Barrett Nominated for Air Force Secretary (formerly with the FAA)

[Rose Siding]

Barrett Nominated for Air Force Secretary

WASHINGTON -- A former Federal Aviation Administration official is President Bush's nominee for secretary of the Air Force -- a job that's not yet vacant.

If confirmed by the Senate, Barbara McConnell Barrett of Arizona would replace James Roche, the top Air Force civilian official since June 2001. In May, Bush decided to switch Roche from secretary of the Air Force to the equivalent Army job, but the Senate so far has not approved of that move, so the job Barrett is slated to take is not yet open.

A statement released by the White House on Friday said Barrett served as president and chief executive officer of the American Management Association and was a teaching fellow at Harvard University's Institute of Politics.

Her previous presidential appointments include chairman of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, deputy administrator of the FAA and vice chairman of the Civil Aeronautics Board. She has also been a member of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services.

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-bush-air-force-secretary,0,2210304.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

We are in wars all over the place and the positions of Sec of Army and Navy stand vaccant and have for some time. Is that unusual?