President Obama has nominated Gen. Robin Rand to be the first four-star commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, the Air Force said Thursday.

Rand, the currently commander of Air Education and Training Command, now awaits Senate confirmation for the new post. He would will replace Lt. Gen. Stephen Wilson, who has been commander of Global Strike since October 2013.

The Air Force announced last year that it would elevate the command of Global Strike to a four-star post because the position "deserves the highest level of leadership oversight similar to our other operational core mission areas," Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said in announcing the move last May.

The move was part of an overhaul of Global Strike Command as deep-seated morale problems in and other issues throughout the force came to light, and the service launched a force improvement program to address the issues.

The position had been a three-star billet since Global Strike Command was created in 2009.

Rand took over AETC in October 2013. He is a command pilot with more than 5,000 flying hours flown in the F-16, T-38 and T-37. He has served as the commandant of the Air Force Weapons School, commander of multiple fighter wings and at headquarters staff positions. This will be his first position in the nuclear community.

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