Wyatt nominated as next Air National Guard director

LANSDOWNE, Va. -- Less than 24 hours after taking the oath of office as chief of the National Guard Bureau (CNGB), Air Force Gen. Craig R. McKinley announced here today President George W. Bush will nominate Air Force Maj. Gen. Harry M. Wyatt III to the U.S. Senate for confirmation as the next director of the Air National Guard.

If confirmed, Wyatt will be promoted to lieutenant general and succeed McKinley, who served as the Air Guard's director for more than two years until becoming chief Nov 17.

Wyatt is the Oklahoma National Guard's adjutant general. He has also served as commander of the 138th Fighter Wing in Tulsa and as the Oklahoma Guard's chief of staff for its Joint Force Headquarters.

"This is a great honor for Gen. Wyatt and a great honor for Oklahoma. I've always said we had the best adjutant general in the country, and the latest announcement is certainly confirmation of that," said Gov. Brad Henry, commander-in-chief of the Oklahoma National Guard.

"I greatly appreciate Gen. Wyatt's selfless, dedicated service to our state and our troops, and we will certainly miss his leadership."

If approved by the Senate, Wyatt will be responsible for formulating, developing and coordinating all policies, plans and programs affecting more than 107,000 Air Guard members serving in the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands.

"You can be very proud of the direction that, I know, General Wyatt will take us," said McKinley. "We will continue in the fine tradition of Air Guard leadership that we have in this room today."

McKinley made the announcement to hundreds of general officers, command chief master sergeants and others at the Air National Guard's Senior Leadership Conference being held at the National Conference Center, Nov. 17-21, outside Washington.