US: President Bush yesterday nominated Marine Gen Peter Pace, who has played a key role in shaping strategy in the war on terrorism, to serve as chairman of the US military's Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Mr Bush said Gen Pace "knows the job well" having served as vice-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since 2001. "This is a huge task, even in peace time," Mr Bush added.
Once confirmed by the Senate, Gen Pace (59) would become the first Marine Corps officer to serve as chairman - the highest-ranking US military officer and principal military adviser to the president and defence secretary.
As chairman, Gen Pace will face daunting problems at the Pentagon as US budget deficits clash with the rising cost of warships, fighter jets and other high-tech projects planned to replace aging Cold War weaponry. "I know the challenges ahead are formidable," Gen Pace said.
Mr Bush also nominated Navy Admiral Edmund Giambastiani jnr (56), a former senior military assistant to defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld, to replace Gen Pace as vice-chairman.
Mr Bush stumbled over Admiral Giambastiani's name and joked that he would henceforth refer to him as "Admiral G".
Gen Pace, seen as closely aligned with Mr Rumsfeld, previously headed Southern Command, responsible for US military operations in Latin America.
As vice-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen Pace has been involved in overseeing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
He will replace Air Force Gen Richard Myers (63) who is set to retire on September 30th.
Gen Myers has been the top US military officer since October 1st, 2001, just after the September 11th attacks on the United States.
Gen Pace, born in Brooklyn and raised in Teaneck, New Jersey, graduated from the US Naval Academy before serving in the Vietnam War.