The chief of staff of the Air Force is the service chief of the United States Air Force. They are the principal military advisor to the secretary of the Air Force on matter pertaining to the Air Force. They are a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and thereby a military adviser to the National Security Council, the secretary of defense, and the president. The chief of staff is typically the highest-ranking officer on active duty in the Air Force, unless the chairman and/or the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are Air Force officers.
General Bruce Keener Holloway was a United States Air Force general. A West Point graduate, he was a fighter ace with the United States Army Air Forces in World War II and later served as Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force and commander-in-chief of the Strategic Air Command.
Charles Quinton Brown Jr. is a United States Air Force general who has served as the 21st chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since October 1, 2023. Prior to his appointment, Brown served as the 22nd chief of staff of the Air Force from 2020 to 2023. Brown entered the Air Force in 1984 and served as a fighter pilot, where he has logged over 3,000 flight hours, including 130 hours in combat. He has commanded the Pacific Air Forces, U.S. Air Forces Central Command, 31st Fighter Wing, 8th Fighter Wing, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, and 78th Fighter Squadron. He has also served as deputy commander of the U.S. Central Command.
David Dean Thompson is a retired United States Space Force general who served as the first vice chief of space operations from 2020 to 2023. He served as the vice commander of the Air Force Space Command from 2018 to 2020.
Jon Tyson Thomas is a retired lieutenant general in the United States Air Force, who last served as deputy commander of Pacific Air Forces from 2020 to 2021. From Huntington Beach, California, Thomas was commissioned after graduating from the United States Air Force Academy in 1989.
Mark Ernest Weatherington is a retired United States Air Force lieutenant general who served as the deputy commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command from August 2021 to August 2023. He most recently served as commander of both the Eighth Air Force and the Joint-Global Strike Operations Center. He previously served as the deputy commander of Air Education and Training Command from April 2018 to May 2020. Weatherington was commissioned after graduating from the United States Air Force Academy in 1990.
John Edwin Shaw is a retired United States Space Force lieutenant general who last served as the deputy commander of the United States Space Command from 2020 to 2023. He previously served as commander of the Combined Force Space Component Command and deputy commander of Space Operations Command.
Bradley Chance Saltzman is a United States Space Force general who is the second and current chief of space operations. He served as the deputy chief of space operations for operations, cyber, and nuclear from 2020 to 2022. He is the first lieutenant general and the first general officer promoted into the Space Force.
DeAnna Marie Burt is a United States Space Force lieutenant general who has served as the deputy chief of space operations for operations, cyber, and nuclear since 2022. She is the first female major general and second female general officer in the Space Force.
James Earl Smith is a United States Space Force major general who serves as the vice director for joint force development at the Joint Staff. He previously served as the assistant deputy chief of space operations for operations, cyber, and nuclear. He also served as the deputy United States military representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and commander of the Peterson-Schriever Garrison.
Charles L. Moore Jr. is a retired United States Air Force lieutenant general who last served as deputy commander of the United States Cyber Command. He previously was the Deputy Director for Global Operations of the Joint Staff. In July 2020, the United States Senate confirmed his promotion to lieutenant general and nomination to become the deputy commander of the Cyber Command, replacing United States Navy Vice Admiral Ross A. Myers.
Tony D. Bauernfeind is a United States Air Force lieutenant general who has served as the 22nd superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy since August 2, 2024. He most recently served as the commander of Air Force Special Operations Command from 2022 to 2024. He served as vice commander of the United States Special Operations Command from 2020 to 2022; as vice commander, Bauernfeind was responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing actions with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the services and other government agencies in the national capital region on behalf of the commander of United States Special Operations Command. He previously served as Special Operations Command's chief of staff and as commander of Special Operations Command Korea.
Kirk William Smith is a retired United States Air Force lieutenant general who served as the deputy commander of the United States Africa Command. Prior to that, he was the commander of the Special Operations Command Europe of the United States European Command.
Matthew J. Burger is a United States Air Force major general who has served as mobilization assistant to the chief of Air Force Reserve since August 2023. He most recently served as deputy to the chief of Air Force Reserve since August 2022 to August 2023. He previously served as the deputy commander of the Air Force Reserve Command from 2020 to 2022.
James B. Hecker is a United States Air Force general who serves as the commander of United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa and Allied Air Command since June 27, 2022. Before that, he served as the commander and president of the Air University from November 2019 to June 2022. and also previously served as the vice director for operations of the Joint Staff.
Thomas James Sharpy is a retired United States Air Force lieutenant general who last served as the deputy chief of staff for capability development of the Allied Command Transformation. Previously, he was the deputy commander of the Air Mobility Command.
James A. Jacobson is a retired United States Air Force lieutenant general who last served as the deputy commander of the Pacific Air Forces from 2021 to 2024. He most recently served as the director of training and readiness of the U.S. Air Force. Previously, he was the commander of the Air Force District of Washington.
