<entry id="2227720" stat="A" corpus="jmdict" type="jmdict">
<ent_corp type="jmdict">jmdict</ent_corp>
<ent_seq>2847961</ent_seq>
<k_ele>
<keb>参謀総長</keb>
</k_ele>
<r_ele>
<reb>さんぼうそうちょう</reb>
</r_ele>
<sense>
<pos>&n;</pos>
<xref type="see" seq="1302590">参謀長・さんぼうちょう</xref>
<field>&mil;</field>
<gloss>chief of the general staff</gloss>
<gloss>chief of staff (esp. US)</gloss>
</sense>
<info>
<audit time="2021-01-13 06:46:18" stat="A" unap="true">
<upd_name>Opencooper</upd_name>
<upd_refs>chuujiten; luminous; genius</upd_refs>
</audit>
<audit time="2021-01-13 11:10:51" stat="A">
<upd_uid>jwb</upd_uid>
<upd_name>Jim Breen</upd_name>
<upd_email>...address hidden...</upd_email>
<upd_detl>参謀長 is more usual for chief of staff.</upd_detl>
<upd_refs>GG5</upd_refs>
<upd_diff>@@ -13 +12,0 @@
-&lt;gloss&gt;chief of staff&lt;/gloss&gt;</upd_diff>
</audit>
<audit time="2023-03-24 13:42:24" stat="A" unap="true">
<upd_name>Brian Krznarich</upd_name>
<upd_email>...address hidden...</upd_email>
<upd_detl>Statistically 参謀総長 vs 参謀長 does not appear to be that overwhelming(perhaps because the U.S. military is so prolofic). On wikipedia "chief of the general staff" does seem to be the prevailing translation in general military articles (outside of the U.S. military chief of staff).  

I don't think "chief of the general staff" is well understood by laymen in the U.S.(which is a roundabout way of saying "I didn't understand it"), and in Japanese this terms seems like ordinary terminology. For a U.S. audience, I would probably always gloss as "chief of staff" outside of a specialized context.

Maybe my intuition is based on U.S. usage.  If you check the wiki page below, there are 50+ nations using "chief of the general staff", but the U.S. stands out as an exception.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_of_the_General_Staff
U.S.: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff</upd_detl>
<upd_refs>参謀長	44412	65.3%
参謀総長	23622	34.7%

アメリカ陸軍参謀総長
Chief of Staff of the United States Army
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%A2%E3%83%A1%E3%83%AA%E3%82%AB%E9%99%B8%E8%BB%8D%E5%8F%82%E8%AC%80%E7%B7%8F%E9%95%B7

参謀本部　
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8F%82%E8%AC%80%E6%9C%AC%E9%83%A8
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staff_(military)

Wikipedia japan glosses 参謀本部 as "General Staff", but the English xref is "Staff (military)".
A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, enlisted and civilian staff who serve the commander of a division or other large military unit...



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_One_Piece_episodes_(seasons_15%E2%80%93present)
"Dashing onto the Scene! The Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army, Sabo!"
Transcription: "Sassō Tōjō - Kakumei-gun Sanbō Sōchō Sabo!" (Japanese: 颯爽登場 革命軍参謀総長サボ!)

"A Big Collision! Chief of Staff - Sabo vs. Admiral Fujitora!"
Transcription: "Dai-Gekitotsu! Sanbō Sōchō Sabo tai Taishō Fujitora" (Japanese: 大激突！参謀総長サボVS大将藤虎)

空軍参謀総長
Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force (アメリカ空軍参謀総長)

https://eow.alc.co.jp/search?q=chief%20of%20staff
Chief of Staff of the Air Force
《the ～》アメリカ空軍参謀総長◆【略】CSAF
chief of staff of the army　/ army chief of staff
陸軍参謀総長
chief of the general staff
参謀総長◆【略】CGS

参謀総長
armed forces chief
a chief of staff《軍事》
chief of the general staff〔【略】CGS〕

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chairman_of_the_Joint_Chiefs_of_Staff
The chairman convenes the meetings and coordinates the efforts of the Joint Chiefs, an advisory body within the Department of Defense comprising the chairman, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the chief of staff of the Army, the commandant of the Marine Corps, the chief of naval operations, the chief of staff of the Air Force, the chief of space operations, and the chief of the National Guard Bureau.[4</upd_refs>
<upd_diff>@@ -12 +12,4 @@
-&lt;gloss&gt;chief of the general staff&lt;/gloss&gt;
+&lt;xref type="see" seq="1302590"&gt;参謀長・さんぼうちょう&lt;/xref&gt;
+&lt;xref type="see" seq="1302590"&gt;参謀長・さんぼうちょう&lt;/xref&gt;
+&lt;gloss&gt;chief of the general staff (military)&lt;/gloss&gt;
+&lt;gloss&gt;chief of staff (esp. U.S. military)&lt;/gloss&gt;</upd_diff>
</audit>
<audit time="2023-04-03 05:43:46" stat="A">
<upd_uid>jwb</upd_uid>
<upd_name>Jim Breen</upd_name>
<upd_email>...address hidden...</upd_email>
<upd_diff>@@ -13,2 +13,3 @@
-&lt;gloss&gt;chief of the general staff (military)&lt;/gloss&gt;
-&lt;gloss&gt;chief of staff (esp. U.S. military)&lt;/gloss&gt;
+&lt;field&gt;&amp;mil;&lt;/field&gt;
+&lt;gloss&gt;chief of the general staff&lt;/gloss&gt;
+&lt;gloss&gt;chief of staff (esp. US)&lt;/gloss&gt;</upd_diff>
</audit>
</info>
</entry>