The Air Staff is one of the Department of the Air Force's two statutorily designated headquarters staffs: the other staff is the '' Office of the Secretary of the Air Force'', also known as the ''Secretariat''. The Air Staff is headed by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force (currently General Charles Q. Brown Jr.). The Air Staff is primarily composed of uniformed

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...

officials who assist the Chief of Staff in carrying out his dual-hatted role: as the principal military advisor to the

Secretary of the Air Force A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a wh ...

, and as a member of the ''

Joint Chiefs of Staff The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, that advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and the ...

''. The Air Staff was reorganized in 2006 to be numbered in accordance with the

Joint Staff The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, that advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and the ...

system. For the most part, the Joint Staff numbering system applies to the air staff. The Air Force separated Analysis and Assessments from A8 to create a separate directorate, A9, then in 2008, followed up with the creation of a separate directorate, A10, for the Air Force's nuclear mission.

Joint Staff organization

For reference, the organization of the Joint Staff follows. See full

article Article often refers to: * Article (grammar), a grammatical element used to indicate definiteness or indefiniteness * Article (publishing), a piece of nonfictional prose that is an independent part of a publication Article may also refer to: G ...

. The Joint Chiefs of Staff organization includes the following departments where all the

's planning, policies,

intelligence Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. More generally, it can be des ...

manpower Human resources (HR) is the set of people who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, industry, or economy. A narrower concept is human capital, the knowledge and skills which the individuals command. Similar terms include ...

, communications and logistics functions are translated into action.jcs.mil
National Level Command Structure * DOM – Directorate of Management * J1 –

Manpower and Personnel Human resources (HR) is the set of people who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, industry, or economy. A narrower concept is human capital, the knowledge and skills which the individuals command. Similar terms include m ...

* J2 – Joint Staff Intelligence * J3 –

Operations (J3) The Operations (J3) directorate is the Continental Staff System branch of the U.S. DOD Joint Staff responsible for military operations. It is the third level of the US National Level Command Structure, primarily assists the Chairman of the Joint ...

* J4 –

Logistics Logistics is generally the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation. In a general business sense, logistics manages the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of consumption to meet the requirements of ...

* J5 – Strategic Plans and Policy * J6 – Command, Control, Communications and Computer Systems (C4) * J7 –

Joint Force Development A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw ...

* J8 –

Force Structure, Resources, and Assessment In physics, a force is an influence that can change the motion of an object. A force can cause an object with mass to change its velocity (e.g. moving from a state of rest), i.e., to accelerate. Force can also be described intuitively as a ...

Air Staff * A1 – Manpower and Personnel * A2 – Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance and Cyber Effects Operations * A3 – Operations * A4 – Logistics * A5 – Plans and Requirements * A6 – Communications * A7 – Installations and Mission Support * A8 – Strategic Plans and Programs * A9 – Studies, Analyses, and Assessments * A10 – Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration Office Multiple Air Force military commands follow this structure, but for the HQ Air Force at the Pentagon, they combine several into one office (A5/8 and A4/7). In addition, unlike the other branches of the U.S. armed forces that place "force development and training" in J7 like elements (i.e., G7, N7, etc.), the Air Force has no A7 "training" organization at the HAF level, retaining that function within its A3 organization.

Members of the Air Staff

* Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force (O-10) *

Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force 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 t ...

(O-10) *

Director of Staff of the United States Air Force The Assistant Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force was a position in the United States Air Force held by a Lieutenant general (United States), lieutenant general who also served as the director of the Air Staff (United States), Air St ...

(O-9) *

Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force The Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force (acronym: CMSAF) is a unique non-commissioned rank in the United States Air Force. The holder of this rank and position of office represents the highest enlisted level of leadership in the Air Force, ...

(E-9) *Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel (A1) (O-9) *Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, and Cyber Effects Operations (A2/6) (O-9) * Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations (A3) (O-9) *Deputy Chief of Staff for Installations, Logistics & Force Protection (A4/7) (O-9) *Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans & Requirements (A5/8) (O-9) *Chief Information Officer (SAF/CN) ( Senior Executive Service) *Director for Studies & Analyses, Assessments and Lessons Learned (A9) (Senior Executive Service) *Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration (A10) (O-9) * Judge Advocate General (O-9) * Surgeon General (O-9) *Director, Air Force History and Museums Policies and Programs (Senior Executive Service) *Chief of the Air Force Reserve Command (O-9) *Director of the Air National Guard (O-9) *Director of Tests and Evaluation (Senior Executive Service) * Chief of Chaplain Services (O-8) *Chief of Safety (O-8) *Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (O-8) * Chief Scientist of the U.S. Air Force (Senior Executive Service)

Rapid Capabilities Office

The Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, located in Washington, D.C., reports directly to a board of directors chaired by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics. Board members also include the Secretary of the Air Force, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition. The office responds to Combat Air Force and combatant command requirements. The RCO reports to a board of directors comprising the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics and the secretary and chief of staff of the Air Force. The office is staffed with a variety of functional specialists. The Secretary of the Air Force activated the office 28 April 2003. One of its first projects was to deploy significant upgrades to the Integrated Air Defense System, now operational around the

National Capital Region A capital region, also called a capital district or capital territory, is a region or district surrounding a capital city. It is not always the official term for the region, but may sometimes be used as an informal synonym. Capital regions can exis ...

. Currently, RCO is working on the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle to demonstrate a reliable, reusable, unmanned space test platform for the United States Air Force. Additionally, RCO, in conjunction with MIT Lincoln Lab and other partners, is developing a sensitive airborne receiver system. The system is scheduled for in-theater evaluation during the summer of 2009. The RCO Red Team assesses current and future threats to U.S. combat operations by providing independent technical assessments.

References

External links

Organization of the U.S. Air forceCountdown to A10 staffAir Force Staff Restructures to Improve Joint Ops, Communication
{{DOD agencies navbox Staff (military) United States Air Force

Joint Staff organization

Members of the Air Staff

Rapid Capabilities Office

See also

References

External links