Pat Dollard

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – 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.

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.

“I am confident that Mike Donley, General Schwartz and the new Air Force leadership team have the qualifications, skill and commitment to excellence necessary to guide the Air Force through this transition and beyond,” Gates said.

Donley, who would become the top civilian in charge of the Air Force, is currently director of administration and management for the Department of Defense.

He has previously served as both assistant secretary of the Air Force and as acting secretary of the Air Force.

Schwartz, who would become the service’s top general, has held a series of jobs working closely with other military services and his appointment may signal that Gates wants to see the Air Force take that approach more broadly.

As a pilot, Schwartz has more than 4,200 flying hours in a variety of aircraft, with much of them in the C-130 transport plane, according to his official biography.

Gates said he had recommended Gen. Duncan McNabb, the current Air Force vice chief of staff, to replace Schwartz at Transportation Command.

“General McNabb has spent most of his three-plus decades in the Air Force in the areas of lift, refueling and logistics — making him an ideal candidate to assume the helm of this command,” Gates said.

Gates picked Lt. Gen. William Fraser III as the next Air Force vice chief of staff. Fraser is currently assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.