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A top Air Force commander at North American Aerospace Defense Command has been nominated to be the next chief of the National Guard Bureau.
Lt. Gen. Steven S. Nordhaus’s nomination went to the Senate on July 24. If confirmed, Nordhaus would be promoted to four-star general and become a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He would replace Army Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, who is set to Thursday.
If confirmed, Nordhaus would be responsible for advocating for the nation’s more than 430,000 Guardsmen and guiding the Guard as it faces a constantly growing demand for its services.
Nordhaus is currently the commander of the 1st Air Force — or Air Forces Northern — and the head of NORAD’s Continental U.S. Command Region. An F-16 pilot, Nordhaus is a member of the Air Guard and has commanded a Guard squadron, detachment and wing. Besides his time as commander of the Air National Guard Readiness Center, he also had stints as executive assistant and director of operations at NGB.
Confirming Nordhaus would continue a 30-year tradition of the Air Force and Army trading off NGB’s top spot.
NGB’s top four officers have left or are set to retire in early August.
To date, none of these officers’ potential leadership replacements has been confirmed by the full Senate, leaving NGB, the Air Guard and the Army Guard without permanent leadership as they head towards a busy hurricane season, this fall’s presidential election and other challenges nationwide.
"We’re extremely frustrated," said retired Maj. Gen. Francis M. McGinn, the NGAUS president, in an interview with Federal News Network published July 26. "We share Sen. Jack Reed’s [D-R.I.] frustration on the lead timing of the nomination, and we would just urge the Senate to act quickly, if possible, next week.
"We’ve written letters urging [the White House] to get the process moving," he continued. "I don’t know if it’s just the turbulence of what’s going on in the White House or the party or what the cause was.
"But certainly, in our opinion, it’s unacceptable. It is probably one of the main duties that they do is getting these key leaders in a position in a timely manner so they can transition with each other.”
Besides Hokanson's impending departure, Lt. Gen. Marc H. Sasseville, who was NGB’s vice chief, retired May 29.
Lt. Gen. Jon A. Jensen, who is director of the Army Guard but has been serving as NGB’s acting vice chief, will retire Aug. 5. Maj. Gen. Jonathan M. Stubbs, currently the adjutant general of Arkansas, was tapped to become the Army Guard director July 12.
Lt. Gen. Michael A. Loh, the former Air Guard, retired June 7. President Joe Biden nominated Maj. Gen. Duke A. Pirak to become the next Air Guard director on March 18.
On Tuesday, the Senate Armed Services Committee approved Stubbs and Pirak's nominations, sending them to the full Senate for a vote. Unlike Stubbs and Pirak, Nordhaus is filling a position that requires a committee hearing and approval before a potential confirmation vote by the full Senate.
The day after Hokanson’s retirement ceremony, the Guard will hold either a change of responsibility ceremony or a relinquishment of responsibility if the Senate doesn’t confirm Nordhaus next week.
It is also possible the Senate will only confirm both three-star nominations for Army Guard director and Air Guard director next week.
If the Senate approves Pirak and Stubbs’ nominations, one of them would become NGB’s acting chief.
But there are no confirmation hearings scheduled for this week so far, which could leave the Guard without permanent leadership until at least when lawmakers return on Sept. 9.
— By Donald Lambert
