President Trump on Monday tapped former New Mexico Rep. Heather Wilson to serve as secretary of the Air Force.
After two unsuccessful Senate bids, Wilson became president of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in 2013. She will leave that post to join the new administration if confirmed by the upper chamber.
Wilson chaired the House Subcommittee on Technical and Tactical Intelligence during her time in Washington, in additon to serving on both the House Armed Services and Energy and Commerce committees.
The Trump administration said Wilson will make “an outstanding secretary of the Air Force.”
“Her distinguished military service, high level of knowledge, and success in so many different fields gives me great confidence that she will lead our nation’s Air Force with the greatest competence and integrity,” the president said in a statement.
Wilson would be the first Air Force Academy graduate to run the Air Force Department if confirmed, the statement said.
Wilson’s selection is the second of three service secretary nominations. Trump has already nominated Vincent Viola for Army secretary, but has not yet announced his nominee for the Navy Department, which oversees the Navy and Marine Corps.
