The West Wing
Character
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
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Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

strategically-focused impartial command-oriented representatively visible procedural composed authoritative institutional offstage/absent
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — the nation's senior military officer who serves as the President's principal military advisor and the coordinating head of the Joint Chiefs. The office commands the service chiefs, shapes high-level force posture and readiness, and anchors national-security deliberations in crisis. In the processed material the role is referenced both as an imminent appointment called for to consolidate command and advise on DEFCON/posture, and as an offstage, unnamed figure invoked rhetorically for optics and reassurance; both mentions point to the same institutional office rather than to a particular named individual.
3 appearances
Military Command and National Security
Also known as: Joint Chiefs Chairman, Chairman, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs (mentioned), Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS

Chairman of …'s Journey

A timeline through the narrative

3 moments
S2E17 · The Stackhouse Filibuster
White House Frenzy: Rallying Senators as Grissom Relieves Stackhouse

Neutral authority maintaining order

Chairman presides over Senate floor on TV, recognizes Grissom's point of order with 'Mr. Grissom?', then queries Stackhouse with 'Mr. Stackhouse?', facilitating the yield and pivotal respite.

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S2E17 · The Stackhouse Filibuster
Grissom's Procedural Yield Grants Stackhouse Vital Respite

Neutral procedural focus amid high stakes

Chairman steadily recognizes Grissom's point of order and prompts Stackhouse for response, enforcing impartial rules that enable the yield ruse under chamber tension broadcast to White House screens.

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S2E17 · The Stackhouse Filibuster
Cheers Erupt as Bipartisan Senators Cascade to Relieve Stackhouse

Steadfast neutrality amid rising tension

Chairman neutrally acknowledges Grissom's point of order on the Senate floor broadcast, queries Stackhouse to facilitate the yield, upholding procedural integrity amid the high-stakes drama.

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Affiliation

United States Senate
Federal Legislative Governance and Confirmation Authority; appointment and confirmation gatekeeping; legislative leverage over executive policy and federal regulatory bodies.