Upon retirement in 2005, Martin took a position consulting for Northrop Grumman and also served on an Air Force panel studying stealth aircraft technology, among other Pentagon and private industry roles.

After graduating from the United States Air Force Academy in 1970, where he was a 1969 National Collegiate Parachuting champion, he went on to fly 161 combat missions in South East Asia, and then went on to train other pilots.

Martin, who had worked closely with Druyun in 1998-99 while he held the position of Principal Deputy in acquisition said in response "I'm not an expert in contracting," and "I saw nothing that she was doing that was inappropriate or in any way illegal, and if I had, I would have immediately raised a Red Flag!.

[4] McCain called the Boeing deal "a national disgrace",[3] and vowed to hold Martin's nomination in the Senate Armed Services Committee "until we get all of the e-mails and all of the answers.

Seth Bonder, a fellow Pentagon panel member from the National Academy of Engineering, though, had not been made aware of the general's industry role during the two-year study and "said disclosure of potential conflicts would be desirable.