Washington: The United States Senate confirmed Indian origin Ravi Chaudhary as the Assistant Secretary of Air Force for energy, installations, and the environment. Chaudhary won the mandate by a vote of 65-29 as he became a part of one of the top civilian leadership positions in the Pentagon. He will be the first Indian-American to serve as an Assistant Secretary of the Air Force.
Following the election, US Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) issued a statement in which she said, "Growing up in Minnesota as the son of immigrants, Dr Ravi Chaudhary dreamed of serving our nation as an Air Force pilot. Dr Chaudhary has devoted his professional life to serving the people, beginning with his more than 20 years of active duty service as an Air Force officer and continuing through his time at the Federal Aviation Administration.
"I fought to advance his nomination through the Senate because I am confident that Dr Chaudhary has the qualifications and experience needed for this critical role. Now that he has been confirmed by the Senate, I look forward to working with him to support the men and women of the Air Force," she added.
According to the statement, Chaudhary served as an active duty Air Force pilot between 1993 and 2015, conducting numerous combat missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.
After leaving the military, Chaudhary worked for the Federal Aviation Administration for five years as a top official in the Regions and Center Operations and Office of Commercial Space. According to the statement, President Obama also named him to the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
