 1968	~January 1969	~153 days	U.S. Army	[13]
7		Major General Charles M. Mount	~January 1969	~August 1970	~1 year, 212 days	U.S. Army	[14]
8		Rear Admiral Mason B. Freeman (1914–2003)	August 1970	~March 1972	~1 year, 213 days	U.S. Navy	[15][16][17]
9		Major General Martin G. Colladay (born 1925)	May 1972	~March 1974	~1 year, 304 days	U.S. Air Force	[18][19]
10		Major General Adrian St. John II (1921–2007)	~March 1974	~January 1977	~2 years, 306 days	U.S. Army	[20]
11		Major General Philip D. Shutler (born 1926)	~January 1977	~July 1978	~1 year, 181 days	U.S. Marine Corps	[21]
12		Major General James E. Dalton (born 1930)	July 1978	~July 1980	~2 years	U.S. Air Force	[22]
13		Major General Charles W. Dyke (born 1935)	~July 1980	1982	~1 year, 364 days	U.S. Army	[23]
14		Major General George B. Crist (born 1931)	1982	~June 1984	~1 year, 337 days	U.S. Marine Corps	[24]
15		Major General Bradley C. Hosmer (born 1937)	June 1984	September 1986	~2 years	U.S. Air Force	[25]
16		Major General Howard D. Graves (1939–2003)	~September 1986	~September 1987	~1 year, 0 days	U.S. Army	[26]
17		Major General Richard B. Goetze (born 1935)	September 1987	~December 1989	~2 years, 91 days	U.S. Air Force	[27]
18		Major General Gene A. Deegan (born 1936)	~December 1989	~January 1992	~2 years, 31 days	U.S. Marine Corps	[28]
19		Major General Rudolph Ostovich III (born 1941)	~January 1992	~June 1993	~1 year, 151 days	U.S. Army	[29]
20		Major General Charles T. Robertson Jr. (born 1946)	June 1993	June 1995	~2 years	U.S. Air Force	[30]
21		Major General Carlton W. Fulford Jr. (born 1944)	~June 1995	~June 1996	~1 year	U.S. Marine Corps	[31]
22		Major General Stephen T. Rippe	~June 1996	June 1999	~3 years	U.S. Army	[32][33]
23		Major General Garry R. Trexler	June 1999	August 2001	~2 years, 61 days	U.S. Air Force	[34]
24		Major General James A. Hawkins	September 2001	December 2003	~2 years, 91 days	U.S. Air Force	[35]
25		Major General Michael D. Maples (born 1971)	December 2003	October 2005	~1 year, 304 days	U.S. Army	[36]
26		Major General Scott S. Custer	October 2005	February 2007	~1 year, 123 days	U.S. Air Force	[37]
27		Major General Stephen M. Goldfein	February 2007	28 July 2008	~1 year, 178 days	U.S. Air Force	[1]
28		Major General Walter E. Gaskin	28 July 2008	May 2009	~277 days	U.S. Marine Corps	[38]
29		Rear Admiral Bruce E. Grooms (born 1958)	May 2009	November 2010	~1 year, 184 days	U.S. Navy
30		Major General Craig A. Franklin	November 2010	~30 March 2012	~1 year, 150 days	U.S. Air Force	[39]
31		Rear Admiral Nora W. Tyson (born 1957)	~30 March 2012	July 2013	~1 year, 93 days	U.S. Navy
32		Major General Frederick S. Rudesheim	~July 2013	February 2015	~1 year, 215 days	U.S. Army	[40]
33		Major General Jacqueline Van Ovost (born 1965)	February 2015	August 2017	~2 years, 181 days	U.S. Air Force	[41]
34		Rear Admiral Mike Dumont	~August 2017	August 2018	~1 year	U.S. Navy	[42]
35		Major General Glen D. VanHerck (born 1962)	August 2018	~26 September 2019	~1 year, 56 days	U.S. Air Force	[43]
36		Rear Admiral William D. Byrne Jr.	26 September 2019	10 May 2021	1 year, 226 days	U.S. Navy	[44]
37		Rear Admiral George Wikoff (born 1968)	10 May 2021	May 2023	~2 years, 5 days	U.S. Navy
38		Major General Michael L. Downs (born c. 1971)	May 2023	October 2024	~1 year, 139 days	U.S. Air Force
39		Major General Stephen E. Liszewski	October 2024	July 2025	~273 days	U.S. Marine Corps
40		Rear Admiral Paul C. Spedero Jr.	July 2025	Incumbent	~42 days	U.S. Navy	[45]