The Joint Staff is led by the Director of the Joint Staff and is responsible for defense support to civil authorities, homeland security, and homeland defense in Georgia. The Joint Staff is comprised of members from the Georgia Army and Air National Guard, State Defense Force, and DoD civilians. It provides timely intelligence and information to the Adjutant General from agencies like the National Guard Bureau and Northern Command. The Joint Staff operates a joint operations center manned 24/7 to gather and share homeland security information throughout Georgia's Department of Defense. It also oversees family support programs for military members and their families.