DOD withdraws Army secretary nominee

WASHINGTON, March 10 (UPI) -- The Pentagon Wednesday withdrew its repeatedly blocked nomination of an Air Force official to head the Army.

Air Force Secretary James Roche, the civilian head of the Air Force, was nominated July 7 to head up the Army after the resignation of Army Secretary Thomas White.

Roche's nomination, however, was blocked in the Senate last September during the sexual assault scandal at the Air Force Academy. This month, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., put a hold on the nomination until the Pentagon agreed to hand over all e-mail messages pertaining to the controversial $27 billion deal with Boeing to lease rather than buy refueling tankers.

At least four civilian nominees at the Pentagon are on hold while the Senate presses for the documents.

Roche attributed the Senate's delay in his approval to "a busy legislative year."

"In the interest of the Department of Defense, I decided it was best that I withdraw from further consideration," Roche said.