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Secretary of the Air Force
Flag of the Secretary of the Air Force.svg
Flag of the secretary
Seal of the United States Department of the Air Force.svg
Seal of the Department of the Air Force
Frank Kendall III (2).jpg
Incumbent
Frank Kendall III

since July 28, 2021
Department of the Air Force
Style Mr. Secretary
The Honorable
(formal address in writing)
Reports to Secretary of Defense
Deputy Secretary of Defense
Appointer The President
with the advice and consent of the Senate
Term length No fixed term
Precursor Secretary of War
Inaugural holder Stuart Symington
Formation September 18, 1947; 77 years ago (1947-09-18)
Succession 3rd in SecDef succession
Deputy The Under Secretary
(principal civilian deputy)
The Chief of Staff
(military deputy)
The Chief of Space Operations (military deputy)
Salary Executive Schedule, Level II

The Secretary of the Air Force, sometimes referred to as the Secretary of the Department of the Air Force, (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. 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.

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.

On July 26, 2021 the United States Senate confirmed Frank Kendall III as the next Secretary of the Air Force. On July 28, 2021, Kendall was sworn in as the 26th Secretary of the Air Force.

Responsibilities

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

The term 'department', when used with respect to a military department, means the executive part of the department and all field headquarters, forces, reserve components, installations, activities, and functions under the control or supervision of the Secretary of the department.

The exclusive responsibilities of the secretary of the Air Force are enumerated in 10 U.S.C. § 9013(b) of the United States Code. They include, but are not limited to:

(1) Recruiting.

(2) Organizing.

(3) Supplying.

(4) Equipping (including research and development).

(5) Training.

(6) Servicing.

(7) Mobilizing.

(8) Demobilizing.

(9) Administering (including the morale and welfare of personnel).

(10) Maintaining.

(11) The construction, outfitting, and repair of military equipment.

(12) The construction, maintenance, and repair of buildings, structures, and utilities and the acquisition of real property and interests in real property necessary to carry out the responsibilities specified in this section.

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 10 U.S.C. § 9013(b), 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.

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. 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. 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, 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.

Office of the Secretary of the Air Force

Office of the Secretary of the Air Force
Office of the Secretary of the Air Force seal.jpg
Agency overview
Formed 1947
Headquarters Pentagon
Parent agency Department of the Air Force
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
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
  • 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

No. Portrait Secretary of the Air Force Took office Left office Time in office Secretary of Defense President
1
Stuart Symington
Stuart Symington
(1901–1988)
September 18, 1947 April 24, 1950 2 years, 218 days James Vincent Forrestal
Louis A. Johnson
Harry S. Truman
2
Thomas K. Finletter
Thomas K. Finletter
(1893–1980)
April 24, 1950 January 20, 1953 2 years, 271 days Louis A. Johnson
George Marshall
Robert Abercrombie Lovett
Harry S. Truman
3
Harold E. Talbott
Harold E. Talbott
(1888–1957)
February 4, 1953 August 13, 1955 2 years, 190 days Charles Erwin Wilson Dwight D. Eisenhower
4
Donald A. Quarles
Donald A. Quarles
(1894–1959)
August 15, 1955 April 30, 1957 −2 days Charles Erwin Wilson Dwight D. Eisenhower
5
James H. Douglas, Jr.
James H. Douglas, Jr.
(1899–1988)
May 1, 1957 December 10, 1959 2 years, 223 days Charles Erwin Wilson
Neil Hosler McElroy
Thomas S. Gates Jr.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
6
Dudley C. Sharp
Dudley C. Sharp
(1905–1987)
December 11, 1959 January 20, 1961 1 year, 40 days Thomas S. Gates Jr. Dwight D. Eisenhower
7
Eugene M. Zuckert
Eugene M. Zuckert
(1911–2000)
January 24, 1961 September 30, 1965 4 years, 249 days Robert McNamara John F. Kennedy
8
Harold Brown
Harold Brown
(1927–2019)
October 1, 1965 February 15, 1969 3 years, 137 days Robert McNamara
Clark McAdams Clifford
Melvin Laird
Lyndon B. Johnson
9
Robert C. Seamans, Jr.
Robert C. Seamans, Jr.
(1918–2008)
February 15, 1969 May 15, 1973 4 years, 89 days Melvin Laird
Elliot Richardson
Richard Nixon
-
John L. McLucas
John L. McLucas
(1920–2002)
Acting
May 15, 1973 July 18, 1973 64 days Elliot Richardson
James R. Schlesinger
Richard Nixon
10
John L. McLucas
John L. McLucas
(1920–2002)
July 18, 1973 November 23, 1975 2 years, 128 days James R. Schlesinger
Donald Rumsfeld
Richard Nixon
11
Thomas C. Reed
Thomas C. Reed
(1934–2024)
January 2, 1976 April 6, 1977 1 year, 94 days Donald Rumsfeld
Harold Brown
Richard Nixon
12
John C. Stetson
John C. Stetson
(1920–2007)
April 6, 1977 May 18, 1979 2 years, 42 days Harold Brown Jimmy Carter
-
Hans Mark
Hans Mark
(1929–2021)
Acting
May 18, 1979 July 26, 1979 69 days Harold Brown Jimmy Carter
13
Hans Mark
Hans Mark
(1929–2021)
July 26, 1979 February 9, 1981 1 year, 198 days Harold Brown
Caspar Weinberger
Jimmy Carter
14
Verne Orr
Verne Orr
(1916–2008)
February 9, 1981 November 30, 1985 4 years, 294 days Caspar Weinberger Ronald Reagan
15
Russell A. Rourke
Russell A. Rourke
(1931–2003)
December 9, 1985 April 6, 1986 118 days Caspar Weinberger Ronald Reagan
-
Edward C. Aldridge Jr.
Edward C. Aldridge Jr.
(born 1938)
Acting
April 6, 1986 June 8, 1986 63 days Caspar Weinberger Ronald Reagan
16
Edward C. Aldridge Jr.
Edward C. Aldridge Jr.
(born 1938)
June 9, 1986 December 16, 1988 2 years, 190 days Caspar Weinberger
Frank Carlucci
Ronald Reagan
-
James F. McGovern
James F. McGovern
(born 1946)
Acting
December 16, 1988 April 29, 1989 134 days Frank Carlucci
Dick Cheney
Ronald Reagan
-
John J. Welch, Jr.
John J. Welch, Jr.
(1930–2010)
Acting
April 29, 1989 May 21, 1989 22 days Dick Cheney George H. W. Bush
17
Donald B. Rice
Donald B. Rice
(born 1939)
May 21, 1989 January 20, 1993 3 years, 244 days Dick Cheney George H. W. Bush
-
Michael B. Donley
Michael B. Donley
(born 1952)
Acting
January 20, 1993 July 13, 1993 174 days Les Aspin Bill Clinton
-
Merrill A. McPeak
Merrill A. McPeak
(born 1936)
Acting
July 14, 1993 August 5, 1993 22 days Les Aspin Bill Clinton
18
Sheila Widnall
Sheila Widnall
(born 1938)
August 6, 1993 October 31, 1997 4 years, 86 days Les Aspin
William J. Perry
William Cohen
Bill Clinton
-
F. Whitten Peters
F. Whitten Peters
(born 1946)
Acting
November 1, 1997 July 30, 1999 1 year, 271 days William Cohen Bill Clinton
19
F. Whitten Peters
F. Whitten Peters
(born 1946)
July 30, 1999 January 20, 2001 1 year, 174 days William Cohen Bill Clinton
-
Lawrence J. Delaney
Lawrence J. Delaney
(born 1935)
Acting
January 21, 2001 May 31, 2001 130 days Donald Rumsfeld George W. Bush
20
James G. Roche
James G. Roche
(born 1939)
June 1, 2001 January 20, 2005 3 years, 233 days Donald Rumsfeld George W. Bush
-
Peter B. Teets
Peter B. Teets
(1942–2020)
Acting
January 20, 2005 March 25, 2005 64 days Donald Rumsfeld George W. Bush
-
Michael Montelongo
Michael Montelongo
(born 1955)
Acting
March 25, 2005 March 28, 2005 3 days Donald Rumsfeld George W. Bush
-
Michael L. Dominguez
Michael L. Dominguez
(born 1953)
Acting
March 28, 2005 July 29, 2005 123 days Donald Rumsfeld George W. Bush
-
Pete Geren
Pete Geren
(born 1952)
Acting
July 29, 2005 November 4, 2005 98 days Donald Rumsfeld George W. Bush
21
Michael Wynne
Michael Wynne
(born 1944)
November 4, 2005 June 20, 2008 2 years, 229 days Donald Rumsfeld
Robert Gates
George W. Bush
-
Michael B. Donley
Michael B. Donley
(born 1952)
Acting
June 21, 2008 October 2, 2008 103 days Robert Gates George W. Bush
22
Michael B. Donley
Michael B. Donley
(born 1952)
October 2, 2008 June 21, 2013 4 years, 262 days Robert Gates
Leon Panetta
Chuck Hagel
George W. Bush
Barack Obama
-
Eric Fanning
Eric Fanning
(born 1968)
Acting
June 21, 2013 December 20, 2013 182 days Chuck Hagel
Ash Carter
Barack Obama
23
Deborah Lee James
Deborah Lee James
(born 1958)
December 20, 2013 January 20, 2017 3 years, 31 days Ash Carter Barack Obama
-
Lisa Disbrow
Lisa Disbrow
(born 1962)
Acting
January 20, 2017 May 16, 2017 116 days Jim Mattis Donald Trump
24
Heather Wilson
Heather Wilson
(born 1960)
May 16, 2017 May 31, 2019 2 years, 15 days Patrick M. Shanahan (acting) Donald Trump
-
Matthew Donovan
Matthew Donovan
(born 1957/1958)
Acting
June 1, 2019 October 18, 2019 139 days Mark Esper Donald Trump
25
Barbara Barrett
Barbara Barrett
(born 1950)
October 18, 2019 January 20, 2021 1 year, 94 days Mark Esper Donald Trump
-
John P. Roth
John P. Roth
(born 1952/1953)
Acting
January 20, 2021 July 28, 2021 189 days Lloyd Austin Joe Biden
26
Frank Kendall III
Frank Kendall III
(born 1949)
July 28, 2021 Incumbent 3 years, 149 days Lloyd Austin Joe Biden

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Secretario de la Fuerza Aérea de los Estados Unidos para niños

  • Department of the Air Force Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service
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