The nomination of Martin, head of the Air Force Material Command, broke with the tradition of naming Navy admirals to lead the Pacific Command, which is based at O'ahu's Camp Smith and covers half the globe. The Pacific Command is in charge of hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops in a region extending from the U.S. West Coast to the eastern coast of Africa and including 43 nations.

Martin's nomination reflected Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's desire to transform the military for 21st-century warfare and to break the services from any sense of ownership of regional commands. It would have been the first time since 1947 that an officer other than a Navy admiral led the command, with the exception of an eight-day stint by an Army general in 1994.

Sen. Dan Inouye, D-Hawai'i, who did not attend yesterday's hearing, has said the Pacific Command was "water command" and should be led by an admiral.

Adm. Thomas B. Fargo, 56, who has headed the Pacific Command since May 2, 2002, was expected to step down on Nov. 8 and retire from the Navy on Jan. 1. Whether Fargo will continue in the job beyond Nov. 8 is now unclear.

"He continues to serve at the pleasure of the secretary (of defense) and the president," Pacific Command spokesman Lt. Col. Jay Steuck said yesterday.

A hearing yesterday before the Senate Armed Services Committee was dominated by Sen. John McCain's questions 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 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 to nine months in prison after admitting she helped Boeing win a $23 billion contract for up to 100 midair-refueling tanker airplanes. Druyun admitted steering other costly programs to Boeing to get an executive job there and a job for her daughter's boyfriend and to try to keep Boeing from firing her daughter for poor performance.

Martin was the top uniformed Air Force acquisition officer from 1998 to January 2000, and worked closely with Druyun as her military counterpart, but said he did not "get into the business of determining which contract vehicle was better or more appropriate."

McCain demanded, "How could she do all this by herself? How could one civilian employee be responsible for ripping off the American taxpayer by perhaps billions?"

McCain asked if there were problems 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," he said.

Martin defended the need to upgrade the U.S. fleet of tanker aircraft used to refuel fighters, bombers and other aircraft in the air. He said some 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 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 yesterday characterized the e-mail as "an aside to a colleague" reflecting the tough questions that 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.

Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawai'i, a member of the committee, stayed briefly for the meeting.

Martin, a 34-year Air Force man who brought to the confirmation hearing his brother and wife, Wendy — whom he said he met in high school in Hawai'i — said he was honored to have been nominated to head the Pacific Command.

The Pacific Command is the largest of the Defense Department's geographic commands.

Fargo and his wife, Sarah, had decided to remain in Hawai'i, and Fargo was expected to join the board of directors of Hawaiian Electric Industries and its electric utility, Hawaiian Electric Co., on Jan. 1 in conjunction with his retirement.

HEI issued a statement yesterday saying :"Adm. Fargo's retirement from the Navy and effective date as a member of the (Hawaiian Electric Industries) and HECO boards will be delayed beyond Jan. 1, 2005."

Fargo is in South Korea and was unavailable for comment.