Oct. 16, 2019 Senate confirms Barrett to be Air Force secretary The 85 to 7 vote makes Barbara Barrett the third consecutive woman confirmed to lead the Air Force and its 685,000 total force Airmen. Barrett replaces Heather Wilson who resigned in May. Undersecretary Matthew Donovan served as acting secretary in the interim.
Sept. 16, 2019 Acting SecAF Donovan highlights progress in achieving ‘Air Force We Need’ in speech at Air Space Cyber Conference The Air Force, Donovan said, is making progress even as it copes with new threats and shifting geopolitics. The Air Force is “digging out of the readiness hole” while also embracing the creation of the Space Force as a new and separate branch of the U.S. military.
Sept. 13, 2019 Barbara Barrett embraces modernization, ensuring Air Force ‘competitive edge’ in Senate hearing In a largely routine 2 hour, 20-minute hearing that moved her nomination forward to a confirmation vote by the full Senate, Barrett echoed a set of priorities that have been often described by the Air Force’s civilian and military leadership.