# Deputy Chief of Air Force (Australia)

Deputy Chief of Air Force (DCAF) is the second most senior appointment in the Royal Australian Air Force, responsible to the Chief of Air Force (CAF). Before 1997 the position was entitled Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (DCAS). The rank associated with the position is air vice marshal (two-star). DCAF acts as the manager of the Air Force Headquarters (AFHQ), which provides oversight of activities in the raising, training and sustaining of assigned RAAF capabilities. The position provides strategic leadership to the RAAF as a whole, as well as policy guidance in regard to Air Force activities to the rest of the Defence organisation and Government. The current Deputy Chief of Air Force is Air Vice Marshal Harvey Reynolds.

## Appointees

The following list chronologically records those who have held the post of Deputy Chief of Air Force or its preceding position of Deputy Chief of the Air Staff. The rank and honours are as at the completion of the commander's term.
| Rank | Name | Post- Nominals | Term began | Term ended |
| Deputy Chief of the Air Staff |||||
| Air Commodore | William Bostock | OBE | 1939 | 1941 |
| Air Commodore | John McCauley | CBE | 1942 | 1944 |
| Air Commodore | Frank Bladin | CBE | 1944 | 1946 |
| Air Commodore | John McCauley | CBE | 1946 | 1947 |
| Air Commodore | Frederick Scherger | CBE, DSO, AFC | 1947 | 1951 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Valston Hancock | OBE, DFC | 1951 | 1952 |
| Air Vice Marshal | William Hely | CBE, AFC | 1953 | 1955 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Douglas Candy | CBE | 1956 | 1958 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Alister Murdoch | CBE | 1958 | 1959 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Ian McLachlan | CBE, DFC | 1959 | 1961 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Colin Hannah | CB, CBE | 1961 | 1965 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Frank Headlam | CB, CBE | 1965 | 1966 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Brian Eaton | CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC | 1966 | 1967 |
| Air Vice Marshal | William Townsend | CBE | 1967 | 1969 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Charles Read | CBE, DFC, AFC | 1970 | 1972 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Geoffrey Newstead | CBE | 1972 | 1973 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Frederick Robey | CBE | 1973 | 1974 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Douglas Hurditch | CBE | 1974 | 1975 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Neville McNamara | AO, CBE, AFC | 1975 | 1979 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Frederick Barnes | AO, DFC, AFC | 1979 | 1981 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Henry Hughes | AO, DFC | 1981 | 1983 |
| Air Vice Marshal | John Newham | AO | 1983 | 1985 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Billie Collings | AO, AFC | 1985 | 1987 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Richard Bradford | AO | 1987 | 1990 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Edward Radford | AO | 1990 | 1990 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Thomas O'Brien | AO, AFC | 1990 | 1993 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Les Fisher | AO | 1993 | 1994 |
| Air Vice Marshal | David Rogers | AM | 1994 | 1997 |
| Deputy Chief of Air Force |||||
| Air Vice Marshal | Robert Richardson | AO, AFC | 1997 | 1997 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Errol McCormack | AM | 1997 | 1998 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Brent Espeland | AM | 1998 | 1999 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Alan Titheridge | AO | 1999 | 2001 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Christopher Spence | AO | 2001 | 2004 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Roxley McLennan | AM | 2004 | 2005 |
| Air Vice Marshal | John Blackburn | AO | 2005 | 2008 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Geoff Brown | AM | 2008 | 2011 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Neil Hart | AM | 2011 | 2012 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Leo Davies | AO, CSC | 2012 | 2015 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Warren McDonald | AM, CSC | 2015 | 2017 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Gavin Turnbull | AM | 2017 | 2019 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Stephen Meredith | AM, DSM | 2019 | 2023 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Glen Braz | AM, CSC, DSM | 2023 | 2023 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Harvey Reynolds | AM | 2023 | Incumbent |