Page:Legislative History of the AAF and USAF.djvu/75

 �This Page Declassified lAW EO12958 ¾ice Chief of Staff, axed not over five Deputy Chiefs of Staff. In add_itions, there were to be assigned or detazled to the Ar Staff such other members of the Air Force and civilian officers and employees as the Sec- retary of the Air Force should see fit. The organization of the Air Staff and the duties and titles of its members were to be deter- mined by the Secretary. It was required, however, that there should be on the Staff a general officer to assist and adv/se the Secretary and the Chief of Staff on all affairs relating to the reserve components of the Air Force. The number of Air Force officers assigned to permanent duty in the Department of the Air Force was litrated to 2,800 in times of peace. Only in time of war or national emergency, or when it was considered by the Pro,dent to be in the national nterest, could this number be increased. In order to keep check on this item it was provided that the Secretary should make a quarterly re- por to Congress on the number of officers in his Department An officer's tour of duty with the Department of the Air Force was ]Lmited to our years except in special ca.es. 64 The Chief of Staff was to be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, from among the general officers of the Azr Force. He vas to serve during the pleasure of the President, but hm term was not to exceed Iour years unless he was reappointed. The Chief of Staff, while holding office as such, was have the grade of general, w:thout vacation of his permanent grade, and was te be counted as one of the ocers authorized to serve in grade above leutenant general un- der the provisions of the Officer Personnel Act of 1947.s The Vice Chie of Staff and the Deputy Chiefs of Staff were to be gen- eral officers of the Air Force detailed to these positions. In case of a vacancy in the oce of the Chief of Staff or his absence or dsability, the Vice Chief of Staff, or the senior Deputy Chief of Staff who was avail- able, in this order, was to act as interim Chief of Staff. The command authority of the Chief of Saff, and hs supervisory authority, both exercised under the drection of the Secre- tary of the Air Force, have already been discussed in that part of this study dealing wth the conference report on H.R. !26.* The Chief of Staff was to perform those duties prescribed for ium by the lational Security Act of 19, as amended, aud by oher laws. In addition he was to perœorm such other nitary duties as mgh be as- signed to him by the President. The Chief of Staff was to preside over the Air Staff and was to be directly responsible to the Secretary o[ the Air Force for the efficiency of the Air Force, ts state of preparedness for military operations, and ts plans for such operations. Upon the approval of the Air S[aff's plans and recommendations by the Secretary of the Ar Force, the Chief of Staff was to act as the agent of the Sec- retary in implementing such plans. These duties, except as otherwise provided by law, were to be carned out under the direction of the Secretary of the Ar Force. Title II also prescribed the duties of the Air Staff. It was to prowde professional ad and assistance to the Sscretary Under Sec- retary, and Assistant Secretaries of the Air Force, and to the Chief of Staff. The Air Staff was to prepare plans concerning the use of the Air Force for natzonal security, to investigate and report on questions con- cerning the effimency of the Air Force and its state of preparedness, to prepare de- tailed matructions or the execution of ap- proved plans and to supervine their execu. tmn, to act as agents of the Chief of Staff and the Secretary in the coordination of all organizations of the Air Force Establish- ment, and to perform such other duties as might be prescribed by the Secretary of the Air Force.  Title III provided for the composition and organization of the Air Force. Section 301, which listed the components of the Air Force, was pracbcaily the same as the statement of the composition of the Air Force found in Title II, Secbon 201, of the Army and Air Force Auorizatoz Act of 1949. It stated that the United States Air Force consisted of the Regular Air Force, the Air Force Reserve, the Air National THIS PAGEDeclassified lAW EO12958
 * {ee bow, pp 60-07