Air Staff (United States)

The Air Staff
Agency overview
Headquarters Air Force badge
Formed	1947
Headquarters	Pentagon
Agency executive	Mark A. Welsh III (CSAF)
Parent agency	Department of the Air Force

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 Mark Welsh). The Air Staff is primarily composed of uniformed U.S. Air Force 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, and as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The Air Staff was reorganized in 2006 to be numbered in accordance with the Joint Staff system.^[1] For the most part, the Joint Staff numbering system applies to the air staff. Of note, 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.^[2]

Joint Staff organization

Air Staff Organizational Chart

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

The Joint Chiefs of Staff organization includes the following departments where all the Joint Staff's planning, policies, intelligence, manpower, communications and logistics functions are translated into action.^[3]

DOM – Directorate of Management
J1 – Personnel and Manpower
J2 – Intelligence
J3 – Operations
J4 – Logistics
J5 – Strategic Plans and Policy
J6 – Command, Control, Communications and Computer Systems
J7 – Operational Plans and Joint Force Development
J8 – Force Structure, Resources, and Assessment

Constituents of the Air Staff

Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force
Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force
Assistant Vice Chief of Staff
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force
Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel (A1)
Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (A2)
Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations (A3)
Deputy Chief of Staff for Installations & Logistics (A4)
Chief, Information Dominance and Chief Information Officer (SAF/CIO A6)
Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans & Requirements (A5/8)
Director for Studies & Analyses, Assessments and Lessons Learned (A9)
Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration (A10)
Chief of Security Forces
Judge Advocate General
Surgeon General
Air Force Historian
Chief of the Air Force Reserve
Director of the Air National Guard
Director of Tests and Evaluation
Chief of Chaplain Services
Chief of Safety
Chief Scientist of the U.S. Air Force

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.^[4]

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 who form a collaborative melting pot of expertise. Inherent in the accomplishment of its mission to deliver capability is intent to experiment, within the bounds of statute, to discover and recommend new methods, processes, and techniques for the Air Force and the Department of Defense to conduct business in an efficient fashion.^[4]

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. 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.^[4]

References

↑ Air Force Staff Restructures to Improve Joint Ops, Communication
↑ Oct2008: ...new directorate on the Air Staff that will coordinate the Air Force's nuclear activities
↑ jcs.mil
1 2 3 "Rapid Capabilities Office fact sheet". USAF. 2 September 2009. Retrieved 17 May 2010.

External links

United States Air Force

Leadership

Structure

Commands	Reserve Air National Guard Field Operating Agencies Installations

Direct Reporting Units	District of Washington Operational Test and Evaluation Center USAF Academy

Major Commands	Air Combat Air Education and Training Air Mobility Global Strike Materiel Reserve Space Special Operations Europe & Africa Pacific

Numbered Air Forces	First Second Third Fourth Fifth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh Twelfth Thirteenth Fourteenth Seventeenth Eighteenth Nineteenth Twentieth Twenty-Second Twenty-Third Twenty-Fourth Twenty-Fifth

Wings (ANG) Groups (ANG) Squadrons (ANG) Civilian auxiliary: Civil Air Patrol

Personnel and
training

Uniforms and
equipment

History and
traditions

Category
Portal

United States Department of Defense

Headquarters: The Pentagon

Office of the Secretary of Defense
(including Defense Agencies and DoD Field Activities)

Deputy Secretary of Defense	Deputy's Advisory Working Group Office of Net Assessment Special Access Program Oversight Committee

Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics	Director, Defense Research and Engineering Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Missile Defense Agency Defense Contract Management Agency Defense Logistics Agency Defense Technical Information Center Defense Threat Reduction Agency Office of Economic Adjustment Defense Acquisition University Defense Acquisition Board

Under Secretary of Defense for Policy	Defense Security Cooperation Agency Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee

Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)	Defense Contract Audit Agency Defense Finance and Accounting Service

Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness	Defense Commissary Agency Department of Defense Education Activity DoD Human Resources Activity Military Health System Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute Office of the Chancellor for Education and Professional Development

Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence	Defense Intelligence Agency Defense Security Service Defense Information Systems Agency National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency National Reconnaissance Office National Security Agency (Director)

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs	Defense Media Activity (American Forces Press Service, American Forces Radio and Television Service, Stars and Stripes, The Pentagon Channel)

General Counsel of the Department of Defense	Defense Legal Services Agency

Director of Administration and Management	Pentagon Force Protection Agency Washington Headquarters Services

Military Departments

Department of the Army	Secretary of the Army The Secretariat: Under Secretary of the Army Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology Assistant Secretary for Civil Works Assistant Secretary (Financial Management and Comptroller) Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs General Counsel of the Army The Administrative Assistant The Army Staff: Chief of Staff of the Army Vice Chief of Staff of the Army Sergeant Major of the Army Deputy Chief of Staff G-8 Chief of Chaplains Judge Advocate General Provost Marshal General Surgeon General U.S. Army field organizations: see Structure of the United States Army

Department of the Navy	Secretary of the Navy The Secretariat: Under Secretary of the Navy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management and Comptroller) Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installations and Environment) Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisitions) General Counsel of the Navy Judge Advocate General Naval Criminal Investigative Service Naval Inspector General Headquarters Marine Corps: Commandant of the Marine Corps Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Chaplain U.S. Marine Corps field organizations: see Organization of the United States Marine Corps Office of the Chief of Naval Operations: Chief of Naval Operations Vice Chief of Naval Operations Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Director of Naval Reactors Chief of Chaplains Chief of Naval Personnel Surgeon General United States Navy field organizations: see Structure of the United States Navy

Department of the Air Force	Secretary of the Air Force The Secretariat: Under Secretary of the Air Force Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition) Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Financial Management & Comptroller) Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Installations, Environment & Logistics) Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower & Reserve Affairs) General Counsel of the Air Force Air Force Office of Special Investigations The Air Staff: Chief of Staff of the Air Force Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Chief of Chaplains Chief of Safety Chief Scientist Judge Advocate General Surgeon General U.S. Air Force field organizations: Major Commands Direct Reporting Units Field Operating Agencies

Joint Chiefs of Staff

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman Joint Requirements Oversight Council Director of the Joint Staff Joint Staff National Military Command Center Alternate National Military Command Center National Defense University

Combatant Commands

Africa Command Central Command European Command Northern Command Pacific Command Southern Command Special Operations Command (Joint Special Operations Command) Strategic Command (Cyber Command) Transportation Command

National Guard Bureau

Chief of the National Guard Bureau Air National Guard Army National Guard

Office of the Inspector General

Defense Criminal Investigative Service

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