Trump taps NRO official Troy Meink as next Air Force secretary

By Vanessa Montalbano / January 16, 2025 at 3:45 PM

President-elect Trump today announced his intention to nominate Troy Meink, who currently serves as the principal deputy director for the National Reconnaissance Office, to be the next Air Force secretary.

“Troy will work with our incredible Secretary of Defense Nominee, Pete Hegseth, to ensure that our Nation’s Air Force is the most effective and deadly force in the World, as we secure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH,” Trump said in a statement.

Meink served as a KC-135 Stratotanker Tanker navigator, and later as a test engineer for missile defense systems, according to his NRO biography.

His current tenure at the spy agency began in 2020, following a position as deputy under secretary of the Air Force for space in the Obama administration.

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