The surgeon general of the United States is the operational head of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and thus the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the federal government of the United States.

the senior-most officer of the U.S. Army Medical Department.

The Surgeon General of the Air Force is the senior-most Medical Service officer in the United States Department of the Air Force and is the principal medical advisor for both the United States Air Force and United States Space Force.

The surgeon general of the Navy is the most senior commissioned officer of the Medical Corps of the United States Navy and is the principal advisor to the United States Secretary of the Navy, Chief of Naval Operations and director of the Defense Health Agency on all health and medical matters pertaining to the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps.