Trump picks a former air crewman and space expert to head the Air Force

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump has named Troy Meink, a former Air Force KC-135 tanker aircraft navigator and former deputy of the National Reconnaissance Office, as his choice to serve as the top civilian leader for the Air Force.

Meink has almost four decades of experience as both a military member and in government service in national security, including roles managing some of the nation’s most sensitive satellite intelligence capabilities and the military’s space portfolio.

“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 wrote on his online platform Truth Social.

If confirmed, Meink would assume the role as the Air Force and U.S. Space Force, which was established by Trump during his first term and just hit its fifth year in existence — are hurriedly trying to reshape the nation's space capabilities.

Many countries, including Russia, China, North Korea and the U.S. are developing new ways to disable or defend the tens of thousands of satellites that ring the Earth as a way to cripple a potential adversary without fighting a traditional land-based war.

Meink is from Lemmon, South Dakota, and joined the Air Force as an ROTC cadet at South Dakota State University in 1988. In his previous role at the National Reconnaissance Office, Meink oversaw a more than $15 billion budget to acquire new satellite capabilities.