Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations of the United States Air Force
Headquarters Air Force Identification Badge
Flag of an Air Force lieutenant general
Incumbent Lieutenant General Adrian Spain since 19 December 2023
United States Air Force
Abbreviation	A3
Member of	Air Staff
Reports to	Secretary of the Air Force Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
Appointer	The President with Senate advice and consent
Formation	1 July 1957
First holder	John K. Gerhart
Deputy	Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations of the United States Air Force

The Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations of the United States Air Force is a position in the United States Air Force tasked with the development and implementation of policy directly supporting global operations, force management, weather, training and readiness across air, space and cyber fields. Commonly referred to as the A3, it is held by a lieutenant general who serves as the operations deputy to the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. The position is one of ten senior positions in the Headquarters of the U.S. Air Force. As such, the officeholder of this position serves in the Air Staff. ^[1]

Organization

• Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations: Lt Gen Adrian Spain
  • Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations: Maj Gen Mark Slocum
    • Director of Current Operations: Brig Gen Daniel T. Lasica ^[2]
    • Director of Training and Readiness: Maj Gen Albert G. Miller ^[3]

List of Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations of the United States Air Force

No.	Deputy Chief of Staff [4]		Term
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Term length
Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs
1		Lieutenant General John K. Gerhart	1 July 1957	21 July 1962	5 years, 20 days
2		Lieutenant General David A. Burchinal	1 August 1962	31 January 1963	183 days
Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs
2		Lieutenant General David A. Burchinal	1 February 1963	23 February 1964	1 year, 22 days
3		Lieutenant General William H. Blanchard	24 February 1964	8 February 1965	350 days
4		Lieutenant General Keith K. Compton	19 February 1965	31 January 1967	1 year, 346 days
5		Lieutenant General Glen W. Martin	1 February 1967	31 July 1969	2 years, 180 days
6		Lieutenant General Lucius D. Clay Jr.	1 August 1969	31 January 1970	183 days
7		Lieutenant General Russell E. Dougherty	1 February 1970	31 March 1971	1 year, 58 days
8		Lieutenant General George J. Eade	1 April 1971	17 April 1973	2 years, 16 days
9		Lieutenant General Joseph G. Wilson	18 April 1973	31 October 1973	196 days
10		Lieutenant General Robert E. Huyser	1 November 1973	31 August 1975	1 year, 303 days
11		Lieutenant General John W. Pauly	1 September 1975	30 June 1976	303 days
12		Lieutenant General Andrew B. Anderson Jr.	1 July 1976	29 June 1978	1 year, 363 days
Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans, and Readiness
12		Lieutenant General Andrew B. Anderson Jr.	30 June 1978	1 April 1979	275 days
13		Lieutenant General Charles A. Gabriel	1 April 1979	31 July 1980	1 year, 121 days
14		Lieutenant General Jerome F. O'Malley	1 August 1980	13 April 1981	255 days
Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations
14		Lieutenant General Jerome F. O'Malley	14 April 1981	31 May 1982	1 year, 47 days
15		Lieutenant General John T. Chain	1 June 1982	17 June 1984	2 years, 16 days
16		Lieutenant General David L. Nichols	30 June 1984	12 September 1985	1 year, 74 days
17		Lieutenant General Harley Hughes	13 September 1985	29 February 1988	2 years, 169 days
18		Lieutenant General Michael J. Dugan	1 March 1988	30 April 1989	1 year, 60 days
19		Lieutenant General Jimmie V. Adams	1 May 1989	8 February 1991	1 year, 283 days
20		Lieutenant General Michael A. Nelson	9 February 1991	22 May 1992	1 year, 103 days
21		Lieutenant General Buster C. Glosson	29 May 1992	30 June 1994	2 years, 32 days
22		Lieutenant General Joseph W. Ralston	25 July 1994	2 June 1995	312 days
23		Lieutenant General Ralph E. Eberhart	5 June 1995	7 June 1996	1 year, 2 days
24		Lieutenant General John P. Jumper	11 June 1996	31 December 1996	203 days
Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations
24		Lieutenant General John P. Jumper	1 January 1997	17 November 1997	320 days
25		Lieutenant General Patrick K. Gamble	24 November 1997	July 1998	~219 days
26		Lieutenant General Marvin R. Esmond	15 July 1998	May 2000	~1 year, 291 days
27		Lieutenant General Glen W. Moorhead	May 2000	August 2000	~92 days
28		Lieutenant General Robert H. Foglesong	August 2000	November 2001	~1 year, 92 days
29		Lieutenant General Charles F. Wald	November 2001	August 2002	~273 days
30		Major General John C. Koziol	August 2002	October 2003	~1 year, 61 days
31		Lieutenant General Ronald E. Keys	November 2002	May 2005	~2 years, 181 days
Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans, and Requirements
-		Major General Richard Y. Newton III Acting	June 2005	September 2005	~194 days
32		Lieutenant General Carrol H. Chandler	October 2005	November 2007	~194 days
33		Lieutenant General Daniel J. Darnell	November 2007	June 2009	~194 days
34		Lieutenant General Philip M. Breedlove	August 2009	3 January 2011	~194 days
35		Lieutenant General Herbert J. Carlisle	3 January 2011	July 2012	~194 days
36		Lieutenant General Burton M. Field	July 2012	~19 December 2014	~194 days
Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations
37		Lieutenant General Tod D. Wolters	~19 December 2014	July 2015	~194 days
38		Lieutenant General John W. Raymond	~14 August 2015	~25 October 2016	~1 year, 72 days
39		Lieutenant General Mark Nowland	~25 October 2016	~3 August 2018	~1 year, 280 days
40		Lieutenant General Mark D. Kelly	~3 August 2018	~28 August 2020	~2 years, 25 days
41		Lieutenant General Joseph T. Guastella	~28 August 2020	July 2022	~1 year, 321 days
–		Major General Charles Corcoran Acting	July 2022	December 2022	~147 days
42		Lieutenant General James C. Slife	December 2022	19 December 2023	~1 year, 10 days
43		Lieutenant General Adrian Spain	19 December 2023	Incumbent	112 days

References

See also

• Air Staff
• United States Air Force