SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill., (USTCNS/June 14, 2005) --- President Bush has nominated Air Force Lieutenant General Norton A. Schwartz to the rank of general with his next assignment as commander, U.S. Transportation Command.

Schwartz is currently serving as director, the Joint Staff in Washington, D.C. Prior to that assignment he was director for operations, the Joint Staff.

A 1973 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Schwarz is also an alumnus of the National War College, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a 1994 Fellow of Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Seminar XXI. He is a command pilot with more than 4,200 flying hours in a variety of aircraft. Schwarz is a former commander of the Special Operations Command – Pacific, as well as Alaskan Command, Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command region, and the 11th Air Force.

If confirmed by the Senate, Schwartz will succeed Air Force Gen. John W. Handy who has commanded both USTRANSCOM and Air Mobility Command since November 2001. The change of command date, and the new commander for AMC have not been announced.