Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics)

Assistant Secretary of
the Air Force (Acquisitions, Technology, and Logistics)
Seal of the assistant secretary of the air force for acquisitions, technology, and logistics
Flag of an assistant secretary of the air force
Incumbent
William D. Bailey
(Performing the Duties of)[1]
since June 2, 2025
Department of the Air Force
StyleThe Honorable
Reports toSecretary of the Air Force
SeatThe Pentagon, Arlington County, Virginia, United States
NominatorThe president with Senate advice and consent
Term lengthNo fixed term
Constituting instrument10 U.S.C. § 9016
Formation1987
Succession18th in SecDef succession by seniority of appointment
DeputyPrincipal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Acquisition, Technology & Logistics
Principal Military Deputy for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics
SalaryExecutive Schedule, Level IV
Websiteww3.safaq.hq.af.mil

Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics) (SAF/AQ) is a civilian position in the Department of the Air Force that is appointed by the president of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate. This position is established under Title 10 US Code Section 9016 and is one of five assistant secretary positions under the secretary of the air force. The assistant secretary reports to the secretary of the air force.

Under the law a principal military deputy serves with the assistant secretary of the air force for acquisition. The principal military deputy is required to be an active duty officer with a background in acquisition and program management. If the assistant secretary position is vacant the law permits the principal military deputy to serve up to a year as the acting assistant secretary. Of the five assistant secretary positions established by law, only the assistant secretary for acquisition is required to have a principal military deputy.[2]

Before Andrew Hunter, Darlene Costello served as acting assistant secretary for the second time. During the Obama and Trump administrations, Costello served as acting assistant secretary, from February 2016 to February 2018.[3] In 2018, Will Roper was confirmed to the role, serving from February 2018 to January 2021.[4] Despite Roper's requests to the Biden transition to be retained in the position in the new administration, his efforts went unheeded, and he resigned on January 20 as is custom.[5] Upon his departure, Darlene Costello again became acting assistant secretary until a new secretary is appointed. With 3 years in the role as of January 2022, Costello's service as SAF/AQ, spanning three presidencies and four secretaries of the air force, ranks among the longest in the history of the position, despite never being confirmed by the Senate.

On July 16, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Andrew Hunter, a defense industry/acquisition researcher and former Pentagon official,[6] for the position, and Hunter was confirmed by the Senate on February 2, 2022.[7] Hunter was formerly a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies' International Security Program and director of CSIS' Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group.[6]

Responsibilities

The assistant secretary of the air force for acquisition serves as the single service acquisition executive (SAE) and the senior procurement executive for the Department of the Air Force. They are responsible for acquisition and product support for all air force acquisition programs and manages the air force science and technology program.[8]

They provides direction, guidance and supervision of all matters pertaining to the formulation, review, approval and execution of acquisition plans, policies and programs. The assistant secretary oversees $40 billion annual investments that include major programs like the KC-46A Pegasus, F-35 Lighting II, B-21 Raider,[3] as well as capability areas such as information technology and command and control, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems.

History

The assistant secretary of the air force for acquisition position was created in 1987 by National Security Decision Directive 219, following recommendations from President Reagan's Blue Ribbon Commission on Defense Management. The commission recommended the Department of Defense have clear lines of authority for acquisition management and outlined roles and responsibilities between the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the military departments. This move established the defense acquisition executive, the service acquisition executives for each military department, program executive officers who manage execution for a portfolio of programs.

Prior to 1987, similar duties and responsibilities now carried out by the assistant secretary for acquisition were performed by offices in the Headquarters Secretariat with the following names and dates:

  • Assistant Secretary for Material - May 1951 to February 1964
  • Special Assistant for Research and Development - September 1950-February 1955
  • Assistant Secretary for Research and Development - March 1955 to May 1977
  • Assistant Secretary for Research, Development and Logistics - May 1977-April 1987[9]

Assistant secretaries of the air force (acquisition, technology, and logistics)

No. Portrait Name Assumed office Left office President appointed by Secretary served under
1 John J. Martin[9] May 1977 May 1979 Jimmy Carter John C. Stetson
2 Robert J. Hermann[10] July 1979 August 1981[11] Jimmy Carter Hans Mark
3 Alton G. Keel, Jr.[12] July 30, 1981[13] 1982 Ronald Reagan Verne Orr
4 Thomas E. Cooper[14] January 1983 April 1987 Ronald Reagan Verne Orr
Russell A. Rourke
Edward C. Aldridge, Jr.
Daniel S. Rak (Acting) April 1987 October 1987 Ronald Reagan Edward C. Aldridge, Jr.
5 John J. Welch, Jr.[15] October 1987 April 1992 Ronald Reagan Edward C. Aldridge, Jr.
Donald Rice
6 G. Kim Wincup[16] May 1992 December 1992 George H. W. Bush Donald Rice
Darleen A. Druyun (Acting) January 1993 May 1994 William J. Clinton Michael B. Donley
7 Clark G. Fiester[17] May 1994 April 17, 1995 William J. Clinton Sheila Widnall
Darleen A. Druyun (Acting) April 17, 1995 January 26, 1996 William J. Clinton Sheila Widnall
8 Arthur L. Money[18] January 26, 1996 February 1998[19] William J. Clinton Sheila Widnall
F. Whitten Peters
9 Lawrence J. Delaney[20] April 29, 1999[21] January 20, 2001 William J. Clinton F. Whitten Peters
10 Marvin R. Sambur[22] November 8, 2001[23] January 2005 George W. Bush James G. Roche
11 Sue C. Payton[24] July 21, 2006[25] January 20, 2009 George W. Bush Michael Wynne
Michael B. Donley
David M. Van Buren[26] (Acting) January 20, 2009 March 2012 Barack Obama Michael B. Donley
12 William A. LaPlante[27] February 12, 2014 November 18, 2015[28] Barack Obama Deborah Lee James
Richard W. Lombardi (Acting) November 18, 2015 February 2016 Barack Obama Deborah Lee James
Darlene J. Costello

(Acting)

February 2016 March 9, 2018 Barack Obama Deborah Lee James
Donald Trump Heather Wilson
13 William B. Roper, Jr. March 9, 2018 January 20, 2021 Donald Trump Heather Wilson
Barbara Barrett
Darlene J. Costello

(Acting)

January 20, 2021 February 7, 2022 Joe Biden John P. Roth
Frank Kendall III
14 Andrew Hunter February 7, 2022 January 20, 2025 Joe Biden Frank Kendall III
Darlene J. Costello (Acting) January 20, 2025 June 2, 2025[29] Donald Trump Gary A. Ashworth (acting)
Troy Meink
William D. Bailey (Performing the Duties of) June 2, 2025 Present Donald Trump Troy Meink

References

  1. ^ "William D. Bailey". Archived from the original on September 16, 2025.
  2. ^ 10 U.S.C. § 9016(b)(4)(b).
  3. ^ a b "Darlene Costello Biography". www.af.mil. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  4. ^ "Dr. Will Roper Biography". U.S. Air Force. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  5. ^ Weisgerber, Marcus (January 5, 2021). "Roper Makes His Pitch To Biden Team: 'I Want to Be Part of the China fight'". Defense One. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  6. ^ a b "President Biden Announces Seven Key Nominations" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: White House. July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  7. ^ Sheehey, Maeve (July 16, 2021). "Former Sen. Tom Udall is Biden's pick as ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa". POLITICO. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  8. ^ "Headquarters Air Force Mission Directive 1-10" (PDF). www.e-publishing.af.mil/. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
  9. ^ a b Benson, Lawrence (1997). Acquisition Management in the United States Air Force and its Predecessors. US Government Printing Office. p. 55.
  10. ^ services, united states. congress. senate. committee on armed. "Image 25 of Nominations of Hans M. Mark, Antonia H. Chayes, Robert Jay Hermann, and John Howard Moxley III : hearing before the Committee on Armed Services, United States Senate, Ninety-sixth Congress, first session ... July 13, 1979". The Library of Congress. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  11. ^ Directors at the National Reconnaissance Office at Fifty Years (PDF). Center for the Study of National Reconnaissance. 2011. p. 25. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 21, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  12. ^ Nomination of Thomas Edward Cooper To Be an Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Dec. 15, 1982. Note: Keel held the title "Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Research, Development, and Logistics)"
  13. ^ "PN528 - Nomination of Alton Gold Keel Jr. for Department of Defense, 97th Congress (1981-1982)". www.congress.gov. July 30, 1981. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  14. ^ Nomination of Thomas Edward Cooper To Be an Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Dec. 15, 1982. Cooper was initially appointed "Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Research, Development, and Logistics)". The title changed in the course of Cooper's tenure in office.
  15. ^ George Bush: Continuation of John J. Welch, Jr., as an Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Aug. 9, 1989
  16. ^ Wincup bio
  17. ^ "Clinton nomination". Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved February 26, 2011.
  18. ^ "PN695 - Nomination of Arthur L. Money for Department of Defense, 104th Congress (1995-1996)". www.congress.gov. January 26, 1996. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  19. ^ "Honorable Arthur L. Money, Senior Fellow". www.potomacinstitute.org. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  20. ^ "Air Force Biography". Archived from the original on April 1, 2001. Retrieved May 12, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  21. ^ "PN117 — Lawrence J. Delaney — Department of Defense". congress.gov.
  22. ^ Archived biography
  23. ^ "PN821 — Marvin R. Sambur — Department of Defense". congress.gov.
  24. ^ "Sue C. Payton". United States Air Force. Archived from the original on April 22, 2009. Retrieved February 26, 2011.
  25. ^ "PN1473 — Sue C. Payton — Department of Defense". congress.gov.
  26. ^ "Van Buren bio". Archived from the original on February 2, 2011.
  27. ^ "LaPlante bio". Archived from the original on May 2, 2014.
  28. ^ "Air Force acquisition lead moves to MITRE".
  29. ^ Roper, Will. "After 36 years of extraordinary public service". LinkedIn. Archived from the original on June 24, 2025. Retrieved November 19, 2025.
  • John J. Martin, Robert J. Hermann, Alton G. Keel, Martin F. Chen and Thomas E. Cooper all held the title "Assistant Secretary (Research, Development, and Logistics)." Daniel Rak was the first Acting Assistant Secretary (Acquisition).
allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assistant_Secretary_of_the_Air_Force_(Acquisition)