Trump Nominates Sen. Brian Birdwell to Defense Post

President Donald Trump has nominated Texas Sen. Brian Birdwell to serve as an assistant secretary of defense, a nomination sent to the U.S. Senate for confirmation that is expected to replace Christopher J. Lowman and would return Birdwell to the Pentagon after earlier service on the Department of the Army staff. Birdwell is a six-term Granbury Republican and retired Army lieutenant colonel with about a 20-year military career that included deployments in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and humanitarian work in Central America; he earned a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. He was severely injured when American Airlines Flight 77 struck the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, suffering burns over more than 60% of his body, undergoing dozens of surgeries, and later co-founding a ministry for burn survivors and wounded service members. Birdwell announced this year he will not seek reelection to the Texas Senate. As a state senator he has chaired the Border Security and Natural Resources committees, sponsored high-profile immigration and investment-related measures, and received public praise for the nomination from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.