Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
The chief of staff of the Air Force (acronym: CSAF, or AF/CC) is the service chief of the United States Air Force. They are the principal military advisor to the secretary of the Air Force on matter pertaining to the Air Force. They are a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and thereby a military adviser to the National Security Council, the secretary of defense, and the president. The chief of staff is typically the highest-ranking officer on active duty in the Air Force, unless the chairman and/or the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are Air Force officers.
| Chief of Staff of the Air Force | |
|---|---|
 Seal of the Chief of Staff[1] | |
 Flag of the Chief of Staff[2] | |
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| United States Air Force Air Staff | |
| Type | Service chief |
| Abbreviation | CSAF AF/CC |
| Member of | Joint Chiefs of Staff |
| Reports to | Secretary of Defense Secretary of the Air Force |
| Residence | Quarters 7, Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall[3] |
| Seat | The Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia |
| Appointer | The President with Senate advice and consent |
| Term length | 4 years Renewable once, only during war or national emergency |
| Constituting instrument | 10 U.S.C. § 9033 |
| Precursor | Commanding General, United States Army Air Forces |
| Formation | 18 September 1947 |
| First holder | Gen Carl A. Spaatz |
| Deputy | Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force |
| Website | Official Website |
The chief of staff of the Air Force is an administrative position based in the Pentagon. The chief of staff does not have operational command authority over Air Force forces. That is within the purview of the combatant commanders who report to the secretary of defense. The chief of staff exercises supervision of Air Force units and organizations as the designee of the secretary of the Air Force.
The 23rd and current chief of staff of the Air Force is General David W. Allvin.
Responsibilities
editDepartment of the Air Force
editUnder the authority, direction and control of the secretary of the Air Force, the chief of staff presides over the Air Staff. They act as the Secretary's executive agent in carrying out approved plans, and exercises supervision, consistent with authority assigned to the commanders of the Unified Combatant Commands, over organizations and members of the Air Force as determined by the Secretary. The chief of staff may perform other duties as assigned by either the president, the secretary of defense or the secretary of the Air Force.[4]
The vice chief of staff of the Air Force, also a four-star general, is the chief of staff's principal deputy.[5]
Member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
editThe chief of staff of the Air Force is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as prescribed by 10 U.S.C. § 151. When performing his JCS duties, the chief of staff is directly responsible to the secretary of defense. Like the other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the chief of staff is an administrative position, with no operational command authority over the United States Air Force.
Appointment and rank
edit
The chief of staff is nominated for appointment by the president, for a four-year term of office,[6] and must be confirmed via majority vote by the Senate.[6] Any Air Force officer with the rank of brigadier general and above may be appointed as chief of staff.[6] Prospective nominees are typically laterally promoted from other four-star assignments. The chief can be reappointed to serve one additional term, but only during times of war or national emergency declared by Congress.[6]
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To qualify for the position, the nominee must have significant joint duty experience, and at least one full tour of duty in a joint duty assignment as a general officer, unless the President waives this requirement.[6] By statute, the chief of staff is appointed as a four-star general without vacating his permanent rank.[6]
Special uniform cap
editThe chief of staff is authorized to wear a special service cap with clouds and lightning bolts around the band of the hat. This cap is different from those worn by other general officers of the Air Force and it is for use by the Chief of Staff and Air Force officers serving as Chairman or Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.[7]
List of chiefs of staff of the Air Force
editPrior to the creation of this position, General Henry H. Arnold was designated the first chief of the Army Air Forces and commanding general of the Army Air Forces during World War II. His successor, Carl A. Spaatz became the first chief of staff of the Air Force upon the establishment of the United States Air Force.
Four chiefs of staff would go on to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, namely Nathan F. Twining, George S. Brown, David C. Jones, and Charles Q. Brown Jr.
| No. | Portrait | Name | Term | Background | Secretaries served under: | Ref. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Duration | Air Force | Defense | |||||
| 1 | General Carl A. Spaatz (1891–1974) | 26 September 1947 | 29 April 1948 | 216 days | Fighters | Stuart Symington | James Forrestal | [6] | |
| 2 | General Hoyt S. Vandenberg (1899–1954) | 30 April 1948[a] | 29 June 1953 | 5 years, 60 days | Attack and Fighters | Stuart Symington Thomas K. Finletter Harold E. Talbott | James Forrestal Louis A. Johnson George C. Marshall Robert A. Lovett Charles Erwin Wilson | [6] | |
| 3 | General Nathan F. Twining (1897–1982) | 30 June 1953[a] | 30 June 1957[b] | 4 years, 0 days | Fighters and Bombers | Harold E. Talbott Donald A. Quarles James H. Douglas Jr. | Charles Erwin Wilson | [6] | |
| 4 | General Thomas D. White (1901–1965) | 1 July 1957[a] | 30 June 1961 | 3 years, 364 days | Observation aircraft and Staff | James H. Douglas Jr. Dudley Sharp Eugene Zuckert | Charles Erwin Wilson Neil H. McElroy Thomas Gates Robert McNamara | [6] | |
| 5 | General Curtis E. LeMay (1906–1990) | 30 June 1961[a] | 31 January 1965 | 3 years, 215 days | Bombers | Eugene Zuckert | Robert McNamara | [6] | |
| 6 | General John P. McConnell (1908–1986) | 1 February 1965[a] | 31 July 1969 | 4 years, 180 days | Fighters | Eugene Zuckert Harold Brown Robert Seamans | Robert McNamara Clark Clifford Melvin Laird | [6] | |
| 7 | General John D. Ryan (1915–1983) | 1 August 1969[a] | 31 July 1973 | 3 years, 364 days | Bombers | Robert Seamans John L. McLucas | Melvin Laird Elliot Richardson James R. Schlesinger | [6] | |
| 8 | General George S. Brown (1918–1978) | 1 August 1973 | 30 June 1974[b] | 333 days | Bombers | John L. McLucas | James R. Schlesinger | [6] | |
| 9 | General David C. Jones (1921–2013) | 1 July 1974 | 20 June 1978[b] | 3 years, 354 days | Bombers | John L. McLucas Thomas C. Reed John C. Stetson | James R. Schlesinger Donald Rumsfeld Harold Brown | [6] | |
| 10 | General Lew Allen Jr. (1925–2010) | 1 July 1978[a] | 30 June 1982 | 3 years, 364 days | Bombers | John C. Stetson Hans Mark Verne Orr | Harold Brown Caspar Weinberger | [6] | |
| 11 | General Charles A. Gabriel (1928–2003) | 1 July 1982 | 30 June 1986 | 3 years, 364 days | Fighters | Verne Orr Russell A. Rourke Edward Aldridge | Caspar Weinberger | [6] | |
| 12 | General Larry D. Welch (born 1934) | 1 July 1986 | 30 June 1990 | 3 years, 364 days | Fighters | Edward Aldridge Donald Rice | Caspar Weinberger Frank Carlucci Dick Cheney | [6] | |
| 13 | General Michael J. Dugan (born 1937) | 1 July 1990 | 17 September 1990 (relieved) | 78 days | Fighters | Donald Rice | Dick Cheney | [6] | |
| - | General John M. Loh (born 1938) Acting [c] | 18 September 1990 | 29 October 1990 | 41 days | Fighters | Donald Rice | Dick Cheney | [6] | |
| 14 | General Merrill A. McPeak (born 1936) | 30 October 1990 | 25 October 1994 | 3 years, 360 days | Fighters | Donald Rice Sheila Widnall | Dick Cheney Les Aspin William J. Perry | [6] | |
| 15 | General Ronald R. Fogleman (born 1942) | 26 October 1994 | 1 September 1997 | 2 years, 310 days | Fighters | Sheila Widnall | William J. Perry William Cohen | [6] | |
| - | General Ralph E. Eberhart (born 1946) Acting [c] | 2 September 1997 | 5 October 1997 | 33 days | Fighters | Sheila Widnall | William Cohen | [6] | |
| 16 | General Michael E. Ryan (born 1941) | 6 October 1997 | 5 September 2001 | 3 years, 334 days | Fighters | Sheila Widnall F. Whitten Peters James G. Roche | William Cohen Donald Rumsfeld | [6] | |
| 17 | General John P. Jumper (born 1945) | 6 September 2001 | 1 September 2005 | 3 years, 360 days | Fighters | James G. Roche | Donald Rumsfeld | [6] | |
| 18 | General T. Michael Moseley (born 1949) | 2 September 2005[a] | 11 July 2008 (resigned) | 2 years, 344 days | Fighters | Michael Wynne | Donald Rumsfeld Robert Gates | [8] | |
| - | General Duncan J. McNabb (born 1952) Acting [c] | 12 July 2008 | 12 August 2008 | 31 days | Airlift | Michael B. Donley | Robert Gates | [8] | |
| 19 | General Norton A. Schwartz (born 1951) | 12 August 2008 | 10 August 2012 | 3 years, 364 days | Airlift and Special Operations aircraft | Michael B. Donley | Robert Gates Leon Panetta | [9] | |
| 20 | General Mark A. Welsh III (born 1953) | 10 August 2012 | 24 June 2016 | 3 years, 319 days | Attack and Fighters | Michael B. Donley Deborah Lee James | Leon Panetta Chuck Hagel Ash Carter | [10] | |
| 21 | General David L. Goldfein (born 1959) | 1 July 2016[a] | 6 August 2020 | 4 years, 36 days | Fighters | Deborah Lee James Heather Wilson Barbara Barrett | Ash Carter Jim Mattis Mark Esper | [11] | |
| 22 | General Charles Q. Brown Jr. (born 1962) | 6 August 2020 | 29 September 2023[b] | 3 years, 54 days | Fighters | Barbara Barrett Frank Kendall III | Mark Esper Lloyd Austin | [12] | |
| –[c] |
|
General David W. Allvin (born 1963) |
29 September 2023 | 2 November 2023 | 34 days | Airlift | Frank Kendall III | Lloyd Austin | [13] |
| 23 | 2 November 2023 | Incumbent | 364 days | [14] | |||||
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Timeline
edit
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ "Air Force Chief of Staff". www.af.mil. U.S. Air Force. Archived from the original on 30 October 2024.
Air Force Chief of Staff Seal.
- ^ Weckerlein, Julie (12 August 2008). "General Schwartz in as 19th chief of staff". www.af.mil. U.S. Air Force. Archived from the original on 21 November 2021.
- ^ "Air House: A History". U.S. Air Force.
- ^ 10 U.S.C. § 9033
- ^ 10 U.S.C. § 9034
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y "Former Air Force Chiefs of Staff". Air Force Historical Support Division. Archived from the original on 9 June 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b "USAF CHIEF OF STAFF SERVICE CAP". www.uniforms-4u.com. The Salute Uniforms. Archived from the original on 12 April 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Air Force Magazine, Volume 100, Issues 1-10". Air Force Magazine. Air Force Association. 15 December 2016. Archived from the original on 13 September 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ^ Weckerlein, Julie (13 August 2008). "General Schwartz assumes command of Air Force". Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Jones, Shawn (14 August 2012). "Welsh 'humbled' to serve as Air Force chief of staff". Buckley Space Force Base. Air Force Public Affairs Agency. Archived from the original on 22 June 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2022. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Gibson, Alyssa (1 July 2016). "Goldfein swears in as 21st CSAF". U.S. Air Force. Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs Command Information. Archived from the original on 7 July 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Pope, Charles (6 August 2020). "Brown formally installed as 22nd Air Force Chief of Staff". U.S. Air Force. Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 24 November 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2022. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Pope, Charles (29 September 2023). "Brown's tenure as CSAF leaves lasting imprint on the service, its evolution". Air Combat Command. Arlington, Virginia: Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 30 September 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2023. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Hadley, Greg; Gordon, Chris (2 November 2023). "USAF's New Chief: Allvin Confirmed as Air Force's 23rd Chief of Staff". Air & Space Forces Magazine. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
