Defense Secretary Robert Gates recommended June 9 that Gen. Norton Schwartz, a 35-year veteran with a background in U.S. Air Force special operations, be the next Air Force chief.

In a sweeping shake-up of the Air Force, Gates also formally sent former Air Force official Michael Donley's name to the White House to be the next secretary of the beleaguered service.

Gates announced June 5 that he was removing Air Force Gen. Michael Moseley from the chief's job and Michael Wynne as its top civilian. Gates held them accountable for failing to fully correct an erosion of nuclear-related performance standards, a concern linked to the cross-country flight last August of a B-52 carrying armed nuclear weapons.