The General Staff System

The U.S. Army’s staff structure, based on older European models but tailored to support the American military’s unique system of command, control, and organization, provides commanders in all units and at all echelons with consistency in performance, responsibility, training, and resourcing. The letter prefix of each staff section reflects the echelon or nature of the staff section. The letter “C” indicates combined (multinational) headquarters, “J” signifies joint (multiservice) headquarters, “G” for division level or above, and, finally, “S” for divisional brigades and lower. Other letters are specific for each of the U.S. service components (“A” for Air Force and “N” for Navy). The numerical suffix designates the function of the particular staff section. Staffs usually contain a minimum of 1 through 6, but can have as many as 1 through 9. The roles of each staff section in the Army command system are:

• Personnel (G1) (S1)
• Intelligence (G2) (S2)
• Operations and training (G3) (S3)
• Logistics (G4) (S4)
• Civil-military operations (G5) (S5)
• Signal operations (G6) (S6)

Staff sections for 7 through 9 are generally not found below the division level. Their functions vary based upon the commander’s requirements and may include such functions as Information Operations, Civil Affairs, Resource Management, or Force Modernization.

A commander’s Chief of Staff (C of S)/Executive Officer (XO), whose rank depends upon the level of command, supervises the operations of the entire staff, and ensures that it performs consistently with the commander’s intent. An Assistant C of S, whose rank similarly depends upon the level of command, heads each of the individual staff sections. In addition to the basic staff, a commander usually has special staff members with unique functions that do not fall under the purview of other staff sections. Some examples of special staff may include Fire Support Coordinator (FSCOORD), Engineer Coordinator (ENCOORD), Air Liaison Officer (ALO), and others. The commander also has a personal staff which may include all or some of the following: Command Sergeant Major (CSM), Chaplain, Inspector General (IG), Public Affairs Officer (PAO), surgeon, dentist, and Staff Judge Advocate (SJA).1