General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force

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General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force
SAF/GC
Office of the General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force.gif
Seal of the Office of the General Counsel
Flag of the General Counsel and Assistant Secretaries of the Air Force.svg
Flag of the general counsel and assistant secretaries of the air force
Principal Deputy General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force Shannon Ann McGuire.webp
Incumbent
Shannon Ann McGuire [1]
Acting  
since January 20, 2025
Department of the Air Force
Style The Honorable
Reports to Secretary of the Air Force
Under Secretary of the Air Force
Seat The Pentagon, Arlington County, Virginia, United States
NominatorThe president with Senate advice and consent
Term length No fixed term
Constituting instrument 10 U.S.C.   § 9019
Formation1947
First holder Brackley Shaw
Succession 18th in SecDef succession by seniority of appointment
DeputyPrincipal Deputy General Counsel of the Air Force
Salary Executive Schedule, level IV [2]
Website Official website

The general counsel of the Department of the Air Force [3] (acronym SAF/GC) is the chief legal officer of the U.S. Department of the Air Force.

Contents

By U.S. law, the general counsel of the Department of the Air Force is appointed from civilian life by the president of the United States upon the advice and consent of the United States Senate, and performs such duties as the secretary of the air force specifies. [4]

According to Secretary of the Air Force Order No. 111.5, dated July 14, 2005, "The General Counsel is the chief legal officer and chief ethics official of the Department of the Air Force. Legal opinions issued by the Office of the General Counsel shall be the controlling opinions of the Department of the Air Force. The General Counsel provides advice in accordance with applicable statues on any legal subject and on other matters as directed by the Secretary." [5] In other words, the general counsel advises the secretary of the air force, the under secretary, and the assistant secretaries, as well as the chief of staff of the air force, chief of space operations, and other military leaders of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force on legal matters, other than those statutory duties under the Uniform Code of Military Justice performed by the judge advocate general of the air force.

List of general counsels of the Department of the Air Force (incomplete list)

ImageNameAssumed officeLeft office President appointed by Secretary served under
Brackley Shaw 19471949 Harry S. Truman W. Stuart Symington
William T. Thurman 19501950 Harry S. Truman W. Stuart Symington, Thomas K. Finletter
James T. Hill Jr. 19501952 Harry S. Truman Thomas K. Finletter
John Alvin Johnson 19521958 Dwight Eisenhower Thomas K. Finletter, Harold E. Talbott, Donald A. Quarles, James H. Douglas Jr.
Max Golden 19581962 Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy James H. Douglas Jr., Dudley C. Sharp, Eugene M. Zuckert
Gerritt W. Wesselink 19641965 Lyndon B. Johnson Eugene M. Zuckert
Stephen N Shulman.jpg Stephen N. Shulman 19651966 Lyndon Johnson Eugene M. Zuckert, Harold Brown
J. William Doolittle 19661968 Lyndon Johnson Harold Brown
John M. Steadman 19681970 Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon Harold Brown, Robert C. Seamans, Jr.
Jack L. Stempler 19701977 Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford Robert C. Seamans, Jr., John L. McLucas, James W. Plummer, Thomas C. Reed,
Peter B. Hamilton 19771978 Jimmy Carter John C. Stetson
Stuart R. Reichart 19791981 Jimmy Carter John C. Stetson, Hans M. Mark, Verne Orr
David E. Place 19811984 Ronald Reagan Verne Orr
Portrait of Eugene R. Sullivan, Judge, U.S. Court of Military Appeals.jpg Eugene R. Sullivan 19841986 Ronald Reagan Verne Orr, Russell A. Rourke
Portrait of Kathleen A. Buck, Air Force General Counsel DF-SC-87-03100 (6412597).jpg Kathleen A. Buck 19861987 Ronald Reagan Russell A. Rourke, Edward C. Aldridge, Jr.
Anne N. Foreman (1989).png Anne N. Foreman 19871989 Ronald Reagan Edward C. Aldridge, Jr.
Ann C. Petersen 19891993 George H. W. Bush Donald B. Rice
Gilbert Casellas EEOC.jpg Gilbert F. Casellas 19931994 Bill Clinton Sheila E. Widnall
Sheila C. Cheston 19951998 Bill Clinton Sheila E. Widnall
Jeh Johnson official portrait 2011.jpg Jeh Charles Johnson 19982001 Bill Clinton F. Whitten Peters
Mary L. Walkercrop.jpg Mary L. Walker 20012008 George W. Bush James G. Roche, Michael Wynne
Charles A Blanchard.jpg Charles A. Blanchard 20092013 Barack Obama Michael B. Donley
Joseph M. McDade Jr. (acting)20132014 Barack Obama Deborah Lee James
Gordon O. Tanner, Air Force General Counsel.jpg Gordon O. Tanner 20142017 Barack Obama Deborah Lee James
Joseph M. McDade Jr. (acting)20172018 Donald Trump Lisa Disbrow
Heather Wilson
Thomas E. Ayres official photo (cropped).jpg Thomas E. Ayres 20182021 Donald Trump Heather Wilson
Matthew Donovan (acting)
Barbara Barrett
Craig A. Smith.jpg Craig A. Smith [6] 20212022 Joe Biden John P. Roth (acting)
Frank Kendall III
Peter J. Beshar.jpg Peter J. Beshar 20222025 Joe Biden Frank Kendall III

See also

References

  1. af.mil
  2. 5 U.S.C.   § 5315
  3. "Thomas e. Ayres".
  4. 10 U.S.C.   § 9019
  5. General Counsel webpage
  6. "Craig A. Smith". U.S. Air Force. May 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2025.