The General Counsel of the Air Force (abbreviated SAF/GC) is the general counsel of the United States 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.[1] The General Counsel performs those duties specified by the United States Secretary of the Air Force.[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 United States Under Secretary of the Air Force, and the Assistant Secretaries of the Air Force, as well as the military leaders of the United States Air Force on all legal matters.
| Name | Assumed Office | Left Office | President Appointed By | Secretary Served Under |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John A. Johnson | 1952 | 1958 | Dwight Eisenhower | Thomas K. Finletter, Harold E. Talbott, Donald A. Quarles, James H. Douglas, Jr. |
| Stephen N. Shulman | 1965 | 1965 | Lyndon Johnson | Eugene M. Zuckert |
| Eugene R. Sullivan | 1982 | 1986 | Ronald Reagan | Verne Orr, Russell A. Rourke |
| Anne N. Foreman | 1987 | 1989 | Ronald Reagan | Edward C. Aldridge, Jr. |
| Gilbert F. Casellas | 1993 | 1994 | Bill Clinton | Sheila Widnall |
| Sheila C. Cheston | 1995 | 1998 | Bill Clinton | Sheila Widnall |
| Jeh Johnson | 1998 | 1999 | Bill Clinton | F. Whitten Peters |
| Mary L. Walker | 2001 | 2008 | George W. Bush | James G. Roche, Michael Wynne |
| Charles A. Blanchard | 2009 | Present | Barack Obama | Michael B. Donley |