chief of staff | Military Words for chief of staff

chief of staff

The senior or principal member or head of a staff, or the principal assistant in a staff capacity to a person in a command capacity; the head or controlling member of a staff, for purposes of the coordination of its work; a position that in itself is without inherent power of command by reason of assignment, except that which is invested in such a position by delegation to exercise command in another's name.

Source: US DoD Joint Publication 1-02, DOD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms (as amended through 9 June 2004).