Senior NORAD Air Force commander nominated to be next National Guard Bureau chief

WASHINGTON (AP) — A top Air Force commander at the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has been nominated to be the next chief of the National Guard Bureau, just a bit more than a week before the current chief retires.

The nomination of Air Force Lt. Gen. Steven Nordhaus went to the Senate on Tuesday. If confirmed, he would be promoted to four-star general and become a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He would replace Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, who is set to retire Aug. 2.

A fighter pilot, Nordhaus is the commander of the 1st Air Force and heads NORAD’s continental U.S. region, which provides and controls airspace surveillance and activities for the nation. Before that, he was the special assistant to the director of the Air National Guard.

His nomination is one of several top Guard jobs that have been languishing for weeks and months. The top four officers of the National Guard Bureau have left or are set to retire in early August. To date, no nominations for their replacements have been confirmed by the Senate, leaving the bureau, the Air Guard and the Army Guard without permanent leadership as they head into a busy hurricane season and a potentially challenging election period.

In addition to Hokanson’s impending departure, Lt. Gen. Marc Sasseville, who was the vice chief, has already retired. Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen, who is chief of the Army Guard but has been serving as acting vice chief, will retire in early August. And Lt. Gen. Michael Loh, director of the Air Guard, has already retired.

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«RELATED COVERAGE» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-show-loadmore=«true»