Restoring the Air Force's credibility in nuclear and acquisition endeavors and finding some way to stop the decline of the service's aircraft fleet are the top priorities for Michael B. Donley and Gen. Norton A. Schwartz. The two were nominated to be the new Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff of the Air Force, respectively. They would be stepping into the jobs vacated by Michael W. Wynne and Gen. T. Michael Moseley, who on June 5 resigned under pressure exerted by Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates. Gates claimed he sacked Wynne and Moseley for lapses in the Air Force's handling of nuclear weapons, although Wynne subsequently asserted that policy disputes with Gates had also been a major reason for the ouster. Testifying July 22 before the Senate Armed Services Committee at their confirmation hearing, Donley and Schwartz both noted that they take their new posts under difficult circumstances, and have their work cut out for them. "I believe the most urgent tasks for the new leadership are to steady this great institution, restore its inner confidence and your confidence in the leadership team, and rebuild our external credibility," Donley told the SASC.
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