Air Force general
to lead the Pacific
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld went outside the Navy yesterday to nominate four-star Air Force Gen. Gregory Martin as the new head of the U.S. Pacific Command.
His nomination is subject to Senate confirmation.
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He will replace Adm. Thomas Fargo, who for two years has been in charge of 300,000 Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force troops in an area covering more than 100 million square miles. Fargo plans to retire in Hawaii.
Since 1947 all but one of the 20 Pacific forces commanders have been Navy admirals. The exception was from July 11-18, 1994, when Army Lt. Gen. Harold Fields held the position.
U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said he was surprised when he first heard that the Pentagon civilian leadership was considering the nomination of "a non-naval admiral to an area that was traditionally the domain of the Navy."
He said leaders in Asian countries "are geared to dealing with the Navy since it is the largest command in the Pacific."
Since the Pentagon announcement was made yesterday, Inouye said, he has received inquiries from a few Asian military leaders who wanted to know why the Pentagon went outside the Navy for the post.
The Hawaii Democrat said the countries have to understand that there is a 1986 law that requires the various military branches to work more closely together and emphasizes leadership skills over a particular service.
Inouye, who said he will not oppose Martin's nomination as the 21st Pacific forces commander, said the Pentagon is pushing the concept of joint commands, noting that a Marine, Gen. James Jones, now heads the U.S. European Command, which covers 91 nations. Adm.-select Timothy Keating has been chosen to lead the U.S. Northern Command with its main mission as homeland security and the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD.
"That command is middle of the mainland," Inouye said, "and there is no ocean or Navy around for the admiral to command."
Fargo, who will retire after 34 years of service, said: "Gen. Martin is a superb officer. I know him personally from previous service together in the Pentagon. He has a tremendous record and a wonderful reputation. ... I am confident in his ability to do a great job in leading the Pacific Command."
Jim Tollefson, president of the Chamber Commerce of Hawaii, said Fargo "helped forge a strong partnership with Hawaii businesses.
"Although his focus was on national security, he found ways to work with the business community."
The chamber will honor Fargo at a dinner at the Hilton Hawaiian Village on Nov. 3.
Martin was born April 24, 1948, in Fort Myer, Va., and graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1970 and a obtained a master's degree in business management from Central Michigan University in 1977. He flew 161 combat missions in Southeast Asia and commanded the 67th Tactical Fighter Squadron, the 479th Tactical Training Wing and the 33rd and 1st fighter wings.
Gen. Martin has served as the commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Allied Air Forces Northern Europe. He is a command pilot with more than 4,500 flying hours in various aircraft, including the F-4, F-15, C-20 and C-21.
While head of the Pacific Fleet, Fargo had to calm Japanese officials after the nuclear attack submarine USS Greeneville surfaced into the bottom of the Japanese training vessel Ehime Maru in February 2002 just off Diamond Head. Nine people aboard the Ehime Maru were killed.
A rare Navy Board of Inquiry was convened at Pearl Harbor to investigate the sinking.
Fargo's tenure included waging the continuing U.S. war against terrorism in the Philippines, Asia, Iraq and Afghanistan and the Army's decision last month to convert the 25th Infantry Brigade's 2nd Brigade to a 3,600-member force built around 310 Stryker combat vehicles.
The Pacific Forces commander monitors the largest of the United States' nine unified military operations, which covers more than 50 percent of Earth's surface stretching from the U.S. West Coast to the east coast of Africa and from the Arctic to Antarctic.