ICYMI: Rounds Introduces South Dakota Nominee at Armed Services Committee Hearing

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), recently introduced Dr. Troy Meink at his SASC nomination hearing. A native of Lemmon, South Dakota and a graduate of South Dakota State University, Dr. Meink was nominated by President Trump to serve as the next Secretary of the Air Force.

“It is my honor to introduce Dr. Troy Meink, nominee to be Secretary of the Air Force,” said Rounds. “It is a role which Dr. Meink is imminently qualified for after a lifetime of public service in the field of national security.”

“Dr. Meink’s experience and professionalism are precisely what we need in the Pentagon: his senior roles in the Air Force and National Reconnaissance Office, including as Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for Space, have prepared him for this assignment,” continued Rounds.

Following the hearing, SASC will hold a business meeting at a later date to vote on Meink’s nomination at the committee level. If he is reported out of committee, his nomination will be voted on by the full Senate.

View a clip of Rounds’ full introduction HERE. A full transcript of Rounds’ remarks is below.

+++

Chairman Wicker, Ranking Member Reed, and distinguished colleagues of the Senate Armed Services Committee, it is my honor to introduce Dr. Troy Meink, nominee to be the Secretary of the Air Force. It is a role which Dr. Meink is imminently qualified for after a lifetime of public service in the field of national security.

He is joined by his wife, Jean, son, Troy, daughter, Jenna, and stepbrother, Lieutenant Colonel Troy Merkel.

Dr. Meink hails from Lemmon, South Dakota, which is as close to North Dakota as you can get without stepping over the line, and he graduated from my alma mater, South Dakota State University. That’s the Jackrabbits, by the way.

Dr. Meink met his wife Jean at SDSU. They were college sweethearts. An Air Force ROTC graduate, he served as a Tanker Navigator and Instructor, then in a variety of roles working on a host of critical defense and intelligence programs.

He is—at heart—a true engineer. At SDSU he designed, and built, and then flew his own airplane, which still hangs on display in the South Dakota Discovery Center in my hometown, the capital of South Dakota, Pierre.

In his minimal spare time, Dr. Meink continues to give back to his community. He has even led high school robotics teams, by the way, the same ones that have gone on to defeat the People’s Republic of China team in competitions. Now, if he can defeat the PRC with a bunch of high school students, imagine what he’s going to be able to do with the world’s greatest Air and Space Forces.

Dr. Meink’s experience and professionalism are precisely what we need in the Pentagon: his senior roles in the Air Force and National Reconnaissance Office, including as Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for Space, have prepared him for this assignment.

I urge you to support this very highly qualified nominee to be the next Secretary of the Air Force.

###