The chief aide to the commander of larger military formations and units
The professional head of a branch of the armed forces. The title comes from the fact that they are the chief military aides to the Commander-in-Chief, who is usually the head of state.
--- Joint Chiefs Of Staff , a panel comprising the highest-ranking members of each major branch of the armed services in a country, particularly used in the United States
--- Chief of the General Staff, the highest ranking officer in the Israeli ''General Staff'' (the Israeli Defence Forces high command), also called ''Ramatkal''
--- ''Stabschef'' , commander of the Nazi Sturmabteilung
The chief aide to a political leader
--- White House Chief Of Staff , the highest-ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States
