§9013 — Title 10 Armed Forces | U.S. Code

Summary

The President picks a civilian to be the Secretary of the Air Force, and the Senate must approve. The person should be highly qualified and have management or leadership experience when possible. No one can be made Secretary within seven years after leaving active duty as a commissioned officer of a regular armed force. The Secretary is the leader of the Department of the Air Force. Under the direction of the Secretary of Defense and the rules in chapter 6 of this law, the Secretary must run all affairs of the Department. That includes 12 main functions such as recruiting, organizing, supplying, equipping (including research and development), training, servicing, mobilizing and demobilizing, administering personnel and morale, maintaining and repairing equipment, and handling buildings and real property. The Secretary must also keep the Department working efficiently, make policies that match national security goals, carry out decisions and budgets from the President or Secretary of Defense, support combatant commands, coordinate with other military departments to save money and avoid duplication, present the Department’s positions, and supervise Air Force intelligence. The Secretary can be given other duties by law, the President, or the Secretary of Defense, may recommend things to Congress after telling the Secretary of Defense, may delegate duties to the Under Secretary and Assistant Secretaries, can direct Air Force and Space Force officers to report, assign duties to people, change non‑statutory titles, and make regulations to do the job.

Title 10, §9013

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)There is a Secretary of the Air Force, appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Secretary shall, to the greatest extent practicable, be appointed from among persons most highly qualified for the position by reason of background and experience, including persons with appropriate management or leadership experience. The Secretary is the head of the Department of the Air Force.

(2)A person may not be appointed as Secretary of the Air Force within seven years after relief from active duty as a commissioned officer of a regular component of an armed force.

(b)Subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense and subject to the provisions of chapter 6 of this title, the Secretary of the Air Force is responsible for, and has the authority necessary to conduct, all affairs of the Department of the Air Force, including the following functions:

(1)Recruiting.

(2)Organizing.

(3)Supplying.

(4)Equipping (including research and development).

(5)Training.

(6)Servicing.

(7)Mobilizing.

(8)Demobilizing.

(9)Administering (including the morale and welfare of personnel).

(10)Maintaining.

(11)The construction, outfitting, and repair of military equipment.

(12)The construction, maintenance, and repair of buildings, structures, and utilities and the acquisition of real property and interests in real property necessary to carry out the responsibilities specified in this section.

(c)Subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Air Force is also responsible to the Secretary of Defense for—

(1)the functioning and efficiency of the Department of the Air Force;

(2)the formulation of policies and programs by the Department of the Air Force that are fully consistent with national security objectives and policies established by the President or the Secretary of Defense;

(3)the effective and timely implementation of policy, program, and budget decisions and instructions of the President or the Secretary of Defense relating to the functions of the Department of the Air Force;

(4)carrying out the functions of the Department of the Air Force so as to fulfill the current and future operational requirements of the unified and specified combatant commands;

(5)effective cooperation and coordination between the Department of the Air Force and the other military departments and agencies of the Department of Defense to provide for more effective, efficient, and economical administration and to eliminate duplication;

(6)the presentation and justification of the positions of the Department of the Air Force on the plans, programs, and policies of the Department of Defense; and

(7)the effective supervision and control of the intelligence activities of the Department of the Air Force.

(d)The Secretary of the Air Force is also responsible for such other activities as may be prescribed by law or by the President or Secretary of Defense.

(e)After first informing the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Air Force may make such recommendations to Congress relating to the Department of Defense as he considers appropriate.

(f)The Secretary of the Air Force may assign such of his functions, powers, and duties as he considers appropriate to the Under Secretary of the Air Force and to the Assistant Secretaries of the Air Force. Officers of the Air Force and officers of the Space Force shall, as directed by the Secretary, report on any matter to the Secretary, the Under Secretary, or any Assistant Secretary.

(g)The Secretary of the Air Force may—

(1)assign, detail, and prescribe the duties of members of the Air Force, members of the Space Force, and civilian personnel of the Department of the Air Force;

(2)change the title of any officer or activity of the Department of the Air Force not prescribed by law; and

(3)prescribe regulations to carry out his functions, powers, and duties under this title.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2021—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 117–81 substituted “seven” for “five”. Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 116–283, § 923(b)(1)(A), inserted “and officers of the Space Force” after “Officers of the Air Force”. Subsec. (g)(1). Pub. L. 116–283, § 923(b)(1)(B), inserted “, members of the Space Force,” after “members of the Air Force”. 2018—Pub. L. 115–232 renumbered section 8013 of this title as this section. 2016—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 114–328 inserted “The Secretary shall, to the greatest extent practicable, be appointed from among persons most highly qualified for the position by reason of background and experience, including persons with appropriate management or leadership experience.” after first sentence. 2003—Subsec. (c)(4). Pub. L. 108–136 struck out “(to the maximum extent practicable)” after “fulfill”. 1986—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 99–661 substituted “five years” for “10 years”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2021 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 117–81 applicable with respect to appointments made on or after Dec. 27, 2021, see section 901(g) of Pub. L. 117–81, set out as a note under section 113 of this title.

Effective Date

of 2018 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 115–232 effective Feb. 1, 2019, with provision for the coordination of

Amendments

and special rule for certain redesignations, see section 800 of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title. Blast Damage Assessment Guide for Space Vehicles at Air Force Launch Complexes Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title XVI, § 1610, Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1180, provided that: “(a) Requirement.—Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 18, 2025], the Secretary of the Air Force shall publish a liquid oxygen and methane blast damage assessment guide for space launch vehicles at Air Force launch complexes. “(b) Notice and Briefing.—Not later than 30 days after the date on which the Secretary publishes the assessment guide under subsection (a), the Secretary shall—“(1) notify the congressional defense committees [Committees on Armed Services and Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives] of such publication; and “(2) provide the congressional defense committees with a briefing on the contents of the assessment guide. “(c) Waiver.—“(1) Authority.—The Secretary may waive the one-year publication timeline under subsection (a) for national security purposes, or if the Secretary determines that such timeline is impractical, if the Secretary notifies the congressional defense committees with respect to an alternate date on which the publication shall occur. “(2) Limitation.—The Secretary may exercise the waiver authority under paragraph (1) not more than once.” Provision By Air Force of Meteorological Services for Intelligence Community Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title XVI, § 1624, Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1183, provided that: “(a) In General.—The Secretary of the Air Force shall provide meteorological services for operations of—“(1) each combat support agency that is an element of the intelligence community; and “(2) by agreement with the head of any other element of the intelligence community, that element of the intelligence community. “(b) Definitions.—In this section:“(1) The term ‘combat support agency’ has the meaning given that term in section 193 of title 10, United States Code. “(2) The term ‘intelligence community’ has the meaning given that term in section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003).” Provision by Secretary of the Air Force of Meteorological Data for Air Force and Army Pub. L. 118–159, div. A, title III, § 321, Dec. 23, 2024, 138 Stat. 1853, provided that: “(a) In General.—Except as provided in subsection (b), the Secretary of the Air Force shall provide meteorological and environmental services for operations of the Department of the Air Force and shall provide meteorological services for the Department of the Army. “(b) Exception for Ballistics Data.—The requirement under subsection (a) shall not apply to meteorological ballistics data for the Department of the Army.” Rating Chains for System Program Managers Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title III, § 323, Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 1696, as amended Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title XVIII, § 1802(b)(1)(A), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1227, provided that: “The Secretary of the Air Force, in managing system program management responsibilities for sustainment programs not assigned to a portfolio acquisition executive or a direct reporting program manager, shall comply with the Department of Defense Instructions regarding assignment of program responsibility.”

Executive Documents

Order of SuccessionFor order of succession in event of death, permanent disability, or resignation of Secretary of the Air Force, see Ex. Ord. No. 12909, Apr. 22, 1994, 59 F.R. 21909, listed in a table under section 3345 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

§9013 Secretary of the Air Force

Summary

Title 10, §9013

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Effective Date

Amendments

Executive Documents

Citations & Metadata