The Pentagon made the announcement in a two-sentence press release today.

A hearing earlier in the day before the Senate Armed Services Committee was dominated by questions by Sen. John McCain about what Martin knew about the Boeing contract and whether he was stonewalling a Senate investigation.

McCain, R-Ariz., said he would object to Martin's nomination.

Investigations already have led to the sentencing of a senior civilian Air Force official who steered multibillion-dollar contracts to Boeing and later got a high-paying job with the company.

Darleen Druyun was sentenced Oct. 1 after admitting she helped Boeing win a $23 billion contract for up to 100 air-refueling tanker airplanes. Druyun also admitted steering other costly programs to Boeing to get an executive job with the company and a job for her daughter's boyfriend and to try to keep Boeing from firing her daughter for poor performance.

Martin, the current commander of Air Force Material Command in Ohio, was the top uniformed Air Force acquisition officer from 1998 to January 2000, and worked closely with Druyun as her uniformed counterpart.

McCain asked how Druyun could have succeeded and whether there was a problem with the Air Force acquisition system.

Martin speculated that going through a restructuring, a reduction of forces and acquisition reforms all at the same time may have removed "many checks from the system."

But Martin said Druyun was a tough negotiator and he questioned whether she actually had done the things she confessed to doing.

"I saw nothing that was inappropriate," Martin said. "If I had, I would have reported it."

McCain was incredulous.

"Now I question whether you have the quality to command," McCain said.

Martin defended the need to upgrade the nation's tanker fleet, which is used to refuel fighters, bombers and other aircraft in the air. He said some of the KC-135 tanker aircraft in the inventory are more than 40 years old and suffer fatigue and corrosion problems.

But McCain cited three "objective reports" from the Defense Science Board, the Center for Naval Analysis, and the Congressional Research Office that said the Air Force had maintenance systems to deal with corrosion and life-extending upgrades for older aircraft.

McCain said the Defense Department inspector general characterized Martin's release of personal e-mails regarding the tanker contract as "unresponsive."

Martin maintained Wednesday that he followed all instructions about turning over his e-mail.

One e-mail that was turned over particularly angered McCain. The senator quoted Martin writing to a colleague about McCain's inquiries into the older tanker aircraft. Martin wrote to his colleague, "This will be fun." Martin characterized the e-mail as "an aside to a colleague" reflecting the tough questions the Air Force would face from McCain.

"I look forward to finding out why it's `fun' to talk" about the tanker program, McCain said.

The Pacific Command is the largest command in the Defense Department.

Adm. Thomas Fargo, who was to retire, will stay on as its commander, according to the Pentagon release.