§ 743. Rank: Chief of Staff of the Army; Chief of Naval Operations; Chief of Staff of the Air Force; Commandant of the Marine Corps
The Chief of Staff of the Army, the Chief of Naval Operations, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and the Commandant of the Marine Corps rank among themselves according to dates of appointment to those offices, and rank above all other officers on the active-duty list of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, except the Chairman and the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.