Barbara Barret, With Close Industry Ties in Arizona, Nominated For Air Force Secretary

According to this report yesterday  in the New York Times, "If confirmed by the Senate, Ms. Barrett could oversee multiple air campaigns in the Middle East. It was not clear on Tuesday when a possible vote on her confirmation could be scheduled. A battle already looms in the Senate over the confirmation of Patrick M. Shanahan for defense secretary; some lawmakers and Defense Department officials think he does not have enough foreign policy experience. 

Barrett, 68, of Arizona, served as ambassador to Finland in 2008 during President George W. Bush's administration. She also previously served as deputy administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration and was vice chairman of the U.S. Civil Aeronautics Board. This is the second time she's been picked for the Air Force job. In 2003, Bush announced he intended to nominate Barrett to replace John Roche, who was to become Army secretary. But when Roche's nomination was blocked in the Senate, he went back to his Air Force post, so Barrett was never confirmed for the position.

Barrett would step into the center of the debate over the launch of a new U.S. Space Force, a Trump proposal that has hit widespread resistance on Capitol Hill.

A trained civilian pilot who also was certified for space travel, Barrett was mentioned last year as a possible replacement for Sen. Jon Kyl, an Arizona Republican, who resigned his Senate seat. The appointment, however, went to Martha McSally, a U.S. House member who had run unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2018.
McSally, a former fighter pilot, tweeted her congratulations to Barrett, thanking Trump "for taking my recommendation on this important role and selecting an incredibly talented leader as next AF Secretary!"

Barrett, an attorney, serves on a number of boards, including for RAND Corporation, the Smithsonian Institution and the California Institute of Technology, and she's held a number of senior executive positions for Fortune 500 companies.
She and her husband, former CEO of Intel Corp., own Triple Creek Ranch, a luxury resort in Montana's Bitterroot Valley.

Senator Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, chairman of the Senate’s Armed Services Committee, said in a tweet Tuesday that Ms. Barrett’s “extensive government, business and diplomatic experience — not to mention her background as a trained pilot and astronaut — makes her well suited for the job.”

Ms. Barrett’s “appreciation for governmental leadership began in 1972 as an intern at the Arizona State Legislature,” according to an archived biography on the State Department’s website. She holds a law degree from Arizona State University. . .

In 1994, Ms. Barrett poured $1 million of her own money into a campaign to become Arizona’s governor, but she was defeated in the Republican primary by Fife Symington, the incumbent. . . .

> Barrett would become the third woman in a row to serve as the Air Force’s top civilian, overseeing the service’s attempt to refocus on conflict with other advanced militaries in the midst of a massive modernization bill and an ongoing pilot shortage. The Arizona resident is an instrument-rated pilot who became the first civilian woman to land an F/A-18 on an aircraft carrier, and is certified for space flight. . .

In a May 21 release, Sen. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) said she pushed for her close friend’s nomination, even speaking with Trump last week, since Wilson announced her resignation earlier this year.
“Ambassador Barrett is a force to be reckoned with and has the leadership, experience, and knowledge to lead our Air Force into the future during a time of increased global threats,” McSally said.