Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force

Special uniform cap of the CSAF

The chief of staff is nominated for appointment by the president, for a four-year term of office,[2] and must be confirmed via majority vote by the Senate.[2] Any Air Force officer with the rank of brigadier general and above may be appointed as chief of staff,[2] but prospective nominees are typically laterally promoted from other four-star assignments. The chief can be reappointed to serve one additional term, but only during times of war or national emergency declared by Congress.[2] To qualify for the position, the nominee must also have significant joint duty experience, and at least one full tour of duty in a joint duty assignment unless the President waives this requirement.[2] By statute, the chief of staff is appointed as a four-star general without vacating his permanent rank.[2]

Prior to the creation of this position, General Henry H. Arnold was designated the first chief of the Army Air Forces and as the commanding general of the Army Air Forces during World War II. His successor, Carl A. Spaatz also became the first chief of staff of the Air Force upon the establishment of the United States Air Force.

Three chiefs of staff would go on to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, namely Nathan F. Twining, George S. Brown and David C. Jones.

No.	Portrait	Chief of Staff of the Air Force	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Primary Background	Previous office	Secretaries of the Air Force	Secretaries of Defense
1		Spaatz, Carl AndrewGeneral Carl A. Spaatz (1891–1974)	26 September 1947	29 April 1948	216 days	Fighters	Commanding General, United States Army Air Forces	W. Stuart Symington	James Forrestal
2		Vandenberg, Hoyt SanfordGeneral Hoyt S. Vandenberg (1899–1954)	30 April 1948	29 June 1953	5 years, 60 days	Attack and Fighters	Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force	W. Stuart Symington Thomas K. Finletter Harold E. Talbott	James Forrestal Louis A. Johnson George C. Marshall Robert A. Lovett
3		Twining, Nathan FarragutGeneral Nathan F. Twining (1897–1982) [lower-alpha 1]	30 June 1953	30 June 1957	4 years, 0 days	Fighters and Bombers	Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force	Harold E. Talbott Donald A. Quarles James H. Douglas Jr.	Charles Erwin Wilson
4		White, Thomas DresserGeneral Thomas D. White (1901–1965)	1 July 1957	30 June 1961	3 years, 364 days	Observation aircraft and Staff	Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force	James H. Douglas Jr. Dudley Sharp Eugene Zuckert	Charles Erwin Wilson Neil H. McElroy Thomas Gates Robert McNamara
5		LeMay, Curtis EmersonGeneral Curtis E. LeMay (1906–1990)	30 June 1961	31 January 1965	3 years, 215 days	Bombers	Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force	Eugene Zuckert	Robert McNamara
6		McConnell, John PaulGeneral John P. McConnell (1908–1986)	1 February 1965	31 July 1969	4 years, 180 days	Fighters	Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force	Eugene Zuckert Harold Brown Robert Seamans	Robert McNamara Clark Clifford Melvin Laird
7		Ryan, John DaleGeneral John D. Ryan (1915–1983)	1 August 1969	31 July 1973	3 years, 364 days	Bombers	Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force	Robert Seamans John L. McLucas	Melvin Laird Elliot Richardson James R. Schlesinger
8		Brown, George ScratchleyGeneral George S. Brown (1918–1978) [lower-alpha 1]	1 August 1973	30 June 1974	333 days	Bombers	Commander, Air Force Systems Command	John L. McLucas	James R. Schlesinger Donald Rumsfeld
9		Jones, David CharlesGeneral David C. Jones (1921–2013) [lower-alpha 1]	1 July 1974	20 June 1978	3 years, 354 days	Bombers	Commander-in-Chief, United States Air Forces in Europe Commander, Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force	John L. McLucas Thomas C. Reed John C. Stetson	Donald Rumsfeld Harold Brown
10		Allen, LewGeneral Lew Allen Jr. (1925–2010)	1 July 1978	30 June 1982	3 years, 364 days	Bombers	Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force	John C. Stetson Hans Mark Verne Orr	Harold Brown Caspar Weinberger
11		Gabriel, Charles AlvinGeneral Charles A. Gabriel (1928–2003)	1 July 1982	30 June 1986	3 years, 364 days	Fighters	Commander-in-Chief, United States Air Forces in Europe	Verne Orr Russell A. Rourke Edward Aldridge	Caspar Weinberger
12		Welch, Larry D.General Larry D. Welch (born 1934)	1 July 1986	30 June 1990	3 years, 364 days	Fighters	Commander-in-Chief, Strategic Air Command	Edward Aldridge Donald Rice	Caspar Weinberger Frank Carlucci Dick Cheney
13		Dugan, Michael JosephGeneral Michael J. Dugan (born 1937) [lower-alpha 2]	1 July 1990	17 September 1990	78 days	Fighters	Commander-in-Chief, United States Air Forces in Europe	Donald Rice	Dick Cheney
-		Loh, John MichaelGeneral John M. Loh (born 1938) Acting	18 September 1990	29 October 1990	41 days	Fighters	Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force (June 1990 – April 1991)	Donald Rice	Dick Cheney
14		McPeak, Merrill AnthonyGeneral Merrill A. McPeak (born 1936)	30 October 1990	25 October 1994	3 years, 360 days	Fighters	Acting Secretary of the Air Force (July – August 1993) Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Air Forces	Donald Rice Sheila Widnall	Dick Cheney Leslie Aspin William Perry
15		Fogleman, Ronald RobertGeneral Ronald R. Fogleman (born 1942) [lower-alpha 3]	26 October 1994	1 September 1997	2 years, 310 days	Fighters	Commander-in-Chief, United States Transportation Command	Sheila Widnall	William Perry William Cohen
-		Eberhart, Ralph EdwardGeneral Ralph E. Eberhart (born 1946) Acting	2 September 1997	5 October 1997	33 days	Fighters	Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force (June 1997 – June 1999)	Sheila Widnall	William Cohen
16		Ryan, MichaelGeneral Michael E. Ryan (born 1941)	6 October 1997	5 September 2001	3 years, 334 days	Fighters	Commander-in-Chief, United States Air Forces in Europe	Sheila Widnall F. Whitten Peters James G. Roche	William Cohen Donald Rumsfeld
17		Jumper, John PhillipGeneral John P. Jumper (born 1945)	6 September 2001	1 September 2005	3 years, 360 days	Fighters	Commander, Air Combat Command	James G. Roche	Donald Rumsfeld
18		Moseley, Teed MichaelGeneral T. Michael Moseley (born 1949) [lower-alpha 4]	2 September 2005	11 July 2008	2 years, 345 days	Fighters	Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force	Michael Wynne	Donald Rumsfeld Robert Gates
-		McNabb, DuncanGeneral Duncan J. McNabb (born 1952) Acting	12 July 2008	12 August 2008	31 days	Airlift	Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force (September 2007 – September 2008)	Michael B. Donley	Robert Gates
19		Schwartz, Norton AllanGeneral Norton A. Schwartz (born 1951)	12 August 2008	10 August 2012	3 years, 364 days	Airlift and Special Operations aircraft	Commander, United States Transportation Command	Michael B. Donley	Robert Gates Leon Panetta
20		Welsh, Mark Anthony IIIGeneral Mark A. Welsh III (born 1953)	10 August 2012	24 June 2016	3 years, 319 days	Attack and Fighters	Commander, United States Air Forces in Europe	Michael B. Donley Deborah Lee James	Leon Panetta Chuck Hagel Ash Carter
21		Goldfein, David LeeGeneral David L. Goldfein (born 1959)	1 July 2016	6 August 2020	4 years, 36 days	Fighters	Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force	Deborah Lee James Heather Wilson Barbara Barrett	Ash Carter Jim Mattis Mark Esper
22		Brown, Charles Quinton Jr.General Charles Q. Brown Jr. (born 1962)	6 August 2020	Incumbent	1 year, 268 days	Fighters	Commander, Pacific Air Forces	Barbara Barrett Frank Kendall III	Mark Esper Lloyd Austin

Timeline

• 
  General Nathan F. Twining, the first Air Force chief of staff to be appointed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
• 
  The fourth Air Force Chief of Staff, General Thomas Dresser White.
• 
  The fifth chief of staff, General Curtis Emerson LeMay smoking a cigar at a Senate committee hearing.
• 
  The sixth Air Force Chief of Staff, General John Paul McConnell being presented with the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal by President Richard Nixon at the White House.
• 
  The eighth Air Force Chief of Staff, General George Scratchley Brown piloting an Air Force Lockheed VC-140B JetStar.
• 
  The ninth Air Force Chief of Staff, General David Charles Jones addressing the audience during the Air Force Association annual meeting, January 15, 1975.
• 
  The tenth Air Force Chief of Staff, General Lew Allen, Jr.
• 
  The eleventh Air Force Chief of Staff, General Charles A. Gabriel briefing President Ronald Reagan and the National Security Council.
• 
  The twelfth Air Force Chief of Staff, General Larry D. Welch upon arrival at Andrews Air Force Base, October 29, 1988.
• 
  The thirteenth Air Force Chief of Staff, General Michael Joseph Dugan while visiting Air Force personnel deployed to Saudi Arabia during the early stages of the Gulf War, at King Fahd International Airport in 1990.
• 
  The fourteenth Air Force Chief of Staff, General Merrill Anthony "Tony" McPeak greets Air Force personnel deployed during Operation Desert Shield in 1991.
• 
  The fifteenth Air Force Chief of Staff, General Ronald Robert Fogleman.
• 
  General Michael E. Ryan, the sixteenth CSAF, congratulates General Rolf Portz on his presentation of the Legion of Merit, June 30, 2000.
• 
  The seventeenth Air Force Chief of Staff, General John P. Jumper, presents the Airman's Medal to Chief Master Sergeant Noel Sepulveda.
• 
  The eighteenth Air Force chief of staff, General T. Michael Moseley addresses the audience at the farewall ceremony for Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne.
• 
  The nineteenth Chief of Staff, General Norton A. Schwartz piloting a Lockheed-Martin C-130 Hercules.
• 
  General Mark Welsh, the twentieth Air Force chief of staff inspects the graduating U.S. Air Force Academy Class of 2015.
• 
  The twenty-first Air Force chief of staff, General David L. Goldfein addresses National Guard soldiers at the 139th General Conference of the National Guard Association of the United States, September 9, 2017.
• 
  The incoming twenty-second Air Force chief of staff, General Charles Q. Brown Jr., is sworn in by Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett.