Which chain of command runs from the President, through the Secretary of Defense, to the Combatant Commanders?

• A. Operational Chain of Command
• B. Administrative Chain of Command
• C. Strategic Chain of Command
• D. Joint Command Chain

Answer: (A)

The essential idea here is how authority for carrying out military missions flows from civilian leadership to the field. The chain that runs from the President to the Secretary of Defense and then to the Combatant Commanders is the operational chain of command. It gives those commanders the authority to exercise command and control over forces in planning and conducting operations, directing how units maneuver, engage, and deploy in the field under day-to-day mission execution. Administrative matters like personnel, logistics, and support fall under a separate administrative line, which handles the non-operational side of keeping forces ready but does not authorize or direct battlefield actions. The other terms aren’t used to describe this direct line of command for operations, so they don’t fit as the formal path from the top civilian leaders to the field commanders.