Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson announced Friday she is resigning from her post.
“It has been a privilege to serve alongside our Airmen over the past two years and I am proud of the progress that we have made restoring our nation’s defense,” Wilson said in a statement. “We have improved the readiness of the force; we have cut years out of acquisition schedules and gotten better prices through competition; we have repealed hundreds of superfluous regulations; and we have strengthened our ability to deter and dominate in space.”
“I very much appreciate the opportunity to have served,” Wilson said. “I remain a strong advocate for our nation’s defense and an Airman for life.”
Wilson, a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Rhodes Scholar and former Air Force officer, will remain in her Pentagon post until May 31, 2019 to provide time for a smooth transition.
Her departure comes after she was selected to serve as president of the University of Texas at El Paso, following a favorable vote from the University of Texas Board of Regents. She is succeeding the university’s current president Diana Natalicio, who has led the academic institution since 1988.
Wilson, 58, previously served as the president of South Dakota School of Mines and Technology from 2013-2017. She also represented New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District from 1998-2009.
Despite a report in the fall that President Trump was weighing replacing Wilson after the November 2018 midterm elections due to her apathy toward the new Space Force military branch, an official told Reuters that Wilson was not pressured to depart the administration by Trump or others in the administration.
Trump applauded Wilson for her service on Friday, and said she did an “absolutely fantastic job” in her role as secretary of the Air Force.
….as Secretary of the Air Force, and I know she will be equally great in the very important world of higher education. A strong thank you to Heather for her service.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 8, 2019
Following former Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis’ departure from the Trump administration, some suspected Wilson would be tapped to replace him. During an interview with Politico’s “Women Rule” podcast last month, Wilson didn’t rule out interest in the position, but said, “I think that’s up to the president of the United States and the United States Senate.”
She also described the moment Mattis approached her about the position as Air Force secretary to Politico and said she told him “being a college president is like the best job in America.” Even so, she said that Mattis “made it pretty clear that my draft number was up.”
Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, praised Wilson’s work as secretary of the Air Force, and expressed optimism she would return to work for the government as the first woman to head the Pentagon.
“Heather Wilson is a dear friend and former colleague of mine. The importance of her incredible work in the Air Force cannot be overstated,” Turner said in a statement. “It is not surprising to me that Heather would be sought out by other organizations looking for her strong leadership. I wish Heather all the best in her future endeavors. She will be deeply missed. Hopefully, someday we can see Heather Wilson as the first female Secretary of Defense.”
[Also read: White House communications director Bill Shine resigns]
