Donald B. Rice Caspar Weinberger Frank Carlucci Dick Cheney 13 Michael J. Dugan 1 July 1990 17 September 1990 78 Fighters Donald B. Rice Dick Cheney (Acting) John M. Loh 18 September 1990 29 October 1990 41 Fighters 14 Merrill A. McPeak 30 October 1990 25 October 1994 1456 Fighters Donald B. Rice Sheila E. Widnall Dick Cheney Les Aspin William J. Perry 15 Ronald R. Fogleman 26 October 1994 1 September 1997 1041 Fighters Sheila E. Widnall William J. Perry William S. Cohen (Acting) Ralph E. Eberhart 2 September 1997 5 October 1997[3] 33 Fighters William S. Cohen 16 Michael E. Ryan 6 October 1997 5 September 2001 1430 Fighters Sheila E. Widnall F. Whitten Peters James G. Roche William S. Cohen Donald H. Rumsfeld 17 John P. Jumper 6 September 2001 2 September 2005 1457 Fighters James G. Roche Donald H. Rumsfeld 18 T. Michael Moseley 2 September 2005 12 July 2008[4][5] 1044 Fighters Michael Wynne Donald H. Rumsfeld Robert M. Gates (Acting) Duncan J. McNabb 12 July 2008 12 August 2008[5] 31 Airlift Michael B. Donley Robert M. Gates 19 Norton A. Schwartz 12 August 2008 10 August 2012 1459 Airlift and Special Operations aircraft Michael B. Donley Robert M. Gates Leon Panetta 20 Mark A. Welsh III 10 August 2012 24 June 2016 1414 Attack and Fighters Michael B. Donley Deborah Lee James Leon Panetta Chuck Hagel Ashton Carter 21 David L. Goldfein 1 July 2016 Incumbent 1439 Fighters Deborah Lee James Heather Wilson Barbara Barrett Ashton Carter James Mattis Mark Esper Designate[6][7] Charles Q. Brown Jr.