Gates picks new leadership for Air Force

Andrew Gray
Reuters
Monday, June 9, 2008

Defense Secretary Robert Gates named new top civilian and military leaders for the U.S. Air Force on Monday as part of a shake-up triggered by mistakes in handling nuclear weapons and parts.

Gates said he had selected Michael Donley, a senior Pentagon official, as secretary of the Air Force and Gen. Norton Schwartz, the head of U.S. Transportation Command, as the force's new chief of staff.

If confirmed by the Senate, Schwartz would be the first U.S. Air Force chief of staff not to have served as a fighter or bomber pilot, an Air Force spokeswoman said.

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President George W. Bush planned to nominate Donley, who would serve as acting secretary beginning June 21 until his appointment is confirmed by the U.S. Senate, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.

"The president is confident that Mr. Donley has the experience and knowledge necessary to help ensure a smooth transition at the Air Force," Perino said.

Gates' recommendations to Bush came after the Pentagon chief last week forced Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne and Chief of Staff Michael Moseley to resign over errors in the handling of nuclear weapons and parts.

In announcing the resignations, Gates said two incidents -- the shipment of nuclear missile fuses to Taiwan and the cross-country flight by an Air Force bomber wrongly armed with nuclear weapons -- exposed a systemic problem in the Air Force and an erosion of nuclear standards.

Full article here.

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