US President Barack Obama has recently put forward the nomination to the Senate. If confirmed, Gorenc would receive a fourth star and be promoted to the rank of general before taking over the post.

At the Allied Air Command in Ramstein, Germany, Gorenc would replace Gen. Philip Breedlove, who became head of US European Command and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe in May.

Born in Ljubljana in 1957, Gorenc moved to the US when he was 4 together with his parents and his brother Stanley Gorenc, now a retired US Air Force general.

Frank Gorenc currently serves as the Air Staff's assistant vice chief of staff and director in Washington. Before that he commanded the Third Air Force at Ramstein Air Base for two and a half years.

Gorenc also spent 13 months in Iraq in 2005 and 2006 when he commanded the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing at Balad Air Base.