The position of Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (VJCS) was created by the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986 and is the second highest ranking military officer of the United States Armed Forces (after the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff).
The position of Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was created by the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986. The Vice Chairman is a four-star general or admiral and by law the second highest ranking member of the U.S. Armed Forces (after the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff).