WASHINGTON, Nov. 28 (UPI) — Robert Gates, the nominee to replace U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld at the Pentagon, is unlikely to take office until January.

“My understanding is Mr. Gates has a couple of other obligations,” said Pentagon spokesman Eric Ruff.

Ruff said Gates, now the president of Texas A & M University, has promised to be at graduation ceremonies in mid-January.

However, Gates is scheduled to face the Senate Armed Services Committee next week for his nomination hearing. Presuming the committee approves him, the entire Senate would be able to approve him shortly thereafter.

Rumsfeld has said he would serve until Gates is sworn in, but President George W. Bush in early November declared Rumsfeld would be, on Dec. 29, the longest serving defense secretary in history, suggesting that the schedule of succession would be orchestrated to give Rumsfeld that distinction.

A Pentagon official told UPI Monday Rumsfeld has “no desire for an artificial date” to end his tenure.

“He said ‘as soon as is practical,’” the official said.

Gates still has to get through his confirmation and there is a possibility it could be rockier than expected: on Friday, newly declassified documents concerning the Iran-Contra arms scandal were released by the National Security Archive, a project funded by George Washington University in Washington.

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