1. (a) There are four 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.

2. (b)

   1. (1) The Assistant Secretaries shall perform such duties and exercise such powers as the Secretary of the Air Force may prescribe.
   2. (2) 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.

   3. (3)

      1. (A) One of the Assistant Secretaries shall be the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management.
      2. (B) The Assistant Secretary shall be appointed from among persons who have significant budget, financial management, or audit experience in complex organizations.
      3. (C) 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.

   4. (4)

      1. (A) 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.
      2. (B) 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 1733 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.

(Added Pub. L. 99–433, title V, § 521(a)(3), Oct. 1, 1986, 100 Stat. 1058; amended Pub. L. 100–456, div. A, title VII, § 702(c)[(1)], (d), Sept. 29, 1988, 102 Stat. 1995, 1996; Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title IX, § 908(c), Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 278; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title V, § 502(ii), title VIII, § 802(c), title IX, § 934(a), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2105, 2249, 2365; Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title IX, § 921(c), Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1524.)

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 3013 of this title prior to enactment of Pub. L. 99–433.

Amendments

2017—Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 115–91 designated first sentence as subpar. (A), designated second and third sentences as subpar. (C) and substituted “The principal responsibility of the Assistant Secretary shall be” for “The Assistant Secretary shall have as his principal responsibility” in subpar. (C) as so redesignated, and added subpar. (B).

2016—Subsec. (b)(4)(A). Pub. L. 114–328, § 934(a), substituted “Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics” for “Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition” and inserted “, technology, and logistics” after “acquisition”.

Subsec. (b)(4)(B). Pub. L. 114–328, § 802(c), inserted at end “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.”

Pub. L. 114–328, § 502(ii), substituted “an officer” for “a lieutenant general”.

2008—Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 110–181 added par. (4).

1988—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100–456, § 702(d), substituted “four” for “three”.

Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 100–456, § 702(c)[(1)], added par. (3).

Change of Name

Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title IX, § 934(b), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2365, provided that:

“Any reference to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition 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 Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics.”

Effective Date of 2017 Amendment

For applicability of appointment qualifications imposed by section 921 of Pub. L. 115–91 to certain appointments made on or after Dec. 12, 2017, see section 921(d) of Pub. L. 115–91, set out as a note under section 3016 of this title.

Effective Date of 1988 Amendment

Pub. L. 100–456, div. A, title VII, § 702(e)(2), Sept. 29, 1988, 102 Stat. 1996, provided that:

“The amendments made by subsections (c) and (d) [enacting

section 8022 of this title and amending this section] shall take effect on

July 1, 1989, except that such amendments shall take effect on such earlier date, but not before

January 21, 1989, as may be prescribed by the President in advance by Executive order.”