# Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force

The vice chief of staff of the Air Force (VCSAF) is the second-highest-ranking military officer in the United States Air Force. If the chief of staff of the Air Force (CSAF) is absent or is unable to perform his duties, then the VCSAF assumes the duties and responsibilities of the CSAF. The VCSAF may also perform other duties that the secretary of defense (SECDEF), the secretary of the Air Force (SECAF) or the CSAF assigns to him. The VCSAF is appointed by the president of the United States and must be confirmed via majority vote by the Senate. By statute, the VCSAF is appointed as a four-star general.
The office of the vice chief of staff of the Air Force has been vacant since 21 February 2025, after incumbent General James C. Slife was relieved of command.

## List of Vice Chiefs of Staff of the Air Force

| No. | Vice Chief of Staff | Vice Chief of Staff | Term | Term | Term | Chief of Staff |
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | Chief of Staff |
| 1 | | Vandenberg, HoytGeneral Hoyt S. Vandenberg (1899–1954) | 10 October 1947 | 28 April 1948 (became CSAF) | 201 days | Carl Spaatz |
| 2 | | Fairchild, MuirGeneral Muir S. Fairchild (1894–1950) | 27 May 1948 | 17 March 1950 † | 1 year, 294 days | Hoyt Vandenberg |
| - | | Norstad, LaurisGeneral Lauris Norstad (1907–1988) Acting | 2 May 1950 | 9 October 1950 | 160 days | Hoyt Vandenberg |
| 3 | | Twining, NathanGeneral Nathan F. Twining (1897–1982) | 10 October 1950 | 29 June 1953 (became CSAF) | 2 years, 262 days | Hoyt Vandenberg |
| 4 | | White, ThomasGeneral Thomas D. White (1901–1965) | 30 June 1953 | 30 June 1957 (became CSAF) | 4 years, 0 days | Nathan F. Twining |
| 5 | | LeMay, CurtisGeneral Curtis E. LeMay (1906–1990) | 1 July 1957 | 30 June 1961 (became CSAF) | 3 years, 364 days | Thomas D. White |
| 6 | | Smith, FredericGeneral Frederic H. Smith Jr. (1908–1980) | 1 July 1961 | 30 June 1962 (retired) | 364 days | Curtis LeMay |
| 7 | | McKee, WilliamGeneral William F. McKee (1906–1987) | 1 July 1962 | 31 July 1964 (retired) | 2 years, 30 days | Curtis LeMay |
| 8 | | McConnell, JohnGeneral John P. McConnell (1908–1986) | 1 August 1964 | 31 January 1965 (became CSAF) | 183 days | Curtis LeMay |
| 9 | | Blanchard, WilliamGeneral William H. Blanchard (1916–1966) | 19 February 1965 | 31 May 1966 † | 1 year, 101 days | John P. McConnell |
| - | | Wheless, HewittLieutenant General Hewitt T. Wheless (1913–1986) Acting | 13 June 1966 | 31 July 1966 | 48 days | John P. McConnell |
| 10 | | Holloway, BruceGeneral Bruce K. Holloway (1912–1999) | 1 August 1966 | 31 July 1968 (reassigned) | 1 year, 365 days | John P. McConnell |
| 11 | | Ryan, JohnGeneral John D. Ryan (1915–1983) | 1 August 1968 | 31 July 1969 (became CSAF) | 364 days | John P. McConnell |
| 12 | | Meyer, JohnGeneral John C. Meyer (1919–1975) | 1 August 1969 | 30 April 1972 (reassigned) | 2 years, 273 days | John D. Ryan |
| 13 | | Wade, HoraceGeneral Horace M. Wade (1916–2001) | 1 May 1972 | 31 October 1973 (reassigned) | 1 year, 183 days | John D. Ryan George S. Brown |
| 14 | | Ellis, RichardGeneral Richard H. Ellis (1919–1989) | 1 November 1973 | 18 August 1975 (reassigned) | 1 year, 290 days | George S. Brown David C. Jones |
| 15 | | McBride, WilliamGeneral William V. McBride (1922–2022) | 19 August 1975 | 31 March 1978 (retired) | 2 years, 224 days | David C. Jones |
| 16 | | Allen, LewGeneral Lew Allen Jr. (1925–2010) | 1 April 1978 | 30 June 1978 (became CSAF) | 90 days | David C. Jones |
| 17 | | Hill, JamesGeneral James A. Hill (1923–2010) | 1 July 1978 | 29 February 1980 (retired) | 1 year, 243 days | Lew Allen |
| 18 | | Mathis, RobertGeneral Robert C. Mathis (1927–2016) | 1 March 1980 | 31 May 1982 (retired) | 2 years, 91 days | Lew Allen |
| 19 | | O'Malley, JeromeGeneral Jerome F. O'Malley (1932–1985) | 1 June 1982 | 5 October 1983 (reassigned) | 1 year, 126 days | Lew Allen Charles A. Gabriel |
| 20 | | Skantze, LawrenceGeneral Lawrence A. Skantze (1928–2018) | 6 October 1983 | 31 July 1984 (reassigned) | 299 days | Charles A. Gabriel |
| 21 | | Welch, LarryGeneral Larry D. Welch (born 1934) | 1 August 1984 | 31 July 1985 (reassigned) | 364 days | Charles A. Gabriel |
| 22 | | Piotrowski, JohnGeneral John L. Piotrowski (born 1934) | 1 August 1985 | 31 January 1987 (reassigned) | 1 year, 183 days | Charles A. Gabriel Larry D. Welch |
| 23 | | Hatch, MonroeGeneral Monroe W. Hatch Jr. (born 1933) | 1 February 1987 | 1 June 1990 (retired) | 3 years, 120 days | Larry D. Welch |
| 24 | | Loh, JohnGeneral John M. Loh (born 1938) | 4 June 1990 | 1 April 1991 (reassigned) | 301 days | Larry D. Welch Michael Dugan Merrill McPeak |
| 25 | | Carns, MichaelGeneral Michael P. C. Carns (1937–2023) | 16 May 1991 | 28 July 1994 (retired) | 3 years, 73 days | Merrill McPeak |
| 26 | | Moorman, ThomasGeneral Thomas S. Moorman Jr. (1940–2020) | 29 July 1994 | 11 July 1997 (retired) | 2 years, 347 days | Merrill McPeak Ronald Fogleman |
| 27 | | Eberhart, RalphGeneral Ralph E. Eberhart (born 1946) | 11 July 1997 | 26 May 1999 (reassigned) | 1 year, 319 days | Ronald Fogleman Michael E. Ryan |
| 28 | | Lyles, LesterGeneral Lester L. Lyles (born 1946) | 27 May 1999 | 17 April 2000 (reassigned) | 326 days | Michael E. Ryan |
| 29 | | Handy, JohnGeneral John W. Handy (born 1944) | 17 April 2000 | 5 November 2001 (reassigned) | 1 year, 202 days | Michael E. Ryan John P. Jumper |
| 30 | | Foglesong, RobertGeneral Robert H. Foglesong (born 1945) | 5 November 2001 | 11 August 2003 (reassigned) | 1 year, 279 days | John P. Jumper |
| 31 | | Moseley, Teed MichaelGeneral T. Michael Moseley (born 1949) | 12 August 2003 | 2 September 2005 (became CSAF) | 2 years, 21 days | John P. Jumper |
| 32 | | Corley, JohnGeneral John D. W. Corley (born 1951) | 2 September 2005 | 17 September 2007 (reassigned) | 2 years, 15 days | T. Michael Moseley |
| 33 | | McNabb, DuncanGeneral Duncan J. McNabb (born 1952) | 17 September 2007 | 4 September 2008 (reassigned) | 353 days | T. Michael Moseley Norton A. Schwartz |
| 34 | | Fraser, WilliamGeneral William M. Fraser III (born 1952) | 8 October 2008 | 27 August 2009 (reassigned) | 322 days | Norton A. Schwartz |
| 35 | | Chandler, CarrolGeneral Carrol H. Chandler (born 1952) | 27 August 2009 | 14 January 2011 (retired) | 1 year, 140 days | Norton A. Schwartz |
| 36 | | Breedlove, PhilipGeneral Philip M. Breedlove (born 1955) | 14 January 2011 | 27 July 2012 (reassigned) | 1 year, 195 days | Norton A. Schwartz |
| 37 | | Spencer, LarryGeneral Larry O. Spencer (born 1954) | 27 July 2012 | 6 August 2015 (retired) | 3 years, 10 days | Norton A. Schwartz Mark Welsh |
| 38 | | Goldfein, DavidGeneral David L. Goldfein (born 1959) | 6 August 2015 | 1 July 2016 (became CSAF) | 330 days | Mark Welsh |
| 39 | | Wilson, StephenGeneral Stephen W. Wilson (born 1959/1960) | 22 July 2016 | 16 November 2020 (retired) | 4 years, 117 days | David L. Goldfein Charles Q. Brown Jr. |
| 40 | | Allvin, DavidGeneral David W. Allvin (born 1963) | 16 November 2020 | 2 November 2023 (became CSAF) | 2 years, 351 days | Charles Q. Brown Jr. |
| 41 | | Slife, JamesGeneral James C. Slife (born 1967) | 19 December 2023 | 21 February 2025 (relieved) | 1 year, 64 days | David W. Allvin |