WASHINGTON D.C., DC — The U.S. Senate confirmed Minnesota native Dr. Ravi Chaudhary to the position of Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations, and the Environment, following a 65-29 vote on Wednesday afternoon.
Chaudhary, a combat veteran who served as an Air Force pilot from 1993 to 2015, grew up in Fridley and graduated from Columbia Heights High School. He also spent five years in the Federal Aviation Administration, including work in Commercial Space Transportation.
As an Assistant Secretary of the Air Force in the Biden administration, Chaudhary will be tasked with overseeing components of the Air Force's installation operations and military housing.
According to Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Chaudhary becomes the first Asian American to serve in the role of Assistant Secretary of the Air Force after his parents migrated to Minnesota from India.
"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," Klobuchar said in a statement. "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."
Chaudhary replaces Jennifer L. Miller, who had been the acting secretary since 2021. Previously, John W. Henderson served in the position under President Donald Trump from 2018 to 2021.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities in our YouTube playlist:
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.
