Moment Air Force Major General James Martin Jr FAINTS in the middle of a press briefing

A Pentagon press briefing discussing the Air Force's $120billion budget took a tragicomic tu on Tuesday when a high-ranking official fainted at the podium - and the entire incident was caught on camera.

US Air Force General James Martin Jr was talking about the future of the F-35 program when suddenly he started to slump forward, dipping his head beneath the dais.

In the video from the press conference, Assistant Air Force Secretary Carolyn Gleason rushes to Martin's side and grabs him by the arm.

Light laughter is heard in the room before Gleason asks someone to help her steady the general.

Three Air Force staffers rush over and grab hold of Martin, who appears dazed and woozy.

One of the aides offers him a sip of water from a small plastic bottle while another fetches a chair for the wobbly general to take a sit.

'That's what the F-35 will do to ya,' Gleason quips, referring to the aircraft the Air Force budget director had been discussing before he passed out.

Gleason then took over the briefing, joking that her boss 'kept threatening to pull a hammy.'

'I didn't think he really meant it,' she said with a sheepish smile before picking up where Martin left off.

The major general then made a feeble attempt to get up from the chair, but Gleason insisted he remain seated.

He was eventually ushered out of the room and later taken to a hospital as a precaution.

It has since emerged that Martin, a career officer who works under the Air Force’s Financial Management and Comptroller office, was suffering from the flu or a cold.

He was back to work Wednesday and was said to be doing well, according to an Air Force representative, according to Air Force Times.