An Air Force major might find himself in a key leadership position in charge of a large number of personnel, or he may find himself working right alongside other personnel below other high-ranking officers. Within the Air Force officer ranking, an Air Force major is not considered a junior officer, but is also not considered within the ranks of senior leadership. This means that majors can wind up in a variety of roles.
Every Air Force major is assigned a certain specialty. They are majors by rank, but their actual roles depend on which specialties they have. There are Air Force majors who fly jets, majors who command units, and majors who are also chaplains and spend their time ministering to Air Force personnel. While majors may occasionally wind up tasked to another unit outside of their specialty, most majors stay within their own specialty.
The daily duties of majors depends largely on the unit to which he or she is assigned. Duties can also depend on the proficiency of the major, as there are different levels of proficiency within each rank. Majors are expected to know their jobs inside and out while also being capable of supervising the other personnel around them. In other words, there is not one specific job that each major within the Air Force does.
Personnel holding the rank of Air Force major commonly spend time supervising personnel within the lower ranks while also answering directly to those people who rank above them. It is also common for majors to be directly involved with the day-to-day operations of their units. For example, an Air Force major who is assigned to Public Affairs might spend some time working in the base radio or television station, answering questions from local media, and directly supervising the lower ranking personnel assigned to the same unit. If there is a higher ranking officer assigned to the unit, the major will also answer directly to him or her.
Majors are expected to maintain the highest level of professionalism and to consistently represent the Air Force positively — they are considered to be the leadership within the Air Force. In order to achieve the rank of major, personnel must have several years of honorable service and are expected to maintain their professionalism. Majors who do not maintain professionalism or do their jobs well can find themselves demoted or discharged.