United States Secretary of the Air Force facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Secretary of the Air Force |
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Department of the Air Force | |
Style | Mr. Secretary The Honorable (formal address in writing) |
Reports to | Secretary of Defense Deputy Secretary of Defense |
Appointer | The President with the advice and consent of the Senate |
Term length | No fixed term |
Precursor | Secretary of War |
Inaugural holder | Stuart Symington |
Formation | September 18, 1947 |
Succession | 3rd in SecDef succession |
Deputy | The Under Secretary (principal civilian deputy) The Chief of Staff (military deputy) The Chief of Space Operations (military deputy) |
Salary | Executive Schedule, Level II |
The Secretary of the Air Force (often called SecAF) is the main leader of the United States Department of the Air Force. This department includes both the United States Air Force and the United States Space Force.
The Secretary of the Air Force is a civilian, not a military officer. The President chooses this person, and the Senate must agree with the choice. The Secretary reports to the Secretary of Defense. They are in charge of everything that happens in the Department of the Air Force.
The Secretary works closely with other important leaders. These include the Under Secretary of the Air Force (a civilian helper) and military leaders like the Chief of Staff of the Air Force and the Chief of Space Operations.
The first Secretary of the Air Force was Stuart Symington. He started his job on September 18, 1947. This happened when the Department of War and the Army Air Forces were reorganized. They became a separate military department for air power, thanks to the National Security Act of 1947.
On July 26, 2021, Frank Kendall III became the 26th Secretary of the Air Force. He was confirmed by the United States Senate.
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What Does the Secretary of the Air Force Do?

The Secretary is the top boss of the Department of the Air Force. This department is a "Military Department." It includes all parts of the United States Air Force and Space Force. This means all their bases, groups, and reserve forces.
The Secretary's main jobs are listed in the United States Code. These jobs include:
- Finding and signing up new people (recruiting).
- Organizing the different parts of the Air Force and Space Force.
- Making sure they have all the supplies they need.
- Getting and developing new equipment.
- Training all personnel.
- Providing services to military members and their families.
- Getting forces ready for action (mobilizing).
- Bringing forces back home after action (demobilizing).
- Managing the department and caring for the well-being of its people.
- Keeping equipment in good working order.
- Building and fixing military equipment.
- Building, maintaining, and fixing buildings and other facilities. This also includes getting land needed for these tasks.
The Secretary of Defense tells the Secretary of the Air Force which Air Force and Space Force units to send to different Unified and Specified Combatant Commands. These commands carry out specific missions. Once assigned, only the Secretary of Defense can move these units.
For other matters, the chain of command goes from the President to the Secretary of Defense. Then it goes to the Secretary of the Air Force. Finally, it reaches the commanders of the Air Force and Space Force Commands. Air Force and Space Force officers must report to the Secretary when asked. The Secretary can also assign duties to military members and civilian employees.
The Secretary also has duties under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). This includes the power to hold military trials and change sentences.
The President or Secretary of Defense can give the Secretary of the Air Force more duties. For example, the Secretary is also the "DoD Executive Agent for Space." This means they help plan and manage space systems for national security.
The Office of the Secretary of the Air Force
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Agency overview | |
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Formed | 1947 |
Headquarters | Pentagon |
Parent agency | Department of the Air Force |
The Office of the Secretary of the Air Force is the main group of people who help the Secretary. They handle things like buying new equipment and checking finances. They also deal with inspections, working with lawmakers, and public relations.
This office is one of three main headquarters for the Department of the Air Force. All three are located in the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. The other two are the Air Staff and the Office of the Chief of Space Operations.
Who Works in the Office?
The Office of the Secretary of the Air Force includes:
- The Under Secretary of the Air Force.
- This includes deputies for international affairs and space programs.
- The Assistant Secretary for Buying, Technology, and Logistics.
- The Assistant Secretary for Money Management.
- The Assistant Secretary for Bases, Environment, and Energy.
- The Assistant Secretary for People and Reserve Forces.
- The Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration.
- The General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force (the chief lawyer).
- The Inspector General (who checks for problems).
- The Chief of Legislative Liaison (who works with Congress).
- The Administrative Assistant to the Secretary.
- The Auditor General (who checks financial records).
- The Air Reserve Forces Policy Committee.
List of Secretaries of the Air Force
Image | Name | Start | End | Duration | President(s) | |
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Stuart Symington | September 18, 1947 | April 24, 1950 | 2 years, 218 days | Harry S. Truman (1945–1953) |
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Thomas K. Finletter | April 24, 1950 | January 20, 1953 | 2 years, 271 days | ||
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Harold E. Talbott | February 4, 1953 | August 13, 1955 | 2 years, 190 days | Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961) |
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Donald A. Quarles | August 15, 1955 | April 30, 1957 | 1 year, 258 days | ||
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James H. Douglas Jr. | May 1, 1957 | December 10, 1959 | 2 years, 223 days | ||
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Dudley C. Sharp | December 11, 1959 | January 20, 1961 | 1 year, 40 days | ||
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Eugene M. Zuckert | January 24, 1961 | September 30, 1965 | 4 years, 249 days | John F. Kennedy (1961–1963) |
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Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969) |
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Harold Brown | October 1, 1965 | February 15, 1969 | 3 years, 137 days | ||
Richard Nixon (1969–1974) |
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Robert C. Seamans Jr. | February 15, 1969 | May 15, 1973 | 4 years, 89 days | ||
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John L. McLucas | May 15, 1973 | July 18, 1973 | 2 years, 192 days | ||
July 18, 1973 | November 23, 1975 | |||||
Gerald Ford (1974–1977) |
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Thomas C. Reed | January 2, 1976 | April 6, 1977 | 1 year, 94 days | ||
Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) |
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John C. Stetson | April 6, 1977 | May 18, 1979 | 2 years, 42 days | |||
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Hans Mark | May 18, 1979 | July 26, 1979 | 1 year, 267 days | ||
July 26, 1979 | February 9, 1981 | |||||
Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
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Verne Orr | February 9, 1981 | November 30, 1985 | 4 years, 294 days | |||
Russell A. Rourke | December 9, 1985 | April 6, 1986 | 118 days | |||
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Edward C. Aldridge Jr. | April 6, 1986 | June 8, 1986 | 2 years, 254 days | ||
June 9, 1986 | December 16, 1988 | |||||
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James F. McGovern | December 16, 1988 | April 29, 1989 | 134 days | ||
George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) |
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John J. Welch Jr. | April 29, 1989 | May 21, 1989 | 22 days | ||
Donald B. Rice | May 21, 1989 | January 20, 1993 | 3 years, 244 days | |||
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Michael B. Donley Acting |
January 20, 1993 | July 13, 1993 | 174 days | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
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Merrill A. McPeak Acting |
July 14, 1993 | August 5, 1993 | 22 days | |||
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Sheila Widnall | August 6, 1993 | October 31, 1997 | 4 years, 86 days | ||
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F. Whitten Peters | November 1, 1997 | July 30, 1999 | 3 years, 80 days | ||
July 30, 1999 | January 20, 2001 | |||||
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Lawrence J. Delaney Acting |
January 21, 2001 | May 31, 2001 | 130 days | George W. Bush (2001–2009) |
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James G. Roche | June 1, 2001 | January 20, 2005 | 3 years, 233 days | ||
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Peter B. Teets Acting |
January 20, 2005 | March 25, 2005 | 64 days | ||
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Michael Montelongo Acting |
March 25, 2005 | March 28, 2005 | 3 days | ||
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Michael L. Dominguez Acting |
March 28, 2005 | July 29, 2005 | 123 days | ||
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Pete Geren Acting |
July 29, 2005 | November 4, 2005 | 98 days | ||
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Michael Wynne | November 4, 2005 | June 20, 2008 | 2 years, 229 days | ||
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Michael B. Donley | June 21, 2008 | October 2, 2008 | 5 years, 0 days | ||
October 2, 2008 | June 21, 2013 | |||||
Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
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Eric Fanning Acting |
June 21, 2013 | December 20, 2013 | 182 days | ||
Deborah Lee James | December 20, 2013 | January 20, 2017 | 3 years, 31 days | |||
Lisa Disbrow Acting |
January 20, 2017 | May 16, 2017 | 116 days | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
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Heather Wilson | May 16, 2017 | May 31, 2019 | 2 years, 15 days | ||
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Matthew Donovan Acting |
June 1, 2019 | October 18, 2019 | 139 days | ||
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Barbara Barrett | October 18, 2019 | January 20, 2021 | 1 year, 94 days | ||
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John P. Roth Acting |
January 20, 2021 | July 28, 2021 | 189 days | Joe Biden (2021–2025) |
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Frank Kendall III | July 28, 2021 | January 20, 2025 | 3 years, 342 days | ||
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Gary A. Ashworth Acting |
January 20, 2025 | present | Donald Trump (2025–present) |
See also
In Spanish: Secretario de la Fuerza Aérea de los Estados Unidos para niños
- Department of the Air Force Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service