5 things to know about Air Force Secretary nominee Heather Wilson

According to a report by the Washington Examiner, President Donald Trump today announced that former New Mexico Republican Rep. Heather Wilson is his pick to serve as Secretary of the Air Force.

"Heather Wilson is going to make an outstanding Secretary of the Air Force," Trump said in a release. "Her distinguished military service, high level of knowledge and success in so many different fields gives me great confidence that she will lead our nation's Air Force with the greatest competence and integrity."

Here are a few things to know about her:

1. She is the President of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

Wilson took the post in June 2013 after two failed senate races. According to a release from the school, it was listed among the most veteran-friendly schools throughout her tenure as president of that institution.

2. She was a Rhodes Scholar

According to her official biography at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Heather Wilson's graduate studies were at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. She earned both a master's degree and a Ph.D from the institution in 1985.

3. She would be the first Air Force Academy Graduate to serve as SECAF

According to the Air Force Times, Wilson is the first graduate of the United States Air Force Academy to be nominated for this position. Wilson was among the first women to attend the Air Force Academy and received her commission in 1982. She served for seven years mostly as a defense planner to NATO and the U.K. She separated as a captain and became an advisor to the National Security Council under President George H. W. Bush.

4. She is an instrument-rated private pilot

Congresswoman Wilson's official bio at the home page of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology reveals she is an instrument-rated private pilot. We don't know if that means she gets to fly any of the Air Force's planes, though. We hope it does.

5. She served just over 10 years in Congress

Wilson first won a special election in 1998 to replace a congressman who lost a battle with cancer. According to the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, she served until 2009, when she stepped down after losing a senate primary the previous year. She served on the Energy and Commerce and Select Intelligence Committees, according to the 2008 Congressional Directory, and also served on the House Armed Services Committee.

"America and our vital national interests continue to be threatened," Wilson said in a statement after her nomination. "I will do my best, working with our men and women in the military, to strengthen American air and space power to keep the country safe."