The United States Senate on Wednesday (Local Time) confirmed Indian origin Ravi Chaudhary as the Assistant Secretary of Air Force for Energy, Installations, and the Environment.
𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝟲𝟱-𝟮𝟵
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. Chaudhary will be the first Indian-American to serve as an Assistant Secretary of the Air Force.
After Minneapolis native Chaudhari won the vote, US Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released a statement that read, "Growing up as the son of immigrant parents in Minnesota, Dr. Ravi Chaudhary dreamed of serving our country as an Air Force pilot. From his more than two decades of service as an active duty Air Force officer to his tenure at the Federal Aviation Administration, Dr. Chaudhary has dedicated his career to public service."
𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘆'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗞𝗹𝗼𝗯𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿
"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.
Following his retirement from military service, Chaudhary served for five years as a senior official within the Regions and Center Operations and Office of Commercial Space at the Federal Aviation Administration. He was also appointed by President Obama to serve on the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, the statement added.
The Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations, and the Environment is responsible for the Air Force's sustainability and operational readiness, including installations and basing strategy, as well as ensuring the quality of military housing.
𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗥𝗮𝘃𝗶 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘆
From 1993 to 2015, Chaudhary actively served as an Air Force pilot for more than twenty years, where he carried out multiple combat missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. Following his military retirement, Chaudhary worked for the Federal Aviation Administration as a senior official in the Regions and Center Operations and Office of Commercial Space for five years. Additionally, he was chosen by President Obama to join the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
The naming of Chaudhary as the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations, and the Environment marks a noteworthy achievement for the Indian-American community, underscoring the growing presence of Indian-Americans in the U.S. government and their valuable contributions to public service.
(With inputs from ANI)
