The United States Department of the Air Force ( DAF ) is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the United States of America . The Department of the Air Force was formed on September 18, 1947, per the National Security Act of 1947 (codified into Title 10 of the United States Code ) and it is the military department within which the United States Air Force and the United States Space Force are organized.
27-684: The Department of the Air Force is headed by the Secretary of the Air Force (SAF/OS), a civilian, who has the authority to conduct all of its affairs, subject to the authority, direction and control of the Secretary of Defense . The Secretary of the Air Force's principal deputy is the Under Secretary of the Air Force (SAF/US). Their senior staff assistants in the Office of the Secretary of
54-561: A space for the recipient's name which is within a stylized laurel wreath open at the top and tied at the bottom. The Airman's Medal is unique in that its shape does not follow the octagonal shape of its counterparts, the Soldier's Medal , Navy and Marine Corps Medal and the Coast Guard Medal . It had been established practice heretofore to design military decorations with a distinctive shape, so that they would not be confused at
81-738: A variety of name changes within the Department of the Air Force to recognize the Space Force's establishment, including a 2022 proposal by the U.S. Senate to rename the Air National Guard to the Air and Space National Guard and 2020 proposal to rename the Airman's Medal the Air and Space Force Medal, mirroring the Navy and Marine Corps Medal . The Department of the Air Force is divided into
108-419: Is by statute responsible for and has the authority to conduct all the affairs of the Department of the Air Force. The secretary works closely with their civilian deputy, the under secretary of the Air Force ; and their military deputies, the chief of staff of the Air Force and the chief of space operations . The first secretary of the Air Force, Stuart Symington , was sworn in on September 18, 1947, upon
135-546: Is the head of the Department of the Air Force. The Department of the Air Force is defined as a Military Department . It is not limited to the Washington headquarters staffs, rather it is an entity which includes all the components of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force, including their reserve components: The term 'department', when used with respect to a military department, means
162-662: The Air Force Association also called for renaming the department. In 2022, the Air Force Association renamed itself the Air & Space Forces Association , internally acting on its proposal to reflect the Space Force in the organization's name. In a 2021 article in the Space Force Journal , two Space Force officers also proposed a name change for the department. Congress has also proposed
189-539: The Army Institute of Heraldry . On the obverse of the circular medal is the figure of the Greek god Hermes , son of Zeus , resting on one knee. He has just released from his open hands an American Bald Eagle, shown rising into flight. Within the raised rim of the medal, is the inscription "Airman's Medal" in raised letters. The reverse of the medal, has a raised outer edge and bears the inscription: “For Valor” above
216-525: The Navy and Marine Corps Medal , and the Coast Guard Medal . Additional awards of the Airman's Medal are denoted by oak leaf clusters . The first recipient of the Airman's Medal was Captain John Burger, U.S. Air Force, who was awarded the medal at MacDill Air Force Base , Florida, on 21 July 1960, for heroism performed on 9 September 1959. The medal was designed and sculpted by Thomas Hudson Jones of
243-726: The Office of the Secretary of the Air Force , which is led by the United States Secretary of the Air Force , the Air Staff which is led by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force , and the Space Staff which is led by the Chief of Space Operations . The Department of the Air Force consists of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force . [REDACTED] Office of the Secretary of
270-599: The United States . The medal was established on 6 July 1960 by 10 U.S. Code 8750 and is awarded to those service members or those of a friendly nation while serving in any capacity with the U.S. Air Force or U.S. Space Force. The performance must have involved personal hazard or danger. The Airman's Medal was authorized on 10 August 1956 to replace the U.S. Army's Soldier's Medal which had also been awarded to qualifying Air Force personnel since 26 September 1947. According to Air Force Instruction 36–2803, The Office of
297-587: The United States Space Force 's establishment, calls have been made for the Department of the Air Force to rename itself the Department of the Air and Space Forces to acknowledge the Space Force, similar to calls made for the Department of the Navy to rename itself the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps. SpaceNews reported that a proposed name change was considered in 2018 and in 2019
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#1732783719543324-406: The chain of command for Air Force and Space Force units for other purposes than the operational direction goes from the president to the secretary of defense to the secretary of the Air Force to the commanders of Air Force and Space Force Commands . Air Force and Space Force officers have to report on any matter to the secretary, or the secretary's designate, when requested. The secretary has
351-476: The Air Force [REDACTED] Air Staff [REDACTED] Space Staff The Department of Defense claims the 2019 Department of the Air Force budget is as follows: FY19 - FY18 *$ in thousands Numbers May Not Add Due to Rounding United States Secretary of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force , sometimes referred to as the Secretary of the Department of
378-565: The Air Force and Chief of Space Operations . By direction of the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Air Force assigns Air Force and Space Force units – apart from those units performing duties enumerated in 10 U.S.C. § 9013 unless otherwise directed – to the combatant commands . Only the Secretary of Defense and the President have the authority to approve a transfer of forces between combatant commands. In 1981, Congressman Ken Kramer introduced legislation to rename
405-407: The Air Force are five Assistant Secretaries for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics , Financial Management & Comptroller , Installations, Environment & Energy , Manpower & Reserve Affairs , Space Acquisition & Integration and a General Counsel . The highest-ranking military officers in the department, and senior military advisers to the secretary, are the Chief of Staff of
432-461: The Air Force , ( SecAF , or SAF/OS ) is the head of the Department of the Air Force and the service secretary for the United States Air Force and United States Space Force . The secretary of the Air Force is a civilian appointed by the president , by and with the advice and consent of the Senate . The secretary reports to the secretary of defense and/or the deputy secretary of defense , and
459-407: The Air Force may also be assigned additional responsibilities by the president or the secretary of defense, e.g. the secretary is designated as the " DoD Executive Agent for Space ", and as such: ... shall develop, coordinate, and integrate plans and programs for space systems and the acquisition of DoD Space Major Defense Acquisition Programs to provide operational space force capabilities to ensure
486-712: The Department of the Air Force as the Department of the Aerospace Force, along with renaming the United States Air Force as the United States Aerospace Force, to reorient the service and department from an air force to an aerospace force. The legislation would also have established a space command within the Aerospace Force and renamed the Air National Guard to the Aerospace National Guard. The legislation
513-632: The Secretary of the Air Force is one of the Department of the Air Force's three headquarter staffs at the seat of government, with the others being the Air Staff and the Office of the Chief of Space Operations . The Office of the Secretary of the Air Force is composed of: Airman%27s Medal The Airman's Medal ( AmnM ) is a military award and decoration of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force for personnel who distinguish themselves by heroism involving voluntary risk of their life not involving actual combat with an armed enemy of
540-450: The Secretary of the Air Force, Personnel Council approves or disapproves recommendations for Airman's Medals requiring Secretary of the Air Force final approval and determines upon approval, entitlement to 10 percent increase in retirement pay for the Airman's Medal when awarded to enlisted members for extraordinary heroism. The Airman's Medal is equivalent to the Army's Soldier's Medal ,
567-477: The United States has the space power to achieve its national security objectives. The secretary of the Air Force's principal staff element, the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force , has responsibility for acquisition and auditing, comptroller issues (including financial management), inspector general matters, legislative affairs, and public affairs within the Department of the Air Force. The Office of
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#1732783719543594-518: The authority to detail, prescribe the duties, and to assign Air Force and Space Force service members and civilian employees, and may also change the title of any activity not statutorily designated. The secretary has several responsibilities under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) with respect to Air Force and Space Force service members, including the authority to convene general courts martial and to commute sentences. The secretary of
621-667: The executive part of the department and all field headquarters, forces, reserve components, installations, activities, and functions under the control or supervision of the Secretary of the department. The exclusive responsibilities of the secretary of the Air Force are enumerated in 10 U.S.C. § 9013(b) of the United States Code . They include, but are not limited to: (1) Recruiting. (2) Organizing. (3) Supplying. (4) Equipping (including research and development). (5) Training. (6) Servicing. (7) Mobilizing. (8) Demobilizing. (9) Administering (including
648-403: 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. By direction of the secretary of defense,
675-477: The secretary of the Air Force assigns military units of the Air Force and Space Force, other than those who carry out the functions listed in 10 U.S.C. § 9013(b) , to the Unified and Specified Combatant Commands to perform missions assigned to those commands. Air Force and Space Force units while assigned to Combatant Commands may only be reassigned by authority of the secretary of defense. However,
702-550: The split and re-organization of the Department of War and Army Air Forces into an air military department and a military service of its own, with the enactment of the National Security Act . On July 26, 2021 the United States Senate confirmed Frank Kendall III as the next Secretary of the Air Force. On July 28, 2021, Kendall was sworn in as the 26th Secretary of the Air Force. The secretary
729-534: Was cosponsored by Representatives G. William Whitehurst , Ike Skelton , and Robin Beard of the United States House Committee on Armed Services . Although the legislation was supported by General James E. Hill , who commanded North American Aerospace Defense Command and Aerospace Defense Command , the Air Force did not support the name change and the legislation did not pass. Following
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