10 U.S.C. § 9013: Secretary of the Air Force

There is a Secretary of the Air Force, appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Secretary shall, to the greatest extent practicable, be appointed from among persons most highly qualified for the position by reason of background and experience, including persons with appropriate management or leadership experience. The Secretary is the head of the Department of the Air Force. A person may not be appointed as Secretary of the Air Force within seven years after relief from active duty as a commissioned officer of a regular component of an armed force. Recruiting. Organizing. Supplying. Equipping (including research and development). Training. Servicing. Mobilizing. Demobilizing. Administering (including the morale and welfare of personnel). Maintaining. The construction, outfitting, and repair of military equipment. 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. the functioning and efficiency of the Department of the Air Force; the formulation of policies and programs by the Department of the Air Force that are fully consistent with national security objectives and policies established by the President or the Secretary of Defense; the effective and timely implementation of policy, program, and budget decisions and instructions of the President or the Secretary of Defense relating to the functions of the Department of the Air Force; carrying out the functions of the Department of the Air Force so as to fulfill the current and future operational requirements of the unified and specified combatant commands; effective cooperation and coordination between the Department of the Air Force and the other military departments and agencies of the Department of Defense to provide for more effective, efficient, and economical administration and to eliminate duplication; the presentation and justification of the positions of the Department of the Air Force on the plans, programs, and policies of the Department of Defense; and the effective supervision and control of the intelligence activities of the Department of the Air Force. The Secretary of the Air Force is also responsible for such other activities as may be prescribed by law or by the President or Secretary of Defense. After first informing the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Air Force may make such recommendations to Congress relating to the Department of Defense as he considers appropriate. The Secretary of the Air Force may assign such of his functions, powers, and duties as he considers appropriate to the Under Secretary of the Air Force and to the Assistant Secretaries of the Air Force. Officers of the Air Force and officers of the Space Force shall, as directed by the Secretary, report on any matter to the Secretary, the Under Secretary, or any Assistant Secretary. assign, detail, and prescribe the duties of members of the Air Force, members of the Space Force, and civilian personnel of the Department of the Air Force; change the title of any officer or activity of the Department of the Air Force not prescribed by law; and prescribe regulations to carry out his functions, powers, and duties under this title. Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act [ Dec. 18, 2025 ], the Secretary of the Air Force shall publish a liquid oxygen and methane blast damage assessment guide for space launch vehicles at Air Force launch complexes. notify the congressional defense committees [Committees on Armed Services and Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives] of such publication; and provide the congressional defense committees with a briefing on the contents of the assessment guide. The Secretary may waive the one-year publication timeline under subsection (a) for national security purposes, or if the Secretary determines that such timeline is impractical, if the Secretary notifies the congressional defense committees with respect to an alternate date on which the publication shall occur. The Secretary may exercise the waiver authority under paragraph (1) not more than once.” each combat support agency that is an element of the intelligence community; and by agreement with the head of any other element of the intelligence community, that element of the intelligence community. The term ‘combat support agency’ has the meaning given that term in section 193 of title 10 , United States Code. The term ‘intelligence community’ has the meaning given that term in section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 ( 50 U.S.C. 3003 ).” Except as provided in subsection (b), the Secretary of the Air Force shall provide meteorological and environmental services for operations of the Department of the Air Force and shall provide meteorological services for the Department of the Army. The requirement under subsection (a) shall not apply to meteorological ballistics data for the Department of the Army.”