In the United States Air Force, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force (CSAF) is the senior uniformed officer of the service, unless an Air Force officer is serving as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) or Vice CJCS. The CSAF is the Air Force representative to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
While the CSAF is not in the line of command over air components of Unified Combatant Commands (UCC), he is responsible for the training and readiness of all Air Force units and equipment not assigned to a UCC, as well as Air Force research and development, including the creation and promulgation of Air Force doctrine.
The incumbent CSAF, appointed in August 2008, is GEN Norton A. Schwartz.