Which statement correctly pairs each branch with its controller?

Which statement correctly pairs each branch with its controller?

• A. Operational Branch — The Combatant Commanders; Administrative Branch — President of the United States, Secretary of Defense/Chairman
• B. Operational Branch — President of the United States; Administrative Branch — The Combatant Commanders
• C. Operational Branch — The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs; Administrative Branch — The Secretary of Defense
• D. Operational Branch — The Director of National Intelligence; Administrative Branch — The Joint Chiefs of Staff

Answer: (A)

The concept being tested is how command authority is divided between two types of control: operational control, which directs how forces are actually used in missions, and administrative control, which covers support, organization, and governance of those forces. In this framework, the Combatant Commanders hold the operational authority to employ and direct military forces for specific missions. The administrative side stays with the civilian leadership and the top military advisor—the President as Commander in Chief, the Secretary of Defense who oversees the Department of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who provides military advice and helps oversee the forces—without directing battlefield employment. This separation keeps operational decisions with those who direct the missions, while civilian leadership and the senior advisor handle administration and policy.

The concept being tested is how command authority is divided between two types of control: operational control, which directs how forces are actually used in missions, and administrative control, which covers support, organization, and governance of those forces. In this framework, the Combatant Commanders hold the operational authority to employ and direct military forces for specific missions. The administrative side stays with the civilian leadership and the top military advisor—the President as Commander in Chief, the Secretary of Defense who oversees the Department of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who provides military advice and helps oversee the forces—without directing battlefield employment. This separation keeps operational decisions with those who direct the missions, while civilian leadership and the senior advisor handle administration and policy.