United States Secretary of the Air Force

Responsibilities

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 exclusive responsibilities of the secretary of the Air Force are enumerated in 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 , 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:

Office of the Secretary of the Air Force

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

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.

Notes

References

1. (September 14, 2000). "Department of Defense Instruction Number 3100.12".
2. {{USCSub. 10. 9013. a
3. {{USCSub. 10. 9013. b
4. {{USCSub. 10. 101. a. 8
5. {{USCSub. 10. 101. a. 6
6. 10 USC 162 (a)
7. DODD 5100.1, 6.1.
8. 10 USC 8013 (f-g)
9. 10 USC 8013 (d)
10. DODD 5101.2, 3. MISSION
11. "DoD Executive Agent".
12. SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE [https://www.safsq.hq.af.mil/Portals/76/HAFMD1-17%20SAF-SQ.pdf (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
13. [http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=3248 DefenseLink News Article: Army Secretary Resigns in Wake of Walter Reed Outpatient-Care Shortfalls]
14. (May 2011). "USAF Almanac 2011 Leaders Through the Years: Headquarters USAF Leaders".