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

Post:Assistant Secretary of
the Air Force (Acquisitions, Technology, and Logistics)
Flag:Flag of the General Counsel and Assistant Secretaries of the Air Force.svg
Flagsize:200px
Flagcaption:Assistant Secretary of the Air Force flag
Insignia:SAF AQ Logo.png
Insigniacaption:Seal of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisitions, Technology, and Logistics
Department:Department of the Air Force
Incumbent:Andrew P. Hunter
Incumbentsince:February 7, 2022
Reports To:Secretary of the Air Force
Style:The Honorable
Seat:The Pentagon, Arlington County, Virginia, United States
Nominator:The President with Senate advice and consent
Termlength:No fixed term
Formation:1987
Succession:18th in SecDef succession by seniority of appointment
Deputy:Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Acquisition, Technology & Logistics
Principal Military Deputy for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics
Salary:Executive Schedule, Level IV

The 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.[1]

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. In 2018, Will Roper was confirmed to the role, serving from February 2018 to January 2021.[2] 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.[3] 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, for the position, and Hunter was confirmed by the Senate on February 2, 2022.[4] 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.[5]

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.[6]

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,[7] 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

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

No.PortraitNameAssumed officeLeft officePresident appointed bySecretary served under
1John J. Martin[8] May 1977May 1979Jimmy CarterJohn C. Stetson
2Robert J. Hermann[9] July 1979August 1981[10] Jimmy CarterHans Mark
3Alton G. Keel, Jr.[11] July 30, 1981[12] 1982Ronald ReaganVerne Orr
4Thomas E. Cooper[13] January 1983April 1987Ronald ReaganVerne Orr
Russell A. Rourke
Edward C. Aldridge, Jr.
Daniel S. Rak (Acting)April 1987October 1987Ronald ReaganEdward C. Aldridge, Jr.
5John J. Welch, Jr.[14] October 1987April 1992Edward C. Aldridge, Jr.
Donald Rice
6G. Kim Wincup[15] May 1992December 1992George H. W. BushDonald Rice
Darleen A. Druyun (Acting)January 1993May 1994William J. ClintonMichael B. Donley
7Clark G. Fiester[16] May 1994April 17, 1995William J. ClintonSheila Widnall
Darleen A. Druyun (Acting)April 17, 1995January 26, 1996William J. ClintonSheila Widnall
8Arthur L. Money[17] January 26, 1996February 1998[18] William J. ClintonSheila Widnall
F. Whitten Peters
9Lawrence J. Delaney[19] April 29, 1999[20] January 20, 2001William J. ClintonF. Whitten Peters
10Marvin R. Sambur[21] November 8, 2001[22] January 2005George W. BushJames G. Roche
11Sue C. Payton[23] July 21, 2006[24] January 20, 2009George W. BushMichael Wynne
Michael B. Donley
David M. Van Buren[25] (Acting)January 20, 2009March 2012Barack ObamaMichael B. Donley
12William A. LaPlante, Jr.[26] February 12, 2014November 2015[27] Barack ObamaDeborah Lee James
Richard W. Lombardi (Acting)November 2015February 2016Barack ObamaDeborah Lee James
Darlene J. Costello(Acting)February 2016February 1, 2018Barack ObamaDeborah Lee James
Donald TrumpHeather Wilson
13William B. Roper, Jr.February 1, 2018January 20, 2021Donald TrumpHeather Wilson
Barbara Barrett
Darlene J. Costello (Acting)January 20, 2021February 7, 2022Joe BidenJohn P. Roth
Frank Kendall III
14Andrew HunterFebruary 7, 2022IncumbentJoe BidenFrank Kendall III

References

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: 10 U.S.C. § 9016(b)(4)(b).
  2. Web site: Dr. Will Roper Biography. U.S. Air Force. 2018-03-24.
  3. Web site: Weisgerber. Marcus. January 5, 2021. Roper Makes His Pitch To Biden Team: ‘I Want to Be Part of the China fight’. live. 2021-06-09. Defense One. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20210114181044/https://www.defenseone.com/policy/2021/01/roper-makes-his-pitch-biden-team-i-want-be-part-china-fight/171410/ . 2021-01-14 .
  4. News: Sheehey . Maeve . July 16, 2021 . Former Sen. Tom Udall is Biden's pick as ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa . . July 17, 2021.
  5. . President Biden Announces Seven Key Nominations . . . July 16, 2021 . July 17, 2021.
  6. Web site: Headquarters Air Force Mission Directive 1-10. www.e-publishing.af.mil/. 2018-03-23.
  7. Web site: Darlene Costello Biography. www.af.mil. en-US. 2017-04-21.
  8. Book: Benson, Lawrence. Acquisition Management in the United States Air Force and its Predecessors. US Government Printing Office. 1997. 55.
  9. News: 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.. services. united states. congress. senate. committee on armed. The Library of Congress. 2017-04-21. en.
  10. Book: Directors at the National Reconnaissance Office at Fifty Years. Center for the Study of National Reconnaissance. 2011. 25. 2017-04-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20161221050711/http://www.nro.gov/about/50thanniv/DNRO_history.pdf. 2016-12-21. dead.
  11. http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1982/121582a.htm Nomination of Thomas Edward Cooper To Be an Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Dec. 15, 1982
  12. Web site: PN528 - Nomination of Alton Gold Keel Jr. for Department of Defense, 97th Congress (1981-1982). 1981-07-30. www.congress.gov. en. 2017-04-21.
  13. http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1982/121582a.htm Nomination of Thomas Edward Cooper To Be an Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Dec. 15, 1982
  14. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=17416 George Bush: Continuation of John J. Welch, Jr., as an Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Aug. 9, 1989
  15. http://www.defense.gov/Releases/Release.aspx?ReleaseID=10199 Wincup bio
  16. Web site: Clinton nomination . 2011-02-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110721045959/http://clinton6.nara.gov/1993/11/1993-11-01-four-nominations.html . 2011-07-21 . dead .
  17. Web site: PN695 - Nomination of Arthur L. Money for Department of Defense, 104th Congress (1995-1996). 1996-01-26. www.congress.gov. en. 2017-04-21.
  18. Web site: Honorable Arthur L. Money, Senior Fellow. www.potomacinstitute.org. en-gb. 2017-04-21.
  19. Web site: Air Force Biography . 2017-05-12 . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20010401042514/http://www.af.mil/news/biographies/delaney_lj.html . April 1, 2001 .
  20. Web site: PN117 — Lawrence J. Delaney — Department of Defense. congress.gov.
  21. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0RBE/is_2004_Annual/ai_n8572286/ Archived biography
  22. Web site: PN821 — Marvin R. Sambur — Department of Defense. congress.gov.
  23. http://www.airforce-magazine.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/Reports/2009/April%202009/Day15/Sue_Payton_bio.pdf Payton Bio from Air Force
  24. Web site: PN1473 — Sue C. Payton — Department of Defense. congress.gov.
  25. Web site: Van Buren bio . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110202102522/http://www.af.mil/information/bios/bio.asp?bioID=10926 . 2011-02-02 .
  26. Web site: LaPlante bio . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140502032005/http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/Biographies/Display/tabid/225/Article/108874/dr-william-a-laplante.aspx . 2014-05-02 .
  27. Web site: Air Force acquisition lead moves to MITRE.