TOKYO — Two Air Force officers have been nominated by President Barrack Obama to fill positions in the Pacific, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced Tuesday, according to a Defense Department release.

Maj. Gen. Stephen L. Hoog was nominated for promotion to lieutenant general and for assignment as commander of Alaskan Command, U.S. Pacific Command; commander of Eleventh Air Force, Pacific Air Forces; and commander of Alaskan North American Defense Region, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. Hoog is currently serving as the commander of Ninth Air Force, Air Combat Command at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.

Maj. Gen. Jan-Marc Jouas was nominated for promotion to lieutenant general and for assignment as deputy commander of U.N. Command Korea; deputy commander of U.S. Forces Korea; commander of Air Component Command, Republic of Korea/U.S. Combined Forces Command; and commander of Seventh Air Force, Pacific Air Forces at Osan Air Base, South Korea. Jouas is currently serving as the director of operations, plans, requirements and programs, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

From staff reports