If Confirmed, Barrett Would Replace Heather Wilson, Who Is Stepping Down At The End Of The Month

President Donald Trump has nominated Barbara Barrett of Arizona to succeed Heather Wilson as Secretary of the Air Force.

"I am pleased to announce my nomination of Barbara Barrett of Arizona, and former Chairman of the Aerospace Corporation, to be the next Secretary of the Air Force," President Trump said on Twitter. "She will be an outstanding Secretary.”

Barrett served as U.S. Ambassador to Finland during the administration of President George W. Bush. She is the former chair of the Aerospace Corporation, and serves on multiple boards including JPL, RAND Corporation and the Smithsonian Institution. She was also the founding chair of Valley Bank of Arizona.

In 1994, Barrett was the first Republican woman to run for Governor of Arizona. She challenged incumbent Governor Fife Symington in the primary election, but was unable to win the nomination.

According to Wikipedia, Barrett is an instrument-rated pilot and was the first civilian woman to land on an aircraft carrier in an F/A-18 Hornet. She was inducted into the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame in 2014. She trained as an astronaut, and was a backup for the Soyuz TMA-16 flight to ISS. She served as a deputy administrator for the FAA and as vice chair of the U.S. Civil Aeronautics Board.

The nomination must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Wilson is leaving the SecAF post to become president of the University of Texas at El Paso.

(Image via Wikipedia)

FMI: Wikipedia