Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
No Chief of Staff of the Air Force Took office Left office Time in office Primary Background Previous office President serving under
1 Spaatz , Carl General Carl Spaatz ( 1891-1974 ) September 26 , 1947 April 29 , 1948 216 days Fighters Commanding General , United States Army Air Forces Truman , Harry Harry S. Truman
2 General Hoyt S. Vandenberg ( 1899-1954 ) April 30 , 1948 June 29 , 1953 5 years , 60 days Attack and Fighters Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Harry S. Truman Dwight Eisenhower
3 General Nathan F. Twining * ( 1879-1982 ) June 30 , 1953 June 30 , 1957 4 years , 0 days Fighters and Bombers Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Dwight Eisenhower
4 General Thomas D. White ( 1901-1965 ) July 1 , 1957 June 30 , 1961 3 years , 336 days Observation aircraft and Staff Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Dwight Eisenhower John F. Kennedy
5 General Curtis E. LeMay ( 1906-1990 ) June 30 , 1961 January 31 , 1965 3 years , 215 days Bombers Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson
6 General John P. McConnell ( 1908-1986 ) February 1 , 1965 July 31 , 1969 4 years , 180 days Fighters Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Lyndon B. Johnson Richard M. Nixon
7 General John D. Ryan ( 1915-1983 ) August 1 , 1969 July 31 , 1973 3 years , 364 days Bombers Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Richard M. Nixon
8 General George S. Brown * ( 1918-1978 ) August 1 , 1973 June 30 , 1974 333 days Bombers Commander , Air Force Systems Command Richard M. Nixon
9 General David C. Jones * ( 1921-2013 ) July 1 , 1974 June 20 , 1978 3 years , 354 days Bombers Commander-in-Chief , United States Air Forces in Europe Commander , Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force Richard M. Nixon Gerald Ford Jimmy Carter
10 General Lew Allen Jr. ( 1925-2010 ) July 1 , 1978 June 30 , 1982 3 years , 336 days Bombers Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Jimmy Carter Ronald Reagan
11 General Charles A. Gabriel ( 1928-2003 ) July 1 , 1982 30 June 1986 3 years , 364 days Fighters Commander-in-Chief , United States Air Forces in Europe Ronald Reagan
12 General Larry D. Welch ( born 1934 ) July 1,1986 June 30 , 1990 3 years , 364 days Fighters Commander-in-Chief , Strategic Air Command Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush
13 General Michael Dugan ( born 1937 ) July 1 , 1990 September 17 , 1990 78 days Fighters Commander-in-Chief , United States Air Forces in Europe George H. W. Bush
- General John M. Loh ( born 1938 ) Acting September 18 , 1990 October 29 , 1990 41 days Fighters Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force ( 1990-1991 ) George H. W. Bush
14 General Merrill A. McPeak ( born 1936 ) October 30 , 1990 October 25 , 1994 3 years , 360 days Fighters Acting Secretary of the United States Air Force ( July 14 , 1993 - August 5 , 1993 ) Commander-in-Chief , Pacific Air Forces George H. W. Bush Bill Clinton
15 General Ronald R. Fogleman ( born 1942 ) October 26 , 1994 September 1 , 1997 2 years , 310 days Fighters Commanding General , United States Transportation Command Bill Clinton
- General Ralph E. Eberhart ( born 1946 ) Acting September 2 , 1997 October 5 , 1997 33 days Fighters Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force ( June 1997 - June 1999 ) Bill Clinton
16 General Michael E. Ryan ( born 1941 ) October 6 , 1997 September 5 , 2001 4 years , 31 days Fighters Commander , Allied Air Forces Southern Europe Bill Clinton George W. Bush
17 General John P. Jumper ( born 1945 ) September 6 , 2001 September 1 , 2005 3 years , 361 days Fighters Commander , Air Combat Command George W. Bush
18 General T. Michael Moseley ( born 1949 ) September 2 , 2005 July 11 , 2008 2 years , 314 days Fighters Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force George W. Bush
List of Chiefs of Staff , U.S. Air Force ( 1947–present )
Prior to the creation of this position , General Henry H. Arnold was designated first Chief of the Army Air Forces and Commanding General of the Army Air Forces during World War II . *Symbolizes chiefs that have went on to serve as Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Chief of Staff of the Air Force (acronym: CSAF, or AF/CC) is a statutory office (10 U.S.C. § 9033) held by a four-star general in the United States Air Force, and as such is the principal military advisor to the Secretary of the Air Force for Air Force activities; and is in a separate capacity a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and thereby a military adviser to the National Security Council, the Secretary of Defense, and the President. The Chief of Staff is typically the highest-ranking officer on active duty in the Air Force unless the Chairman and/or the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are Air Force officers. The Chief of Staff of the Air Force is an administrative position based in the Pentagon, and while the Chief of Staff does not have operational command authority over Air Force forces (that is within the purview of the Combatant Commanders who report to the Secretary of Defense), the Chief of Staff does exercise supervision of Air Force units and organizations as the designee of the Secretary of the Air Force. The current Chief of Staff of the Air Force is General David L. Goldfein.