### §9036. Surgeon General: appointment; duties

(a) Appointment.—The Surgeon General of the Air Force shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate from officers of the Air Force who are in the Air Force medical department.

(b) Duties.—(1) The Surgeon General serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary of the Air Force, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and the Chief of Space Operations on all health and medical matters of the Air Force and the Space Force, including strategic planning and policy development relating to such matters.

(2) The Surgeon General serves as the chief medical advisor of the Air Force and the Space Force to the Director of the Defense Health Agency on matters pertaining to military health readiness requirements and safety of members of the Air Force and members of the Space Force.

(3) The Surgeon General, acting under the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of the Air Force, shall recruit, organize, train, and equip, medical personnel of the Air Force.

(Added Pub. L. 89–288, §5(a), Oct. 22, 1965, 79 Stat. 1050, §8036; amended Pub. L. 99–433, title V, §522(g)(2), Oct. 1, 1986, 100 Stat. 1063; Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title V, §506(c), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 296; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title VII, §702(b)(3)(A), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2196; renumbered §9036, Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, §806(c), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1833; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title IX, §923(b)(6), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3809.)

#### **Editorial Notes**

#### Amendments

2021—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 116–283, §923(b)(6)(A), substituted "Secretary of the Air Force, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and the Chief of Space Operations on all health and medical matters of the Air Force and the Space Force" for "Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force on all health and medical matters of the Air Force".

Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 116–283, §923(b)(6)(B), inserted "and the Space Force" after "advisor of the Air Force" and "and members of the Space Force" after "members of the Air Force".

2018—Pub. L. 115–232 renumbered section 8036 of this title as this section.

2016—Pub. L. 114–328 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: "There is a Surgeon General of the Air Force who is appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate from officers of the Air Force who are in the Air Force medical department. The Surgeon General, while so serving, has the grade of lieutenant general."

1996—Pub. L. 104–106 substituted "in the Air Force medical department" for "designated as medical officers under section 8067(a) of this title".

1986—Pub. L. 99–433 substituted a semicolon for the comma in section catchline.

#### **Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries**

#### Effective Date of 2018 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 115–232 effective Feb. 1, 2019, with provision for the coordination of amendments and special rule for certain redesignations, see section 800 of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.

#### Service of Incumbents in Certain Positions Without Reappointment

For continued service of Surgeon General of the Air Force under this section after Jan. 1, 2021, without further appointment, notwithstanding amendment by section 923(b)(6) of Pub. L. 116–283, see section 923(f) of Pub. L. 116–283, set out as a note under section 9020 of this title.