# Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations of the United States Air Force

The Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations of the United States Air Force is a position in the United States Air Force tasked with the development and implementation of policy directly supporting global operations, force management, weather, training and readiness across air, space and cyber fields. Commonly referred to as the A3, it is held by a lieutenant general who serves as the operations deputy to the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. The position is one of ten senior positions in the Headquarters of the U.S. Air Force. As such, the officeholder of this position serves in the Air Staff.

## Organization

* Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations: Lt Gen Adrian Spain
** Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations: Maj Gen John M. Klein Jr.
*** Director of Current Operations: Brig Gen Daniel T. Lasica
*** Director of Training and Readiness: Maj Gen Albert G. Miller

## List of Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations of the United States Air Force

| No. | Deputy Chief of Staff | Deputy Chief of Staff | Term | Term | Term |
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length |
| Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs ||||||
| 1 | | Lieutenant General John K. Gerhart | 1 July 1957 | 21 July 1962 | 5 years, 20 days |
| 2 | | Lieutenant General David A. Burchinal | 1 August 1962 | 31 January 1963 | 183 days |
| Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs ||||||
| 2 | | Lieutenant General David A. Burchinal | 1 February 1963 | 23 February 1964 | 1 year, 22 days |
| 3 | | Lieutenant General William H. Blanchard | 24 February 1964 | 8 February 1965 | 350 days |
| 4 | | Lieutenant General Keith K. Compton | 19 February 1965 | 31 January 1967 | 1 year, 346 days |
| 5 | | Lieutenant General Glen W. Martin | 1 February 1967 | 31 July 1969 | 2 years, 180 days |
| 6 | | Lieutenant General Lucius D. Clay Jr. | 1 August 1969 | 31 January 1970 | 183 days |
| 7 | | Lieutenant General Russell E. Dougherty | 1 February 1970 | 31 March 1971 | 1 year, 58 days |
| 8 | | Lieutenant General George J. Eade | 1 April 1971 | 17 April 1973 | 2 years, 16 days |
| 9 | | Lieutenant General Joseph G. Wilson | 18 April 1973 | 31 October 1973 | 196 days |
| 10 | | Lieutenant General Robert E. Huyser | 1 November 1973 | 31 August 1975 | 1 year, 303 days |
| 11 | | Lieutenant General John W. Pauly | 1 September 1975 | 30 June 1976 | 303 days |
| 12 | | Lieutenant General Andrew B. Anderson Jr. | 1 July 1976 | 29 June 1978 | 1 year, 363 days |
| Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans, and Readiness ||||||
| 12 | | Lieutenant General Andrew B. Anderson Jr. | 30 June 1978 | 1 April 1979 | 275 days |
| 13 | | Lieutenant General Charles A. Gabriel | 1 April 1979 | 31 July 1980 | 1 year, 121 days |
| 14 | | Lieutenant General Jerome F. O'Malley | 1 August 1980 | 13 April 1981 | 255 days |
| Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations ||||||
| 14 | | Lieutenant General Jerome F. O'Malley | 14 April 1981 | 31 May 1982 | 1 year, 47 days |
| 15 | | Lieutenant General John T. Chain | 1 June 1982 | 17 June 1984 | 2 years, 16 days |
| 16 | | Lieutenant General David L. Nichols | 30 June 1984 | 12 September 1985 | 1 year, 74 days |
| 17 | | Lieutenant General Harley Hughes | 13 September 1985 | 29 February 1988 | 2 years, 169 days |
| 18 | | Lieutenant General Michael J. Dugan | 1 March 1988 | 30 April 1989 | 1 year, 60 days |
| 19 | | Lieutenant General Jimmie V. Adams | 1 May 1989 | 8 February 1991 | 1 year, 283 days |
| 20 | | Lieutenant General Michael A. Nelson | 9 February 1991 | 22 May 1992 | 1 year, 103 days |
| 21 | | Lieutenant General Buster C. Glosson | 29 May 1992 | 30 June 1994 | 2 years, 32 days |
| 22 | | Lieutenant General Joseph W. Ralston | 25 July 1994 | 2 June 1995 | 312 days |
| 23 | | Lieutenant General Ralph E. Eberhart | 5 June 1995 | 7 June 1996 | 1 year, 2 days |
| 24 | | Lieutenant General John P. Jumper | 11 June 1996 | 31 December 1996 | 203 days |
| Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations ||||||
| 24 | | Lieutenant General John P. Jumper | 1 January 1997 | 17 November 1997 | 320 days |
| 25 | | Lieutenant General Patrick K. Gamble | 24 November 1997 | July 1998 | ~219 days |
| 26 | | Lieutenant General Marvin R. Esmond | 15 July 1998 | May 2000 | ~1 year, 291 days |
| 27 | | Lieutenant General Glen W. Moorhead | May 2000 | August 2000 | ~92 days |
| 28 | | Lieutenant General Robert H. Foglesong | August 2000 | November 2001 | ~1 year, 92 days |
| 29 | | Lieutenant General Charles F. Wald | November 2001 | August 2002 | ~273 days |
| 30 | | Major General John C. Koziol | August 2002 | October 2003 | ~1 year, 61 days |
| 31 | | Lieutenant General Ronald E. Keys | November 2002 | May 2005 | ~2 years, 181 days |
| Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans, and Requirements ||||||
| - | | Major General Richard Y. Newton III Acting | June 2005 | September 2005 | ~194 days |
| 32 | | Lieutenant General Carrol H. Chandler | October 2005 | November 2007 | ~194 days |
| 33 | | Lieutenant General Daniel J. Darnell | November 2007 | June 2009 | ~194 days |
| 34 | | Lieutenant General Philip M. Breedlove | August 2009 | 3 January 2011 | ~194 days |
| 35 | | Lieutenant General Herbert J. Carlisle | 3 January 2011 | July 2012 | ~194 days |
| 36 | | Lieutenant General Burton M. Field | July 2012 | ~19 December 2014 | ~194 days |
| Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations ||||||
| 37 | | Lieutenant General Tod D. Wolters | ~19 December 2014 | July 2015 | ~194 days |
| 38 | | Lieutenant General John W. Raymond | ~14 August 2015 | ~25 October 2016 | ~1 year, 72 days |
| 39 | | Lieutenant General Mark Nowland | ~25 October 2016 | ~3 August 2018 | ~1 year, 280 days |
| 40 | | Lieutenant General Mark D. Kelly | ~3 August 2018 | ~28 August 2020 | ~2 years, 25 days |
| 41 | | Lieutenant General Joseph T. Guastella | ~28 August 2020 | July 2022 | ~1 year, 321 days |
| – | | Major General Charles Corcoran Acting | July 2022 | December 2022 | ~147 days |
| 42 | | Lieutenant General James C. Slife | December 2022 | 19 December 2023 | ~1 year, 10 days |
| 43 | | Lieutenant General Adrian Spain | 19 December 2023 | Incumbent | 293 days |