US Air Force secretary announces return to academia

WASHINGTON

U.S. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson announced Friday she is resigning from the military to return to her career in academia.

Wilson said on Twitter she informed U.S. President Donald Trump of her decision to pursue the top post at the University of Texas at El Paso.

"It has been a privilege to serve with our #Airmen—I am proud of the progress we have made to restore the readiness & lethality of #USAF," she said, referring to the U.S. Air Force.

The University of Texas's board of regents selected Wilson as the only finalist for the presidency of its El Paso campus.

Trump thanked Wilson for her service and congratulated her on Twitter.

"I know she will be equally great in the very important world of higher education," Trump said.

Wilson is a Rhodes scholar who served in Congress for more than a decade following a seven-year career in the Air Force.

She served as President of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology for four years before taking the top spot in the Air Force in 2017.