10 U.S.C. § 9016: Assistant Secretaries of the Air Force

There are five Assistant Secretaries of the Air Force. They shall be appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Assistant Secretaries shall perform such duties and exercise such powers as the Secretary of the Air Force may prescribe. One of the Assistant Secretaries shall be the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. He shall have as his principal duty the overall supervision of manpower and reserve component affairs of the Department of the Air Force. One of the Assistant Secretaries shall be the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management. The Assistant Secretary shall be appointed from among persons who have significant budget, financial management, or audit experience in complex organizations. The principal responsibility of the Assistant Secretary shall be the exercise of the comptroller functions of the Department of the Air Force, including financial management functions. The Assistant Secretary shall be responsible for all financial management activities and operations of the Department of the Air Force and shall advise the Secretary of the Air Force on financial management. One of the Assistant Secretaries shall be the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics. The principal duty of the Assistant Secretary shall be the overall supervision of acquisition, technology, and logistics matters of the Department of the Air Force. The Assistant Secretary shall have a Principal Military Deputy, who shall be an officer of the Air Force on active duty. The Principal Military Deputy shall be appointed from among officers who have significant experience in the areas of acquisition and program management. The position of Principal Military Deputy shall be designated as a critical acquisition position under section 1731 of this title . In the event of a vacancy in the position of Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Principal Military Deputy may serve as Acting Assistant Secretary for a period of not more than one year. One of the Assistant Secretaries shall be the Assistant Secretary for Energy, Installations, and Environment. The principal duty of the Assistant Secretary for Energy, Installations, and Environment shall be the overall supervision of energy, installation, and environment matters for the Department of the Air Force. One of the Assistant Secretaries is the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration. Be responsible for and oversee all architecture and integration with respect to the acquisition of the space systems and programs of the armed forces, including in support of the Chief of Space Operations under section 9082 of this title . Act as the chair of the Space Acquisition Council under section 9021 of this title . Advise the service acquisition executive of the Air Force with responsibility for space systems and programs (including for all major defense acquisition programs under chapter 144 1 of this title for space) on the acquisition of such systems and programs by the Air Force. 1 See References in Text note below. The Space Rapid Capabilities Office under section 2273a of this title . The Space Systems Command. The Space Development Agency with respect to acquisition decisions. Advise and synchronize acquisition projects for all space systems and programs of the Air Force, including projects for space systems and programs responsibility for which is transferred to the Assistant Secretary pursuant to section 956(b)(3) of the United States Space Force Act. Effective as of the date specified in section 957(d) of such Act, and in accordance with such section 957, serve as the Service Acquisition Executive of the Department of the Air Force for Space Systems and Programs and discharge any senior procurement executive duties and authorities assigned by the Secretary of the Air Force pursuant to section 9014(c)(6) of this title . The Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration shall have a Principal Military Deputy for Space Acquisition and Integration, who shall be an officer of the Space Force on active duty. The Principal Military Deputy for Space Acquisition and Integration shall be appointed from among officers who have significant experience in the areas of acquisition and program management. The position of Principal Military Deputy for Space Acquisition and Integration shall be designated as a critical acquisition position under section 1731 of this title . In the event of a vacancy in the position of Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration, the Principal Military Deputy for Space Acquisition and Integration may serve as Acting Assistant Secretary for Space Acquisition and Integration for a period of not more than one year. Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [ Dec. 23, 2024 ], the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration, acting as the service acquisition executive for the Air Force for space systems and programs, shall designate from among qualified officers and employees of the Department of Defense a Senior Advisor for Space Command, Control, and Integration. Space domain sensors. Space catalog. Target recognition. Weapons system selection and control. Battle damage assessment. Associated communications among elements of the space control and command architecture of the Department of Defense. Not later than 10 days after the date on which a designation is made under subsection (a), the Assistant Secretary shall notify the congressional defense committees [Committees on Armed Services and Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives] of such designation. Not later than June 30 of each year, the Space Acquisition Council established by section 9021 of title 10 , United States Code, shall review whether the requirements of the United States Space Command with respect to space command, control, and integration are being fulfilled. accomplishments achieved in the year prior to the submission of the respective budget; and actions to meet the requirements of the United States Space Command with respect to space command, control, and integration that will be taken during the period covered by the most recent future-years defense program submitted under section 221 of title 10 , United States Code, as of the date of the briefing.” The Principal Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force for Space is hereby redesignated as the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration. Any reference to the Principal Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force for Space in any law, regulation, map, document, record, or other paper of the United States shall be deemed to be a reference to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration.” Effective on the date specified in subsection (d), there shall be within the Department of the Air Force a Service Acquisition Executive of the Department of the Air Force for Space Systems and Programs. Effective as of the date specified in subsection (d) and subject to paragraph (2), the individual serving as Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration under paragraph (6) of section 9016(b) of title 10 , United States Code (as added by section 1832(b) [probably should be “section 956(b)”] of this Act), shall also serve as the Service Acquisition Executive for Space Systems and Programs. The individual serving as Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration as of the date specified in subsection (d) may also serve as the Service Acquisition Executive for Space Systems and Programs pursuant to paragraph (1) only if appointed as the Service Acquisition Executive for Space Systems and Programs by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, pursuant to a nomination submitted to the Senate on or after that date. The Service Acquisition Executive for Space Systems and Programs shall have within the Department of the Air Force all the authorities and responsibilities of a service acquisition executive under section 1704 of title 10 , United States Code, and other applicable law, for the Department of the Air Force with respect to space systems and programs. The Service Acquisition Executive for Space Systems and Programs shall be in addition to the service acquisition executive in the Department of the Air Force for all acquisition matters of the Department of the Air Force other than with respect to space systems and programs. Not later than the date specified in subsection (d), and from time to time thereafter, the Secretary of the Air Force shall issue guidance for the Department of the Air Force on the authorities and responsibilities of the Service Acquisition Executive for Space Systems and Programs and the authorities and responsibilities of the service acquisition executive of the Department for all acquisition matters of the Department other than with respect to space systems and programs. Beginning on the date specified in subparagraph (B), the Service Acquisition Executive for Space Systems and Programs shall be responsible for the procurement of commercial satellite communications services for the Department of Defense. The date specified in this subparagraph is the date that is 120 days after the date on which the Service Acquisition Executive for Space Systems and Programs submits to the congressional defense committees [Committees on Armed Services and Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives] a plan for delegating the authority under subparagraph (A) to a subordinate acquisition command within the Space Force. During the period preceding the date specified in subparagraph (B), the Chief of Space Operations shall be responsible for the procurement of commercial satellite communications services for the Department of Defense. Prior to establishing a program of record, the Service Acquisition Executive for Space Systems and Programs shall determine whether existing or planned commercially available capabilities could meet all or a portion of the requirements for that proposed program. Not later than 30 days after the date on which the Service Acquisition Executive makes such a positive determination, the Service Acquisition Executive shall submit to the congressional defense committees a notification of the results of the determination. The date specified in this subsection is a date determined by the Secretary of the Air Force that is not later than October 1, 2022 .”