<P> General Colin L. Powell (1989--1993) was the first and, as of 2011, the only African American to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff . General Peter Pace (Vice Chairman 2001--2005; Chairman, 2005--2007) was the first Marine to serve in either position . No woman has ever served on the Joint Chiefs of Staff . </P> <P> A provision in the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act added the Chief of the National Guard Bureau to the Joint Chiefs of Staff . Guard historians called it the "most significant development" for the National Guard since the Militia Act of 1903 . </P> <P> The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is, by law, the highest - ranking military officer of the United States Armed Forces, and the principal military adviser to the President of the United States . He leads the meetings and coordinates the efforts of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, comprising the chairman, the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, the Chief of Naval Operations, the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau . The Joint Chiefs of Staff have offices in The Pentagon . The chairman outranks all respective heads of each service branch, but does not have command authority over them, their service branches or the Unified Combatant Commands . All combatant commanders receive operational orders directly from the Secretary of Defense . </P> <P> The current chairman is General Joseph Dunford, USMC, who began his term on October 1, 2015 . </P>

Who is the highest ranking member of the presidents staff