# 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.
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
### Department of the Air Force

Under 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.
The vice chief of staff of the Air Force, also a four-star general, is the chief of staff's principal deputy.

### Member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

The 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

The chief of staff is nominated for appointment by the president, for a four-year term of office, and must be confirmed via majority vote by the Senate. Any Air Force officer with the rank of brigadier general and above may be appointed as chief of staff. 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.
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. By statute, the chief of staff is appointed as a four-star general without vacating his permanent rank.

### Special uniform cap

The 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.

## List of chiefs of staff of the Air Force

Prior 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 | Term | Term | Background | Secretaries served under: | Secretaries served under: | Ref. |
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Duration | Background | Air Force | Defense | Ref. |
| 1 | | Spaatz, Carl AndrewGeneral Carl A. Spaatz (1891–1974) | 26 September 1947 | 29 April 1948 | 216 days | Fighters | Stuart Symington | James Forrestal | |
| 2 | | Vandenberg, Hoyt SanfordGeneral Hoyt S. Vandenberg (1899–1954) | 30 April 1948 | 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 | |
| 3 | | Twining, Nathan FarragutGeneral Nathan F. Twining (1897–1982) | 30 June 1953 | 30 June 1957 | 4 years, 0 days | Fighters and Bombers | Harold E. Talbott Donald A. Quarles James H. Douglas Jr. | Charles Erwin Wilson | |
| 4 | | White, Thomas DresserGeneral Thomas D. White (1901–1965) | 1 July 1957 | 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 | |
| 5 | | LeMay, Curtis EmersonGeneral Curtis E. LeMay (1906–1990) | 30 June 1961 | 31 January 1965 | 3 years, 215 days | Bombers | Eugene Zuckert | Robert McNamara | |
| 6 | | McConnell, John PaulGeneral John P. McConnell (1908–1986) | 1 February 1965 | 31 July 1969 | 4 years, 180 days | Fighters | Eugene Zuckert Harold Brown Robert Seamans | Robert McNamara Clark Clifford Melvin Laird | |
| 7 | | Ryan, John DaleGeneral John D. Ryan (1915–1983) | 1 August 1969 | 31 July 1973 | 3 years, 364 days | Bombers | Robert Seamans John L. McLucas | Melvin Laird Elliot Richardson James R. Schlesinger | |
| 8 | | Brown, George ScratchleyGeneral George S. Brown (1918–1978) | 1 August 1973 | 30 June 1974 | 333 days | Bombers | John L. McLucas | James R. Schlesinger | |
| 9 | | Jones, David CharlesGeneral David C. Jones (1921–2013) | 1 July 1974 | 20 June 1978 | 3 years, 354 days | Bombers | John L. McLucas Thomas C. Reed John C. Stetson | James R. Schlesinger Donald Rumsfeld Harold Brown | |
| 10 | | Allen, LewGeneral Lew Allen Jr. (1925–2010) | 1 July 1978 | 30 June 1982 | 3 years, 364 days | Bombers | John C. Stetson Hans Mark Verne Orr | Harold Brown Caspar Weinberger | |
| 11 | | Gabriel, Charles AlvinGeneral 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 | |
| 12 | | Welch, Larry D.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 | |
| 13 | | Dugan, Michael JosephGeneral Michael J. Dugan (born 1937) | 1 July 1990 | 17 September 1990 (relieved) | 78 days | Fighters | Donald Rice | Dick Cheney | |
| - | | Loh, John MichaelGeneral John M. Loh (born 1938) Acting | 18 September 1990 | 29 October 1990 | 41 days | Fighters | Donald Rice | Dick Cheney | |
| 14 | | McPeak, Merrill AnthonyGeneral 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 | |
| 15 | | Fogleman, Ronald RobertGeneral Ronald R. Fogleman (born 1942) | 26 October 1994 | 1 September 1997 | 2 years, 310 days | Fighters | Sheila Widnall | William J. Perry William Cohen | |
| - | | Eberhart, Ralph EdwardGeneral Ralph E. Eberhart (born 1946) Acting | 2 September 1997 | 5 October 1997 | 33 days | Fighters | Sheila Widnall | William Cohen | |
| 16 | | Ryan, MichaelGeneral 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 | |
| 17 | | Jumper, John PhillipGeneral John P. Jumper (born 1945) | 6 September 2001 | 1 September 2005 | 3 years, 360 days | Fighters | James G. Roche | Donald Rumsfeld | |
| 18 | | Moseley, Teed MichaelGeneral T. Michael Moseley (born 1949) | 2 September 2005 | 11 July 2008 (resigned) | 2 years, 344 days | Fighters | Michael Wynne | Donald Rumsfeld Robert Gates | |
| - | | McNabb, DuncanGeneral Duncan J. McNabb (born 1952) Acting | 12 July 2008 | 12 August 2008 | 31 days | Airlift | Michael B. Donley | Robert Gates | |
| 19 | | Schwartz, Norton AllanGeneral 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 | |
| 20 | | Welsh, Mark Anthony IIIGeneral 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 | |
| 21 | | Goldfein, David LeeGeneral David L. Goldfein (born 1959) | 1 July 2016 | 6 August 2020 | 4 years, 36 days | Fighters | Deborah Lee James Heather Wilson Barbara Barrett | Ash Carter Jim Mattis Mark Esper | |
| 22 | | Brown, Charles Quinton Jr.General Charles Q. Brown Jr. (born 1962) | 6 August 2020 | 29 September 2023 | 3 years, 54 days | Fighters | Barbara Barrett Frank Kendall III | Mark Esper Lloyd Austin | |
| – | | General David W. Allvin (born 1963) | 29 September 2023 | 2 November 2023 | 34 days | Airlift | Frank Kendall III | Lloyd Austin | |
| 23 | | General David W. Allvin (born 1963) | 2 November 2023 | Incumbent | 1 year, 77 days | Airlift | Frank Kendall III | Lloyd Austin | |