Effective Aug. 1, the Air Force will change duty titles from vice commander to deputy commander to better align terminology with its sister services.
In accordance with direction from Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., the Air Force issued a memo communicating updated guidance for Air Force Instruction 38-101, Manpower and Organization, redesignating all vice commanders as deputy commanders so that the same title will now be used at major commands, numbered Air Forces, centers, wings, groups, and other units.
MAJCOMs transitioned from "vice" to "deputy" commander at the direction of the Secretary of the Air Force in 2017. This update will standardize the term service-wide, using the office symbol "CD" for deputy commanders and will be implemented across active duty, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve organizations.
Existing authorities currently delegated or assigned to vice commanders will transfer to deputy commander positions, which include authorities granted via delegation letters, Department of Defense and Air Force publications, or in any other official documents.
In the memo to the force detailing the change, Brown said that as global challenges continue to evolve and the importance of joint operations increases, we must ensure we are best aligned to meet these challenges with a clear, unambiguous structure.
