Which statement is correct about the two chains of command?

• A. The Operational Branch is controlled by the Combatant Commanders; The Administrative Branch is controlled by the President of the United States, Secretary of Defense/Chairman
• B. The Operational Branch is controlled by the President; The Administrative Branch is controlled by the Combatant Commanders
• C. The Administrative Branch is controlled by the Joint Chiefs; The Operational Branch is controlled by the National Security Advisor
• D. The Administrative Branch is controlled by the Secretary of State; The Operational Branch is controlled by the Secretary of the Treasury

Answer: (A)

In military structure, two chains of command guide how forces are used and how they’re kept ready. The operational chain is about directing how forces fight—who tasks, deploys, and leads them in operations. The administrative chain covers support, personnel, logistics, training, and other behind-the-scenes tasks that keep units capable, and it runs through civilian leadership in the Department of Defense.

The statement that the Operational Branch is controlled by Combatant Commanders reflects the reality that Combatant Commanders hold operational control over their assigned forces, meaning they can direct those forces in the field for missions and campaigns. For the Administrative side, civilian oversight sits with the President as Commander-in-Chief, the Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (with the service secretaries and chiefs involved in administering and supporting the forces). This arrangement keeps day-to-day administration under civilian leadership and the DoD hierarchy, even as Combatant Commanders handle operational tasks.

The other options misplace who has authority over these two flows. Operational control is not exercised directly by the President alone in routine matters, and administrative control is not led by the Joint Chiefs, the Secretary of State, or the Secretary of the Treasury, and it isn’t directed by the National Security Advisor in the way operations are.