United States Secretary of the Air Force

Template:Short description Template:Distinguish Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox official post The secretary of the Air Force, sometimes referred to as the secretary of the Department of the Air Force,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> (SecAF, or SAF/OS) is the head of the Department of the Air Force and the service secretary for the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. The secretary of the Air Force is a civilian appointed by the president, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.<ref name="9013a">Template:USCSub</ref> The secretary reports to the secretary of defense and/or the deputy secretary of defense, and is by statute responsible for and has the authority to conduct all the affairs of the Department of the Air Force.<ref name="9013a"/><ref name="9013b">Template:USCSub</ref>

The secretary works closely with their civilian deputy, the under secretary of the Air Force; and their military deputies, the chief of staff of the Air Force and the chief of space operations.

The first secretary of the Air Force, Stuart Symington, was sworn in on September 18, 1947, upon the split and re-organization of the Department of War and Army Air Forces into an air military department and a military service of its own, with the enactment of the National Security Act.

Responsibilities

File:Stuart Symington shown taking the oath of office as Secretary of the Air Force.jpg

Stuart Symington is sworn-in as the first Secretary of the Air Force by Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson on September 18, 1947.

The secretary is the head of the Department of the Air Force. The Department of the Air Force is defined as a Military Department.<ref name="101a8">Template:USCSub</ref> It is not limited to the Washington headquarters staffs, rather it is an entity which includes all the components of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force, including their reserve components:

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The exclusive responsibilities of the secretary of the Air Force are enumerated in Template:USCSub of the United States Code. They include, but are not limited to:

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By direction of the secretary of defense, the secretary of the Air Force assigns military units of the Air Force and Space Force, other than those who carry out the functions listed in Template:USCSub, to the Unified and Specified Combatant Commands to perform missions assigned to those commands. Air Force and Space Force units while assigned to Combatant Commands may only be reassigned by authority of the secretary of defense.<ref>10 USC 162 (a)</ref>

However, the chain of command for Air Force and Space Force units for other purposes than the operational direction goes from the president to the secretary of defense to the secretary of the Air Force to the commanders of Air Force and Space Force Commands.<ref>DODD 5100.1, 6.1.</ref> Air Force and Space Force officers have to report on any matter to the secretary, or the secretary's designate, when requested. The secretary has the authority to detail, prescribe the duties, and to assign Air Force and Space Force service members and civilian employees, and may also change the title of any activity not statutorily designated.<ref>10 USC 8013 (f-g)</ref> The secretary has several responsibilities under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) with respect to Air Force and Space Force service members, including the authority to convene general courts martial and to commute sentences.

The secretary of the Air Force may also be assigned additional responsibilities by the president or the secretary of defense,<ref>10 USC 8013 (d)</ref> e.g. the secretary is designated as the "DoD Executive Agent for Space", and as such:

... shall develop, coordinate, and integrate plans and programs for space systems and the acquisition of DoD Space Major Defense Acquisition Programs to provide operational space force capabilities to ensure the United States has the space power to achieve its national security objectives.<ref>DODD 5101.2, 3. MISSION</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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Office of the Secretary of the Air Force

File:Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff General David C. Jones and Secretary of The Air Force Verne Orr during General Robert C. Mathis retirement Ceremony at Bolling Air Force Base.jpg

Secretary of the Air Force Verne Orr with Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff General David C. Jones and Air Force Chief of Staff General Lew Allen and Air Force Vice Chief of Staff General Robert C. Mathis at Bolling Air Force Base on May 28, 1982

The secretary of the Air Force's principal staff element, the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, has responsibility for acquisition and auditing, comptroller issues (including financial management), inspector general matters, legislative affairs, and public affairs within the Department of the Air Force. The Office of the Secretary of the Air Force is one of the Department of the Air Force's three headquarter staffs at the seat of government, with the others being the Air Staff and the Office of the Chief of Space Operations.

Composition

The Office of the Secretary of the Air Force is composed of:

• Under Secretary of the Air Force
  • The Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs
  • The Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for Space Programs
• Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics
• Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller
• Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Energy
• Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs
• Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration<ref name=hafmdSafsq >SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE (30 Sep 2022) HEADQUARTERS AIR FORCE MISSION DIRECTIVE 1-17 Special Management ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE (SPACE ACQUISITION AND INTEGRATION) (SAF/SQ) 20 pages </ref>
• General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force
• Inspector General of the Air Force
• Chief of Legislative Liaison
• Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force
• Auditor General of the Department of the Air Force
• Air Reserve Forces Policy Committee

List of secretaries of the Air Force

Template:Legend

No.	Image	Name	Start	End	Duration	President(s)
1	File:Portrait of W. Stuart Symington 97-1844.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd	rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (1945–1953)
2	File:Thomas K. Finletter.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
3	File:Harold E Talbott.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd	rowspan=4 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (1953–1961)
4	File:Donald A. Quarles.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
5	File:James H. Douglas, Jr..jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
6	File:The Air Force Role In Developing International Outer Space Law (Terrill, 1999) Page 022-1.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
7	File:Eugene Zuckert.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd	style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (1961–1963)
						rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (1963–1969)
8	File:Secretary of the Air Force Harold Brown.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
						rowspan=4 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (1969–1974)
9	File:Secretary of The Air Force Robert C. Seamans official portrait.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
10	File:John L McLucas.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
			Template:Dts	Template:Dts
						rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (1974–1977)
11	File:Thomas C. Reed.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
						rowspan=4 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (1977–1981)
12	File:John C. Stetson, USAF.JPG	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
13	File:Hans Mark.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
			Template:Dts	Template:Dts
						rowspan=6 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (1981–1989)
14	File:Verneorr.JPG	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
15	File:Russell A. Rourke.JPEG	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
16	File:Edward C. Aldridge Jr.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
			Template:Dts	Template:Dts
–	File:Portrait of James F. McGovern, Under Secretary of the Air Force.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
						rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (1989–1993)
–	File:No image.svg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
17	File:Donald B. Rice, Secretary of the Air Force.JPEG	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
–	File:Michael Donley official portrait.jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Small	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd	rowspan=5 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (1993–2001)
–	File:Merrill McPeak, official military photo.JPEG	Template:Sortname Template:Small	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
18	File:Wfm Widnall se1.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
19	File:F. Whitten Peters 01.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
			Template:Dts	Template:Dts
–	File:Dr Lawrence J Delaney, Acting Secretary of the Air Force.jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Small	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd	rowspan=9 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (2001–2009)
20	File:James Roche.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
–	File:Peter B. Teets, Under Secretary of the Air Force.jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Small	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
–	File:Michael Montelongo, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller.jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Small	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
–	File:Michael Dominguez.jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Small	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
–	File:Pete Geren USAF.jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Small<ref name="Geren">DefenseLink News Article: Army Secretary Resigns in Wake of Walter Reed Outpatient-Care Shortfalls</ref>	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
21	File:Michael Wynne, official portrait.jpg	Template:Sortname<ref name="Air Force Almanac 2011">Template:Usurped, Accessed on September 12, 2011</ref>	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
22	File:Michael Donley official portrait.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
			Template:Dts	Template:Dts
						rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (2009–2017)
–	File:Eric Fanning.jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Small	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
23	File:Deborah Lee James.JPG	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
–	File:Lisa S. Disbrow, USAF, 2014.JPG	Template:Sortname Template:Small	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd	rowspan=4 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (2017–2021)
24	File:Heather Wilson Air Force Secretary.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
–	File:Matthew Donovan official photo 2.jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Small	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
25	File:Barbara M. Barrett official photo.jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
–	File:John P. Roth (2).jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Small	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd	rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (2021–2025)
26	File:Frank Kendall III (2).jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd
–	File:Gary A. Ashworth (3).jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Small	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Ayd	rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" |	Template:Sortname (2025–present)
27	File:Troy E. Meink (3).jpg	Template:Sortname	Template:Dts	Incumbent	Template:Ayd

See also

• Department of the Air Force Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service

References

• Title 10 United States Code
  • Subtitle A – General Military Law
    • CHAPTER 1 – DEFINITIONS
      • § 101. Definitions
    • CHAPTER 6 – COMBATANT COMMANDERS
      • § 162. Combatant command: assigned forces; chain of command
  • Subtitle D – Air Force
    • CHAPTER 903 – DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE
      • § 9011. Organization
      • § 9013. Secretary of the Air Force
      • § 9014. Office of the Secretary of the Air Force
      • § 9015. Under Secretary of the Air Force
    • CHAPTER 905 – THE AIR STAFF
      • § 9032. The Air Staff: general duties
      • § 9033. Chief of Staff
• Executive Order 12909, Order of Succession of Officers To Act as Secretary of the Air Force
• Department of Defense Directive (DODD) 5100.1, Functions of the Department of Defense and Its Major Components, August 1 2002.
• Department of Defense Directive (DODD) 5101.2, DoD Executive Agent for Space, June 3 2003.

External links

• Template:Usurped
• US Air Force Senior Leadership