New Air Force Chief Of Staff

The Air Force is getting a new top military officer.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced during a Pentagon news briefing this afternoon that President Obama has nominated Air Force Gen. Mark Welsh to succeed Gen. Norton Schwartz as the service's next chief of staff.

According to his official biography, Welsh is serving as head of U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Air Component Command and director of the Joint Air Power Competency Center at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

A little bit more from Welsh's bio:

He is responsible for Air Force activities, conducted through 3rd Air Force, in an area of operations covering almost one-fifth of the globe. This area includes 51 countries in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and the Arctic and Atlantic oceans with a total population reaching nearly one billion people speaking more than 80 languages. He also has administrative control of 17th Air Force, providing support, logistics and resources to U.S. Africa Command.

General Welsh was born in San Antonio, Texas. He entered the Air Force in June 1976 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He has been assigned to numerous operational, command and staff positions. Prior to his current position, he was the Associate Director of the Central Intelligence Agency for Military Affairs, Central Intelligence Agency, Washington, D.C.