Senate Confirms Former Ambassador as New Air Force Head

The Senate has confirmed a former ambassador and senior official at the Federal Aviation Administration as civilian leader of the Air Force.

Wednesday's 85-7 vote makes Barbara Barrett the third consecutive woman to lead the Air Force, following Heather Wilson and Deborah James. Wilson resigned from the post in May.

Barrett is a former ambassador to Finland. Most recently she was chairwoman of the Aerospace Corp., which is a federally funded research-and-development organization focused on space.