United States Secretary of the Air Force - wikipedia United States Secretary of the Air Force Secretary of the Air Force Seal of the Secretary of the Air Force Flag of the Secretary of the Air Force Incumbent Heather Wilson since May 16, 2017 Department of the Air Force Style Madam 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 Inaugural holder Stuart Symington Formation September 18, 1947 ; 70 years ago ( 1947 - 09 - 18 ) Succession 4th in SecDef succession Deputy The Under Secretary ( principal civilian deputy ) The Chief of Staff ( military advisor and deputy ) Salary Executive Schedule, Level II Website Official website The Secretary of the Air Force ( SecAF, or SAF / OS ) is the head of the Department of the Air Force, a component organization within the Department of Defense of the United States. The Secretary of the Air Force is appointed from civilian life 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 his / her civilian deputy, the Under Secretary of the Air Force ; and his / her military deputy, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, who is the senior ranked uniformed officer in the United States Air Force. The first Secretary of the Air Force, Stuart Symington, was sworn - in on September 18, 1947 upon the re-organization of the Army Air Forces into a military department and a military service of its own, independent of the War Department / Army, with the enactment of the National Security Act. On May 16, 2017, Heather Wilson was sworn in as the next Secretary of the Air Force. Wilson was nominated by President Donald Trump on January 23, 2017, and confirmed by the US Senate on May 8, 2017. Contents 1 Responsibilities 2 Office of the Secretary of the Air Force 2.1 Composition 3 Chronological list of Secretaries of the Air Force 4 See also 5 References 6 Notes 7 External links Responsibilities The Secretary is the head of the Department of the Air Force, analogous to that of a chief executive officer of a corporation. The Department of the Air Force is defined as a Military Department. It is not limited to the Washington headquarter staffs, rather it is an entity which includes all the components of the United States Air Force and the Air National Guard : 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 Title 10 Section 8013 ( 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. Stuart Symington is sworn - in as Secretary of the Air Force by Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson on September 18, 1947. By direction of the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Air Force assigns military units of the Department of the Air Force, other than those who carry out the functions listed in 10 USC 8013 ( b ), to the Unified and Specified Combatant Commands to perform missions assigned to those commands. Air 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 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 Commands. Air 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 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 service members, including to 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 Agency overview Formed 1947 Headquarters Pentagon Parent agency Department 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 two headquarter staffs at the seat of government, the other one is the Air Staff. 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 Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Logistics Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs 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 Chronological list of Secretaries of the Air Force No. Image Name Term of office Secretary of Defense Appointed by President Began Ended Days of Service W. Stuart Symington September 18, 1947 April 24, 1950 949 James Forrestal Louis Johnson Harry S. Truman Thomas K. Finletter April 24, 1950 January 20, 1953 1002 Louis Johnson George Marshall Robert Lovett Harold E. Talbott February 4, 1953 August 13, 1955 920 Charles Wilson Dwight D. Eisenhower Donald A. Quarles August 15, 1955 April 30, 1957 624 5 James H. Douglas, Jr. May 1, 1957 December 10, 1959 953 Charles Wilson Neil McElroy Thomas Gates 6 Dudley C. Sharp December 11, 1959 January 20, 1961 406 Thomas Gates 7 Eugene M. Zuckert January 24, 1961 September 30, 1965 1710 Robert McNamara John F. Kennedy 8 Harold Brown October 1, 1965 February 15, 1969 1233 Robert McNamara Clark Clifford Mel Laird Lyndon B. Johnson 9 Robert C. Seamans, Jr. February 15, 1969 May 15, 1973 1550 Mel Laird Elliot Richardson Richard M. Nixon Acting John L. McLucas May 15, 1973 July 18, 1973 64 Elliot Richardson James Schlesinger 10 July 18, 1973 November 23, 1975 858 James Schlesinger Donald Rumsfeld Acting James W. Plummer November 24, 1975 January 1, 1976 38 Donald Rumsfeld Gerald Ford 11 Thomas C. Reed January 2, 1976 April 6, 1977 460 Donald Rumsfeld Harold Brown 12 John C. Stetson April 6, 1977 May 18, 1979 772 Harold Brown Jimmy Carter Acting Hans Mark May 18, 1979 July 26, 1979 69 13 July 26, 1979 February 9, 1981 564 Harold Brown Caspar Weinberger 14 Verne Orr February 9, 1981 November 30, 1985 1755 Caspar Weinberger Ronald Reagan 15 Russell A. Rourke December 9, 1985 April 6, 1986 118 Acting Edward C. Aldridge Jr. April 6, 1986 June 8, 1986 63 16 June 9, 1986 December 16, 1988 921 Caspar Weinberger Frank Carlucci Acting James F. McGovern December 16, 1988 April 29, 1989 134 Frank Carlucci Dick Cheney Acting John J. Welch, Jr. April 29, 1989 May 21, 1989 22 Dick Cheney George H.W. Bush 17 Donald B. Rice May 1, 1989 January 20, 1993 1360 Acting Michael B. Donley January 20, 1993 July 13, 1993 174 Les Aspin Bill Clinton Acting Merrill A. McPeak July 14, 1993 August 5, 1993 22 18 Sheila E. Widnall August 6, 1993 October 31, 1997 1547 Les Aspin William Perry William Cohen Acting F. Whitten Peters November 1, 1997 July 30, 1999 636 William Cohen 19 July 30, 1999 January 20, 2001 540 Acting Lawrence J. Delaney January 21, 2001 May 31, 2001 130 Donald Rumsfeld George W. Bush 20 James G. Roche June 1, 2001 January 20, 2005 1329 Acting Peter B. Teets January 20, 2005 March 25, 2005 64 Acting Michael Montelongo March 25, 2005 March 28, 2005 Acting Michael L. Dominguez March 28, 2005 July 29, 2005 123 Acting Pete Geren July 29, 2005 November 4, 2005 98 21 Michael Wynne November 4, 2005 June 20, 2008 959 Donald Rumsfeld Robert Gates Acting Michael B. Donley June 21, 2008 October 2, 2008 103 Robert Gates Leon Panetta Chuck Hagel Barack Obama 22 October 2, 2008 June 21, 2013 1723 Acting Eric Fanning June 21, 2013 December 20, 2013 182 Chuck Hagel Ash Carter 23 Deborah Lee James December 20, 2013 January 20, 2017 1127 Acting Lisa Disbrow January 20, 2017 May 16, 2017 116 Jim Mattis Donald Trump 24 Heather Wilson May 16, 2017 Incumbent 288 See also United States Air Force portal Military of the United States portal Air Force Cross ( United States ) 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 Subtitle D -- Air Force CHAPTER 6 -- COMBATANT COMMANDERS § 162. Combatant command : assigned forces ; chain of command CHAPTER 803 -- DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE § 8011. Organization. § 8013. Secretary of the Air Force. § 8014. Office of the Secretary of the Air Force. § 8015. Under Secretary of the Air Force. CHAPTER 805 -- THE AIR STAFF § 8032. The Air Staff : general duties § 8033. 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 Jump up ^ 10 USC 8013 ( a ) Jump up ^ 10 USC 8013 ( a ) - ( b ) Jump up ^ 10 USC 101 ( a ) ( 8 ) Jump up ^ 10 USC 101 ( a ) ( 6 ) Jump up ^ 10 USC 8013 ( b ) Jump up ^ 10 USC 162 ( a ) Jump up ^ DODD 5100.1, 6.1. Jump up ^ 10 USC 8013 ( f-g ) Jump up ^ 10 USC 8013 ( d ) Jump up ^ DODD 5101.2, 3. MISSION Jump up ^ http://dod-executiveagent.osd.mil/agentListView.aspx?ID=55 Jump up ^ DefenseLink News Article : Army Secretary Resigns in Wake of Walter Reed Outpatient - Care Shortfalls ^ Jump up to : Air Force Almanac 2011, Accessed on 2011 - 09 - 12 External links Leaders Through the Years, 2012 USAF Almanac US Air Force Senior Leadership at Archive.is ( archived 2012 - 12 - 12 ) United States Air Force Leadership Secretary of the Air Force Under Secretary of the Air Force Chief of Staff Vice Chief of Staff Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Four - star generals House Armed Services Committee House Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces Senate Committee on Armed Services Senate Subcommittee on Airland Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces Structure Commands Reserve Air National Guard Field Operating Agencies Installations Direct Reporting Units District of Washington Operational Test and Evaluation Center USAF Academy Major Commands ACC AETC AFGSC AFMC AFRC AFSPC AFSOC AMC PACAF USAFE - AFA Numbered Air Forces First Second Third Fourth Fifth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh Twelfth Fourteenth Seventeenth Eighteenth Nineteenth Twentieth Twenty - Second Twenty - Fourth Twenty - Fifth Air Forces Central Wings ANG Groups ANG Squadrons ANG Security Forces Civilian auxiliary : Civil Air Patrol Personnel and training Airmen Rank officers enlisted Specialty Code Aeronautical ratings Judge Advocate General 's Corps RED HORSE Medical Service Chief of Chaplains Chief Scientist Training : Air Force Academy Officer Training School Reserve Officer Training Corps Basic Training Airman Leadership School SERE Fitness Assessment Uniforms and equipment Awards and decorations Badges Equipment Uniforms History and traditions History Aeronautical Division / Aviation Section / Division of Military Aeronautics / Army Air Service / Army Air Corps / Army Air Forces `` The U.S. Air Force '' Air Force Band Airman 's Creed Core Values Flag Symbol Memorial National Museum Women Airforce Service Pilots Air Force One Honor Guard Thunderbirds Service numbers Category United States Air Force portal Senior officials in the United States Department of Defense Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan Chief Management Officer John H. Gibson Secretaries of the Military Departments Secretary of the Army : Mark Esper Secretary of the Navy : Richard V. Spencer Secretary of the Air Force : Heather Wilson Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Joe Dunford, USMC Under Secretaries of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment : Ellen Lord Research and Engineering : Michael D. Griffin Policy : David Trachtenberg Comptroller / Chief Financial Officer : David Norquist Personnel and Readiness : Robert Wilkie Intelligence : Joseph D. Kernan Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Paul Selva, USAF Chiefs of the Military Services Chief of Staff of the Army : GEN Mark Milley Commandant of the Marine Corps : Gen Robert Neller Chief of Naval Operations : ADM John Richardson Chief of Staff of the Air Force : Gen David Goldfein Chief of the National Guard Bureau Gen Joseph Lengyel, USAF Unified Combatant Command Commanders Africa : Gen Tom Waldhauser, USMC Central : GEN Joe Votel, USA European : GEN Mike Scaparrotti, USA Northern : Gen Lori Robinson, USAF Pacific : ADM Harry Harris, USN Southern : ADM Kurt Tidd, USN Special Operations : GEN Tony Thomas, USA Strategic : Gen John Hyten, USAF Transportation : Gen Darren McDew, USAF - Acting United States Department of Defense Headquarters : The Pentagon James Mattis, Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan, Deputy Secretary of Defense Office of the Secretary of Defense ( including Defense Agencies and DoD Field Activities ) Deputy Secretary of Defense Deputy 's Advisory Working Group Office of Net Assessment Special Access Program Oversight Committee Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Director, Defense Research and Engineering Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Missile Defense Agency Defense Contract Management Agency Defense Logistics Agency Defense Technical Information Center Defense Threat Reduction Agency Office of Economic Adjustment Defense Acquisition University Defense Acquisition Board Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Defense Security Cooperation Agency Defense POW / MIA Accounting Agency Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee Under Secretary of Defense ( Comptroller ) Defense Contract Audit Agency Defense Finance and Accounting Service Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Defense Commissary Agency Department of Defense Education Activity DoD Human Resources Activity Military Health System Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Defense Intelligence Agency Defense Security Service Defense Information Systems Agency National Geospatial - Intelligence Agency National Reconnaissance Office National Security Agency ( Director ) Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Defense Media Activity ( American Forces Press Service, American Forces Radio and Television Service, Stars and Stripes, The Pentagon Channel ) General Counsel of the Department of Defense Defense Legal Services Agency Director of Administration and Management Pentagon Force Protection Agency Washington Headquarters Services Military Departments Department of the Army Secretary of the Army The Secretariat : Under Secretary of the Army Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology Assistant Secretary for Civil Works Assistant Secretary ( Financial Management and Comptroller ) Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs General Counsel of the Army The Administrative Assistant The Army Staff : Chief of Staff of the Army Vice Chief of Staff of the Army Sergeant Major of the Army Deputy Chief of Staff G - 8 Chief of Chaplains Judge Advocate General Provost Marshal General Surgeon General U.S. Army field organizations : see Structure of the United States Army Department of the Navy Secretary of the Navy The Secretariat : Under Secretary of the Navy Assistant Secretary of the Navy ( Financial Management and Comptroller ) Assistant Secretary of the Navy ( Installations and Environment ) Assistant Secretary of the Navy ( Manpower and Reserve Affairs ) Assistant Secretary of the Navy ( Research, Development and Acquisitions ) General Counsel of the Navy Judge Advocate General Naval Criminal Investigative Service Naval Inspector General Headquarters Marine Corps : Commandant of the Marine Corps Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Chaplain U.S. Marine Corps field organizations : see Organization of the United States Marine Corps Office of the Chief of Naval Operations : Chief of Naval Operations Vice Chief of Naval Operations Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Director of Naval Reactors Chief of Chaplains Chief of Naval Personnel Surgeon General United States Navy field organizations : see Structure of the United States Navy Department of the Air Force Secretary of the Air Force The Secretariat : Under Secretary of the Air Force Assistant Secretary of the Air Force ( Acquisition ) Assistant Secretary of the Air Force ( Financial Management & Comptroller ) Assistant Secretary of the Air Force ( Installations, Environment & Logistics ) Assistant Secretary of the Air Force ( Manpower & Reserve Affairs ) General Counsel of the Air Force Air Force Office of Special Investigations The Air Staff : Chief of Staff of the Air Force Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Chief of Chaplains Chief of Safety Chief Scientist Judge Advocate General Surgeon General U.S. Air Force field organizations : Major Commands Direct Reporting Units Field Operating Agencies Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman Joint Requirements Oversight Council Director of the Joint Staff Joint Staff National Military Command Center Alternate National Military Command Center National Defense University Combatant Commands Africa Command Central Command European Command Northern Command Pacific Command Southern Command Special Operations Command Strategic Command ( Cyber Command ) Transportation Command National Guard Bureau Chief of the National Guard Bureau Air National Guard Army National Guard Office of the Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service United States Armed Forces Book Portal MC AF CG Category MC AF CG Navbox MC AF CG Leadership Commander - in - chief : President of the United States Secretary of Defense Deputy Secretary of Defense Secretary of Homeland Security Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Joint Chiefs of Staff : Chairman Vice Chairman United States Congress : Committees on Armed Services : Senate House Active duty four - star officers United States military seniority National Security Act of 1947 Goldwater -- Nichols Act Organization Service departments Department of Defense ( Secretary ) : Army ( Secretary ) Navy ( Secretary ) Air Force ( Secretary ) Department of Homeland Security ( Secretary ) : Coast Guard Branches Army ( Chief of Staff ) Marine Corps ( Commandant ) Navy ( Chief of Naval Operations ) Air Force ( Chief of Staff ) Coast Guard ( Commandant ) Reserve components Reserves : A MC N AF CG National Guard : A AF Civilian auxiliaries Military Auxiliary Radio System Merchant Marine Civil Air Patrol Coast Guard Auxiliary Unified Combatant Command Northern Central European Pacific Southern Africa Special Operations Strategic Transportation Structure United States Code Title 10 Title 14 Title 32 Title 50 The Pentagon Installations Units : A MC N AF CG Logistics Media Unit mottoes Operations and history Current deployments Conflicts Wars Timeline History : A MC N AF CG Colonial World War II Civil affairs African Americans Asian Americans Buddhist Americans Jewish Americans Muslim Americans Pakistani Americans Sikh Americans Historiography : Army Center of Military History MC History Division Naval History and Heritage Command Air Force Historical Research Agency American official war artists : Army Art Program AF Art Program Personnel Training MEPS ASVAB Recruit training : A MC N AF CG Officer candidate school : A MC N AF Warrant : A MC Service academies : A ( prep ) N ( prep ) AF ( prep ) CG Merchant Marine ROTC A : ECP MC / N AF Medical Other education Uniforms Uniforms : A MC N AF CG Awards & decorations : Inter-service A MC / N AF CG Foreign International Devices Badges : Identification A MC N AF CG Ranks Enlisted : A MC N AF CG Warrant officers Officer : A MC N AF CG Other Oath : Enlistment Office Creeds & Codes : Code of Conduct NCO A MC N AF CG Service numbers : A MC N AF CG Military Occupational Specialty / Rating / Air Force Specialty Code Pay Uniform Code of Military Justice Judge Advocate General 's Corps Military Health System / TRICARE Separation Veterans Affairs Conscription Chiefs of Chaplains : A MC N AF CG Equipment MC : vehicles weapons other AF CG Land Individual weapons Crew - served weapons Vehicles ( active ) Sea All watercraft Ships : A N ( active ) AF CG MSC Weapons : N CG Reactors Air Aircraft World War I active Aircraft designation Missiles Helicopter arms Other Nuclear football Electronics ( designations ) Flags : A MC N AF CG Ensign Jack Guidons Food WMDs : Nuclear Biological Chemical Legend A = Army MC = Marine Corps N = Navy AF = Air Force CG = Coast Guard Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=United_States_Secretary_of_the_Air_Force&oldid=822501256 '' Categories : 1947 establishments in the United States Lists of members of the Cabinet of the United States United States Air Force United States Secretaries of the Air Force Hidden categories : Webarchive template archiveis links Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Français Italiano עברית Bahasa Melayu 日本 語 Português Русский Simple English Suomi Svenska Українська Tiếng Việt 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 26 January 2018, at 19 : 00. 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Question: who does the secretary of the air force report to
Answer: Secretary of Defense and/or the Deputy Secretary of Defense