General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force

General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force
SAF/GC
Seal of the Office of the General Counsel
Flag of the General Counsel and the Assistant Secretaries of the Air Force
Incumbent Gordon O. Tanner since 2014
Department of the Air Force Office of the Secretary
Style	The Honorable
Reports to	Secretary of the Air Force Under Secretary of the Air Force
Seat	The Pentagon, Arlington County, Virginia, USA
Appointer	The President with Senate advice and consent
Term length	No fixed term
Constituting instrument	10 U.S.C. § 8019
Formation	1947
First holder	Brackley Shaw
Deputy	Principal Deputy General Counsel
Salary	Executive Schedule, level IV^[1]
Website	www.safgc.hq.af.mil

The General Counsel of the Air Force (acronym SAF/GC) is the chief legal officer of the U.S. Department of the Air Force.

By U.S. law, the General Counsel of the Air Force is appointed from civilian life by the President of the United States upon the advice and consent of the United States Senate, and performs such duties as the Secretary of the Air Force specifies.^[2]

According to Secretary of the Air Force Order No. 111.5, dated July 14, 2005, "The General Counsel is the chief legal officer and chief ethics official of the Department of the Air Force. Legal opinions issued by the Office of the General Counsel shall be the controlling opinions of the Department of the Air Force. The General Counsel provides advice in accordance with applicable statues on any legal subject and on other matters as directed by the Secretary."^[3] In other words, the General Counsel of the Air Force advises the Secretary of the Air Force, the Under Secretary of the Air Force, and the Assistant Secretaries of the Air Force, as well as the Chief of Staff of the Air Force and other military leaders of the United States Air Force on legal matters, other than those statutory duties under the Uniform Code of Military Justice performed by the Judge Advocate General of the Air Force.

List of General Counsels of the Air Force (Incomplete List)

Name	Assumed Office	Left Office	President Appointed By	Secretary Served Under
Brackley Shaw	1947	1949	Harry S. Truman	W. Stuart Symington
William T. Thurman	1950	1950	Harry S. Truman	W. Stuart Symington, Thomas K. Finletter
James T. Hill, Jr.	1950	1952	Harry S. Truman	Thomas K. Finletter
John Alvin Johnson	1952	1958	Dwight Eisenhower	Thomas K. Finletter, Harold E. Talbott, Donald A. Quarles, James H. Douglas, Jr.
Max Golden	1958	1962	Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy	James H. Douglas, Jr., Dudley C. Sharp, Eugene M. Zuckert
Gerritt W. Wesselink	1964	1965	Lyndon B. Johnson	Eugene M. Zuckert
Stephen N. Shulman	1965	1966	Lyndon Johnson	Eugene M. Zuckert, Harold Brown
J. William Doolittle	1966	1968	Lyndon Johnson	Harold Brown
John M. Steadman	1968	1970	Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon	Harold Brown, Robert C. Seamans, Jr.
Jack L Stempler	1970	1977	Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford	Robert C. Seamans, Jr., John L. McLucas, James W. Plummer, Thomas C. Reed,
Peter B. Hamilton	1977	1978	Jimmy Carter	John C. Stetson
Stuart R. Reichart	1979	1981	Jimmy Carter	John C. Stetson, Hans M. Mark, Verne Orr
David E. Place	1981	1984	Ronald Reagan	Verne Orr
Eugene R. Sullivan	1984	1986	Ronald Reagan	Verne Orr, Russell A. Rourke
Kathleen A. Buck	1986	1987	Ronald Reagan	Russell A. Rourke, Edward C. Aldridge, Jr.
Anne N. Foreman	1987	1989	Ronald Reagan	Edward C. Aldridge, Jr.
Ann Petersen	1989	1993	George H. W. Bush	Donald B. Rice
Gilbert F. Casellas	1993	1994	Bill Clinton	Sheila E. Widnall
Sheila C. Cheston	1995	1998	Bill Clinton	Sheila E. Widnall
Jeh Charles Johnson	1998	2001	Bill Clinton	F. Whitten Peters
Mary L. Walker	2001	2008	George W. Bush	James G. Roche, Michael Wynne
Charles A. Blanchard	2009	2013	Barack Obama	Michael B. Donley
Gordon O. Tanner	2014	Present	Barack Obama	Deborah Lee James

References

External links

General Counsel official webpage

United States Department of Defense

Headquarters: The Pentagon

Office of the Secretary of Defense
(including defense agencies and DoD field activities)

Deputy Secretary of Defense	Deputy's Advisory Working Group Office of Net Assessment Special Access Program Oversight Committee
Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment	Defense Contract Management Agency Defense Logistics Agency Defense Threat Reduction Agency Office of Economic Adjustment Defense Acquisition University Defense Acquisition Board Defense Microelectronics Activity
Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering	Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Defense Innovation Unit Defense Technical Information Center Department of Defense Test Resource Management Center Missile Defense Agency
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy	Defense Security Cooperation Agency Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee
Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)	Defense Contract Audit Agency Defense Finance and Accounting Service
Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness	Defense Commissary Agency Department of Defense Education Activity Defense Human Resources Activity Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute Defense Travel Management Office Defense Civilian Personnel Advisory Service Defense Health Agency Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence	Defense Intelligence Agency Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency Defense Information Systems Agency (White House Communications Agency) National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency National Reconnaissance Office National Security Agency/Central Security Service (Director/Chief)
Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs	Defense Media Activity (American Forces Press Service, American Forces Radio and Television Service, Stars and Stripes, The Pentagon Channel)
General Counsel of the Department of Defense	Defense Legal Services Agency (Office of Military Commissions)
Chief Management Officer of the Department of Defense	Pentagon Force Protection Agency Washington Headquarters Services (White House Military Office)

Military Departments

Department of the Army	Secretary of the Army The Secretariat: Under Secretary of the Army Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology Assistant Secretary for Civil Works Assistant Secretary (Financial Management and Comptroller) Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs General Counsel of the Army The Administrative Assistant The Army Staff: Chief of Staff of the Army Vice Chief of Staff of the Army Sergeant Major of the Army Deputy Chief of Staff G-8 Chief of Chaplains Judge Advocate General Provost Marshal General Surgeon General U.S. Army field organizations: see Structure of the United States Army
Department of the Navy	Secretary of the Navy The Secretariat: Under Secretary of the Navy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management and Comptroller) Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installations and Environment) Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisitions) General Counsel of the Navy Judge Advocate General Naval Criminal Investigative Service Naval Inspector General Headquarters Marine Corps: Commandant of the Marine Corps Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Chaplain U.S. Marine Corps field organizations: see Organization of the United States Marine Corps Office of the Chief of Naval Operations: Chief of Naval Operations Vice Chief of Naval Operations Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Director of Naval Reactors Chief of Chaplains Chief of Naval Personnel Surgeon General United States Navy field organizations: see Structure of the United States Navy
Department of the Air Force	Secretary of the Air Force The Secretariat: Under Secretary of the Air Force Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition) Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Financial Management & Comptroller) Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Installations, Environment & Logistics) Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower & Reserve Affairs) General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force Air Force Office of Special Investigations The Air Staff: Chief of Staff of the Air Force Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Chief of Chaplains Chief of Safety Chief Scientist Judge Advocate General Surgeon General U.S. Air Force field organizations: Major Commands Direct Reporting Units Field Operating Agencies Space Staff: Chief of Space Operations United States Space Force field organizations

Joint Chiefs of Staff
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman Joint Requirements Oversight Council Director of the Joint Staff Joint Staff National Military Command Center Alternate National Military Command Center National Defense University Joint Personnel Recovery Agency

Combatant Commands
Africa Command Central Command European Command Northern Command Indo-Pacific Command Southern Command Space Command Cyber Command Special Operations Command Strategic Command Transportation Command

National Guard Bureau
Chief of the National Guard Bureau Air National Guard Army National Guard

Office of the Inspector General
Defense Criminal Investigative Service

List of General Counsels of the Air Force (Incomplete List)

See also

References

External links