RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — Recently-confirmed Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley discussed a plan for unifying all of the Air Force’s nuclear forces under one command, during a stop to what he called "Grand Central Station" — Ramstein Air Base.

Donley surprised scores of Ramstein airmen Friday during an airmen’s call.

The new secretary was confirmed Oct. 2. He succeeded former secretary Michael Wynne, who was ousted after mishaps that involved nuclear weapons being loaded on a B-52 and flown from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., to Barksdale Air Force Base La., in August 2007, and a shipment of nuclear warhead components mistakenly sent to Taiwan in 2006.

Donley touched on the nuclear problems briefly and discussed how the Air Force plans to turn back the clock to the Strategic Air Command days when bombers and other nuclear forces were under one command.

"First of all the job one given to me by the secretary of defense was to restore the Air Force’s focus on the nuclear enterprise," Donley said. "It’s a mission that demands perfection. We cannot take anything less than the highest standards of performance."

The new command will be called Global Strike Command, and a nuclear "roadmap" will be unveiled next week, Donley said.

Donley also discussed other Air Force topics, such as cyberspace warfare and safeguarding America’s computer networks.

Retention and infrastructure are other issues the Air Force is dealing with as it has become more difficult to retain personnel recently, Donley said. The Air Force wants to have an active-duty force of 330,000 enlisted people and officers, he added.

"The Air Force has a problem with its aging infrastructure," Donley said.

He noted that the average age of refueling tanker aircraft is about 50 years old.

He called the process of trying to get a new tanker for the past several years "a rough road" that had mistakes. The decision on a new tanker will be made when the new president takes over, he said.

Donley wrapped up his meet-and-greet with the airmen up by answering their questions.

One airman asked whether the economic bailout would have a negative impact on the Air Force.

"I think there could be impacts on defense. I certainly hope not," Donley said.

At the beginning of the airmen’s call, U.S. Air Forces in Europe commander Gen. Roger Brady introduced Donley as an expert in national security.

Donley wrote the national security strategy during President Reagan’s second term, an Air Force release said. He was an interim secretary of the Air Force in 1993.

"It’s been many years since I’ve been to Ramstein," Donley said. "Not only is it a bridge for operations downrange, but you are doing a tremendous amount of building partnership capacity with the new members of NATO to the east and you have expanded the United States’ efforts in AFRICOM."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.