Heather Wilson, a former congresswoman and Air Force officer, was sworn in as the 24th Air Force secretary during a May 16 ceremony at the Pentagon.
Wilson said her priorities will include improving the service’s readiness, cost-effectively modernizing its capabilities, and developing leaders.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” she told the audience, which included Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein. “We’re not going to take for granted American dominance in air and space power.”
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis administered the oath of office at Wilson’s swearing-in, which took place eight days after the Senate May 8 approved her nomination by a 76-22 vote (Defense Daily, May 9).
Wilson, who succeeds Deborah Lee James at the Air Force helm, becomes the first service secretary to take office in the Trump administration. She was previously president of the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology.
Wilson graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1982 and served in the Air Force until 1989. A Republican, she represented New Mexico’s first congressional district from 1998 to 2009. In the House, she sat on several panels, including the House Armed Services Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.