Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration

The Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration (SAF/SQ) is a civilian position in the United States Department of the Air Force that is appointed by the president of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate. This position is established under Title 10 US Code Section 9016. The assistant secretary reports to the Secretary of the Air Force.

Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration
SAF/SQ seal
Incumbent Frank Calvelli since May 5, 2022
Department of the Air Force
Style	Mr. Secretary The Honorable (formal address in writing)
Reports to	Secretary of the Air Force Under Secretary of the Air Force
Seat	The Pentagon, Arlington County, Virginia, United States
Nominator	The President with Senate advice and consent
Term length	No fixed term
Constituting instrument	10 U.S.C. § 9016
Formation	2019
Succession	18th in SecDef succession by seniority of appointment
Deputy	Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration
Salary	Executive Schedule, Level IV[1]
Website	Official website

Responsibilities

The assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration serves as the space service acquisition executive (SAE) and the senior procurement executive for space programs in the Department of the Air Force.^[2]

History

SAF/SQ Organizational chart

The position of the assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration was created in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, signed on 20 December 2019, to oversee and direct the Space and Missile Systems Center, Space Rapid Capabilities Office, and Space Development Agency.^[3]

The position was directed to stand up as the Space Service Acquisition Executive (SAE) in 2022. Prior to this date, the position was responsible for advising the existing SAE for space programs, the ASAF for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics ((ASAF (AT&L), encoded as SAF/AQ). The Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration (SAF/SQ) was created by merging the Office of the Principal Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force for Space (SAF/SP) with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics (SAF/AQS).^[4][5]

List of assistant secretaries

No.	Assistant Secretary		Term			Ref
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Duration
Assistant Secretary for Space
1		Martin C. Faga (born 1941)	September 28, 1989	March 5, 1993	3 years, 158 days	[6]
–		Jimmie D. Hill Acting	March 6, 1993	May 19, 1994	1 year, 75 days	[6]
2		Jeffery K. Harris	May 19, 1994	February 26, 1996	1 year, 283 days	[6]
–		Keith R. Hall (born 1947) Acting	February 27, 1996	March 28, 1997	1 year, 30 days	[6]
3		Keith R. Hall (born 1947)	March 28, 1997	December 13, 2001	0 days	[6]
Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for Space
4		Peter B. Teets (1942–2020)	December 13, 2001	March 2005	~3 years, 92 days	[6]
5		Gary Payton (born 1948)	~March 2005	~August 2010	~5 years, 153 days	[7][8]
6		Richard W. McKinney	August 2010	November 2013	~3 years, 92 days	[9][10]
7		Troy E. Meink	November 2013	June 2014	~212 days	[11]
8		Winston A. Beauchamp	2015	~August 2017	~2 years, 61 days	[12]
9		John P. Stopher	August 2017	April 2018	~243 days	[13]
Principal Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force for Space
9		John P. Stopher	April 2018	January 2019	~275 days	[13]
-		Barnes, Shawn J.Shawn J. Barnes Acting	January 2019	December 20, 2019	~339 days	[14][15]
Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration
-		Barnes, Shawn J.Shawn J. Barnes Acting	December 20, 2019	August 24, 2021	~1 year, 238 days	[14]
-		Whitney, Steven P.Brigadier General Steven P. Whitney (born 1970) Acting	August 24, 2021	May 5, 2022	254 days	[16]
10		Calvelli, FrankFrank Calvelli	May 5, 2022	Incumbent	2 years, 122 days	[17]

List of military deputies to the assistant secretary

The military deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration was formerly the director of space programs at the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics (SAF/AQ). The officeholder is responsible for helping the assistant secretary oversee research and development, test, production, product support and modernization of Space Force programs.^[16]

The post was renamed to the current title in August 2020 after Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall ordered the acceleration of separating space acquisition authority from SAF/AQ.^[18]

No.	Military Deputy		Term			Ref
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Duration
Director of Space Acquisition
-		Major General Joseph B. Sovey	April 2002	February 2004	~1 year, 306 days	[19]
-		Major General Craig R. Cooning	July 2004	~June 2007	~2 years, 335 days	[20]
-		Mashiko, Susan S.Major General Neil McCasland	June 2007	June 2007	~2 years, 0 days	[21]
-		Major General Susan K. Mashiko	July 2009	January 2010	~184 days	[22]
-		Hyten, John E.Brigadier General John E. Hyten	September 2009	February 2010	~153 days	[23]
Director of Space Programs
-		Hyten, John E.Major General John E. Hyten	September 2010	May 2012	~1 year, 243 days	[23]
-		McMurry, Robert D. Jr.Major General Robert McMurry	April 2012	May 2014	~2 years, 30 days	[24]
-		Teague, Roger W.Major General Roger Teague	May 2014	June 2017	~3 years, 31 days	[25]
-		Baird, Mark A.Brigadier General Mark Baird	June 2017	June 2018	~1 year, 0 days	[26]
-		Armagno, Nina M.Major General Nina Armagno	July 2018	August 2020	~2 years, 31 days	[27]
-		Whitney, Steven P.Brigadier General Steven P. Whitney	August 2020	August 24, 2021	~1 year, 9 days	[16]
Military Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration
1		Whitney, Steven P.Major General Steven P. Whitney	August 24, 2021	July 2, 2023	1 year, 312 days	[16]
2		Purdy, Stephen G. Jr.Major General Stephen G. Purdy	July 2, 2023	Incumbent	1 year, 64 days	[28]

References

1. 5 U.S.C. § 5315
2. SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE (30 Sep 2022) HEADQUARTERS AIR FORCE MISSION DIRECTIVE 1-17 Special Management ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE (SPACE ACQUISITION AND INTEGRATION) (SAF/SQ) 20 pages
3. Smith, Adam (August 11, 2020). "H.R.2500 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020". www.congress.gov.
4. Strout, Nathan (October 30, 2020). "Pentagon establishes new space policy position". Defense News.
5. "JUST IN Space Force Needs Acquisition Leadership". www.nationaldefensemagazine.org.
6. Key personnel defense.gov April 10, 2013
7. "Gary e. Payton".
8. "Gary Payton". LinkedIn.
9. "Richard W. Mckinney".
10. "Richard W. McKinney". LinkedIn.
11. "Dr. Troy e. Meink".
12. "Winston A. Beauchamp".
13. "Dr. John P. Stopher".
14. "SHAWN J. BARNES". www.af.mil.
15. "Air Force space adviser Barnes assumes key role in standup of U.S. Space Force". January 28, 2020.
16. "BRIGADIER GENERAL STEVEN P. WHITNEY". www.af.mil.
17. "Calvelli swears in as Department of the Air Force space acquisition and integration lead".
18. Erwin, Sandra (October 14, 2021). "Kendall looks to accelerate appointment of civilian leader to oversee Space Force acquisitions". SpaceNews.
19. "Major General Joseph B. Sovey".
20. "MAJOR GENERAL CRAIG R. COONING". Air Force. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
21. "Major General William N. Mccasland".
22. "MAJOR GENERAL SUSAN K. MASHIKO". Air Force. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
23. "General John E. Hyten". www.defense.gov.
24. "ROBERT D. MCMURRY JR". www.af.mil.
25. "MAJOR GENERAL ROGER W. TEAGUE". www.af.mil.
26. "MARK A. BAIRD". www.af.mil.
27. "Lt. Gen. Nina M. Armagno". www.spaceforce.mil.
28. "Stephen G. Purdy, Jr". United States Space Force. Retrieved December 27, 2023.

External links

• Air Force Space Acquisition and Integration - Air Force Space Acquisition and Integration