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Trump nominates aerospace executive for Air Force secretary

Trump said in a tweet that he has chosen Barbara Barrett, former chairwoman of the Aerospace Corp., to replace Heather Wilson who is stepping down at the end of this month after two years on the job.

FILE - In this Jan. 27, 2017, file photo, former President Jimmy Carter accepts the O'Connor Justice Prize from former U.S. Ambassador to Finland Barbara Barrett at the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University Justice Prize Dinner in Phoenix. President Donald Trump has nominated Barrett to be the next secretary of the Air Force.
FILE - In this Jan. 27, 2017, file photo, former President Jimmy Carter accepts the O'Connor Justice Prize from former U.S. Ambassador to Finland Barbara Barrett at the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University Justice Prize Dinner in Phoenix. President Donald Trump has nominated Barrett to be the next secretary of the Air Force.Read moreRoss D. Franklin / AP

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has nominated an aerospace executive to be the next secretary of the Air Force.

Trump said in a tweet that he has chosen Barbara Barrett, former chairwoman of the Aerospace Corp., to replace Heather Wilson who is stepping down at the end of this month after two years on the job.

Barrett, 68, served as ambassador to Finland in 2008 during the administration of then-President George W. Bush. She also 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 would nominate her, but she was never confirmed. She’s a trained civilian pilot and was certified for space travel.