The Pentagon announced Wednesday that retiring Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson will be replaced June 1 by an acting secretary, Matthew Donovan. Before Donovan, the service’s under secretary, was navigating Washington bureaucracy, he thrilled audiences around the country as an Air Force demonstration pilot.
In his more than 30 years in the Air Force, Donovan, 60, racked up more than 2,900 hours flying the F-15C Eagle and F-5E Tiger II fighter aircraft. His skill led to a stint as an Air Combat Command demonstration pilot, a highly coveted position only given to the best fighter pilots.
A “hand-picked” pilot “is trained for several months to fly single-ship demonstrations at airshows around the United States,” J.V. Venable, Heritage Foundation senior fellow and the former commander of the Air Force’s Thunderbirds demonstration team, told the Washington Examiner. “Their job is to show off the capabilities of jets like the F-133, F-16, F-15C, and A-10. Matt was an F-15C demonstration pilot — and he was deeply respected in both that role and as a fighter pilot on either side of that tour.”
The Hancock, N.H., native enlisted in the Air Force in 1977 and commissioned as an officer in 1982. In addition to his time as a demonstration pilot, he held a number of leadership positions, including commander of a fighter squadron and head of the Air Force Officer Training School. Donovan also flew combat missions over Iraq during Operation Southern Watch, enforcing no-fly zones after the 1991 Gulf War. His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
Donovan retired as a colonel in 2008 and then worked for the Senate Armed Services Committee. He has spent two years under Wilson, who is leaving to become president of the University of Texas at El Paso.
“In her two years as secretary, Heather defined the Air Force the nation needs and made incredible progress in implementing the strategy to get us there,” said acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan. “It is fitting that a key member of her leadership team will assume her role to keep the momentum going. Matt will do a fantastic job.”
Venable predicted Donovan will differ from Wilson in several areas, especially when it comes to the acquisition of new weapons. He expects Donovan to “aggressively” pursue the fielding of the F-35A fighter in particular.
The Trump administration has not announced Wilson’s permanent replacement, though Venable said that “if I were a betting man, I’d put money on his nomination for the role itself.”
