What is the order after the commander in chief?

Answer 1

In the United States, The President is the Commander in Chief. No one is above him. A cabinet secretary is below him. Below that level comes the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. There are two civilians in charge before you get to the first military officer. Frequently both have been military officers, but such is not necessary. The worst situation has been when civilians have been totally in charge. The next worst situation was when all military were totally in charge. It is bad to have all of one mind set. Below the joint chiefs were generals. This is what is called line command. The line command tells the troops in the field where to go. All along the way there is staff. At the lowest level, the staff prepares the food. At the highest level, the staff prepares ships and airplanes. At what level the staff functions and is connected depends on the task.