Surgeon General of the United States Air Force

The Surgeon General of the Air Force is the senior-most Medical Service officer in the United States Department of the Air Force and is the principal medical advisor for both the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. In recent times, this has been a lieutenant general who serves as head of the United States Air Force Medical Service (AFMS). The Surgeon General is usually the senior Medical Corps officer, but acting surgeons general have been from other branches of the medical service.

Surgeon General of the
Air Force
Flag of an Air Force lieutenant general
since July 31, 2024
Air Staff
Air Force Medical Service
Reports toChief of Staff of the Air Force
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Constituting instrument10 U.S.C. § 8036
Formation1948
First holderMalcolm C. Grow
WebsiteOfficial Website

History

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In September 1947 the combat elements of the Army Air Forces separated from the U.S. Army, forming the United States Air Force. But a few Air Force support functions, such as medical care, remained U.S. Army responsibilities for the next two years. Starting in 1948, the Air Force and the Air Surgeon, Maj. Gen. Malcolm C. Grow (1887-1960), began to convince the U.S. Army and the administration of President Harry S. Truman that the Air Force needed its own medical service. In the summer of 1949, Air Force General Order No. 35 established a medical service with the following officer personnel components: Medical Corps, Dental Corps, Veterinary Corps, Medical Service Corps, Air Force Nurse Corps, and Women's Medical Specialist Corps.

List of Surgeons Generals

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No. Surgeon General of the Air Force Term
Portrait Name Took office Left office Term length
1Major General
Malcolm C. Grow
July 1, 1949November 30, 1949152 days
2Major General
Harry G. Armstrong
December 1, 1949June 30, 19544 years, 211 days
3Major General
Dan C. Ogle
July 1, 1954November 30, 19584 years, 152 days
4Major General
Oliver K. Niess
December 1, 1958December 1, 19635 years
5Lieutenant General
Richard L. Bohannon
December 2, 1963November 30, 19673 years, 363 days
6Lieutenant General
Kenneth E. Pletcher
December 1, 1967April 30, 19702 years, 150 days
7Lieutenant General
Alonzo A. Towner
May 1, 1970July 31, 19722 years, 91 days
8Lieutenant General
Robert A. Patterson
August 1, 1972July 31, 19752 years, 364 days
9Lieutenant General
George E. Schafer
August 1, 1975July 31, 19782 years, 364 days
10Lieutenant General
Paul W. Myers
August 1, 1978July 31, 19823 years, 364 days
11Lieutenant General
Max B. Bralliar[1]
August 1, 1982July 31, 19852 years, 364 days
12Lieutenant General
Murphy A. Chesney
August 1, 1985July 31, 19882 years, 365 days
13Lieutenant General
Monte B. Miller
August 1, 1988July 31, 19912 years, 364 days
14Lieutenant General
Alexander M. Sloan
August 1, 1991July 11, 19942 years, 344 days
-Major General
Robert A. Buethe
Acting
July 12, 1994September 25, 199475 days
15Lieutenant General
Edgar R. Anderson Jr.
September 26, 1994November 14, 19962 years, 49 days
16Lieutenant General
Charles H. Roadman II
November 15, 1996October 10, 19992 years, 329 days
-Major General
Michael K. Wyrick
Acting
October 11, 1999October 31, 199920 days
17Lieutenant General
Paul K. Carlton Jr.
November 1, 1999October 14, 20022 years, 347 days
18Lieutenant General
George P. Taylor
October 15, 2002July 31, 20063 years, 289 days
19Lieutenant General
James G. Roudebush
August 1, 2006August 11, 20093 years, 10 days
20Lieutenant General
Charles B. Green
August 12, 2009July 19, 20122 years, 342 days
21Lieutenant General
Thomas W. Travis
July 20, 2012June 5, 20152 years, 320 days
22Lieutenant General
Mark A. Ediger
June 6, 2015June 4, 20182 years, 363 days
23Lieutenant General
Dorothy A. Hogg
June 5, 2018June 4, 20212 years, 364 days
No. Surgeon General of the Air Force
and Space Force
Term
Portrait Name Took office Left office Term length
24Lieutenant General
Robert I. Miller
June 4, 2021June 14, 20243 years, 10 days
-Major General
John DeGoes
Acting
June 14, 2024July 31, 202447 days
25Lieutenant General
John DeGoes
July 31, 2024Incumbent114 days

List of Deputy Surgeons Generals

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Personal Fact Sheet, Max B. Bralliar". Air Force Historical Research Agency. January 1984. pp. 10–12.
  2. ^ "Dr. Sean L. Murphy".
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