President Trump is tapping Barbara Barrett to be the next Air Force secretary, he announced in a tweet Tuesday afternoon.

Mr. Trump said Barrett, a former ambassador and onetime chair of the Aerospace Corporation, would be "outstanding" in the role. If confirmed, she will replace current Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson, who is leaving her post at the end of the month for academia.

"I am pleased to announce my nomination of Barbara Barrett of Arizona, and former Chairman of the Aerospace Corporation, to be the next Secretary of the Air Force," the president tweeted Tuesday.

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Sen. Martha McSally's office says the Arizona Republican has been advocating for Barrett's selection and spoke with the president last week to encourage him to pick her. McSally, an Air Force combat veteran, revealed recently that she was a victim of sexual assault while in the Air Force, and is working on combating sexual assault in the military.

Barrett has advised multiple presidents on trade and defense policy, and former President Ronald Reagan picked her to serve as the deputy administration of the Federal Aviation Administration and vice chairman of the Civil Aeronautics Board. She served as U.S. ambassador to Finland in 2008.