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.[1] By statute, the VCSAF is appointed as a four-star general.
Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force | |
---|---|
United States Air Force Air Staff | |
Abbreviation | VCSAF |
Reports to | Secretary of the Air Force Chief of Staff of the Air Force |
Seat | The Pentagon, Arlington County, Virginia, United States |
Appointer | The President with Senate advice and consent |
Term length | 4 years fixed term |
Constituting instrument | 10 U.S.C. § 8034 |
Formation | 1 October 1947 |
First holder | Hoyt Vandenberg |
General James C. Slife has served as the vice chief of staff of the Air Force since 19 December 2023.[2]
List of Vice Chiefs of Staff of the Air Force
No. | Vice Chief of Staff[3][4] | Term | Chief of Staff | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | ||
1 | General Hoyt S. Vandenberg (1899–1954) | 10 October 1947 | 28 April 1948 (became CSAF) | 201 days | Carl Spaatz | |
2 | Muir S. Fairchild (1894–1950) | General27 May 1948 | 17 March 1950 † | 1 year, 294 days | Hoyt Vandenberg | |
- | Lauris Norstad (1907–1988) Acting | General2 May 1950 | 9 October 1950 | 160 days | Hoyt Vandenberg | |
3 | Nathan F. Twining (1897–1982) | General10 October 1950 | 29 June 1953 (became CSAF) | 2 years, 262 days | Hoyt Vandenberg | |
4 | Thomas D. White (1901–1965) | General30 June 1953 | 30 June 1957 (became CSAF) | 4 years, 0 days | Nathan F. Twining | |
5 | Curtis E. LeMay (1906–1990) | General1 July 1957 | 30 June 1961 (became CSAF) | 3 years, 364 days | Thomas D. White | |
6 | Frederic H. Smith Jr. (1908–1980) | General1 July 1961 | 30 June 1962 (retired) | 364 days | Curtis LeMay | |
7 | William F. McKee (1906–1987) | General1 July 1962 | 31 July 1964 (retired) | 2 years, 30 days | Curtis LeMay | |
8 | John P. McConnell (1908–1986) | General1 August 1964 | 31 January 1965 (became CSAF) | 183 days | Curtis LeMay | |
9 | William H. Blanchard (1916–1966) | General19 February 1965 | 31 May 1966 † | 1 year, 101 days | John P. McConnell | |
- | Lieutenant General Hewitt T. Wheless (1913–1986) Acting | 13 June 1966 | 31 July 1966 | 48 days | John P. McConnell | |
10 | Bruce K. Holloway (1912–1999) | General1 August 1966 | 31 July 1968 (reassigned) | 1 year, 365 days | John P. McConnell | |
11 | John D. Ryan (1915–1983) | General1 August 1968 | 31 July 1969 (became CSAF) | 364 days | John P. McConnell | |
12 | John C. Meyer (1919–1975) | General1 August 1969 | 30 April 1972 (reassigned) | 2 years, 273 days | John D. Ryan | |
13 | Horace M. Wade (1916–2001) | General1 May 1972 | 31 October 1973 (reassigned) | 1 year, 183 days | John D. Ryan George S. Brown | |
14 | Richard H. Ellis (1919–1989) | General1 November 1973 | 18 August 1975 (reassigned) | 1 year, 290 days | George S. Brown David C. Jones | |
15 | William V. McBride (1922–2022) | General19 August 1975 | 31 March 1978 (retired) | 2 years, 224 days | David C. Jones | |
16 | Lew Allen Jr. (1925–2010) | General1 April 1978 | 30 June 1978 (became CSAF) | 90 days | David C. Jones | |
17 | James A. Hill (1923–2010) | General1 July 1978 | 29 February 1980 (retired) | 1 year, 243 days | Lew Allen | |
18 | Robert C. Mathis (1927–2016) | General1 March 1980 | 31 May 1982 (retired) | 2 years, 91 days | Lew Allen | |
19 | Jerome F. O'Malley (1932–1985) | General1 June 1982 | 5 October 1983 (reassigned) | 1 year, 126 days | Lew Allen Charles A. Gabriel | |
20 | Lawrence A. Skantze (1928–2018) | General6 October 1983 | 31 July 1984 (reassigned) | 299 days | Charles A. Gabriel | |
21 | Larry D. Welch (born 1934) | General1 August 1984 | 31 July 1985 (reassigned) | 364 days | Charles A. Gabriel | |
22 | John L. Piotrowski (born 1934) | General1 August 1985 | 31 January 1987 (reassigned) | 1 year, 183 days | Charles A. Gabriel Larry D. Welch | |
23 | Monroe W. Hatch Jr. (born 1933) | General1 February 1987 | 1 June 1990 (retired) | 3 years, 120 days | Larry D. Welch | |
24 | John M. Loh (born 1938) | General4 June 1990 | 1 April 1991 (reassigned) | 301 days | Larry D. Welch Michael Dugan Merrill McPeak | |
25 | Michael P. C. Carns (1937–2023) | General16 May 1991 | 28 July 1994 (retired) | 3 years, 73 days | Merrill McPeak | |
26 | Thomas S. Moorman Jr. (1940–2020) | General29 July 1994 | 11 July 1997 (retired) | 2 years, 347 days | Merrill McPeak Ronald Fogleman | |
27 | Ralph E. Eberhart (born 1946) | General11 July 1997 | 26 May 1999 (reassigned) | 1 year, 319 days | Ronald Fogleman Michael E. Ryan | |
28 | Lester L. Lyles (born 1946) | General27 May 1999 | 17 April 2000 (reassigned) | 326 days | Michael E. Ryan | |
29 | John W. Handy (born 1944) | General17 April 2000 | 5 November 2001 (reassigned) | 1 year, 202 days | Michael E. Ryan John P. Jumper | |
30 | Robert H. Foglesong (born 1945) | General5 November 2001 | 11 August 2003 (reassigned) | 1 year, 279 days | John P. Jumper | |
31 | T. Michael Moseley (born 1949) | General12 August 2003 | 2 September 2005 (became CSAF) | 2 years, 21 days | John P. Jumper | |
32 | John D. W. Corley (born 1951) | General2 September 2005 | 17 September 2007 (reassigned) | 2 years, 15 days | T. Michael Moseley | |
33 | Duncan J. McNabb (born 1952) | General17 September 2007 | 4 September 2008 (reassigned) | 353 days | T. Michael Moseley Norton A. Schwartz | |
34 | William M. Fraser III (born 1952) | General8 October 2008 | 27 August 2009 (reassigned) | 322 days | Norton A. Schwartz | |
35 | Carrol H. Chandler (born 1952) | General27 August 2009 | 14 January 2011 (retired) | 1 year, 140 days | Norton A. Schwartz | |
36 | Philip M. Breedlove (born 1955) | General14 January 2011 | 27 July 2012 (reassigned) | 1 year, 195 days | Norton A. Schwartz | |
37 | Larry O. Spencer (born 1954) | General27 July 2012 | 6 August 2015 (retired) | 3 years, 10 days | Norton A. Schwartz Mark Welsh | |
38 | David L. Goldfein (born 1959) | General6 August 2015 | 1 July 2016 (became CSAF) | 330 days | Mark Welsh | |
39 | Stephen W. Wilson (born 1959/1960) | General22 July 2016 | 16 November 2020 (retired) | 4 years, 117 days | David L. Goldfein Charles Q. Brown Jr. | |
40 | David W. Allvin (born 1963) | General16 November 2020 | 2 November 2023 (became CSAF) | 2 years, 351 days | Charles Q. Brown Jr. | |
41 | James C. Slife (born 1967) | General19 December 2023 | Incumbent | 338 days | David W. Allvin |
Timeline
See also
References
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