MANILA, Philippines — US President Joe Biden has nominated Filipino-American veteran Gina Ortiz Jones to be his undersecretary of the US Air Force, the White House announced yesterday.
Jones is a former Air Force intelligence officer who served in the Iraq War.
Her mother, Victorina Ortiz, was a public school teacher from Pangasinan who immigrated to the United States.
Jones remembered she and her sister were raised by their single mother and relied on reduced-cost school lunches and subsidized housing.
Defense News, which first reported Biden’s plan to nominate Jones, said she would be the first woman of color to serve in the position.
Her position – the No. 2 post in the Air Force, where she served during the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” era when gay and lesbian personnel were tolerated but risked discharge if they came out, is subject to confirmation by the US Senate.
Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), chair of the House armed services committee, praised the selection of Jones as Air Force undersecretary who “served her country both in and out of uniform.”
“If confirmed, Ms. Jones would be the first woman of color to serve as Undersecretary of the Air Force, marking yet another historic nomination as the Biden-Harris administration continues to prove their commitment to building a diverse Department of Defense that reflects the American population,” Smith said.
After her time in the Air Force, Jones went to work for the Defense Intelligence Agency.
Jones’ professional experience also includes serving as director for investment at the Office of the US Trade Representative and as the senior advisor for trade enforcement.
She earned her master’s and bachelor’s degrees in economics and a bachelor’s degree in East Asian Studies all from Boston University. She also earned a graduate degree from the US Army School of Advanced Military Studies.
Jones was recognized as a 2016 American Council on Germany Young Leader and is a Council on Foreign Relations Term Member. She is also a member of the Truman National Security Project Defense Council.
The Iraq war veteran, a member of the LGBT community, ran as a Democrat for one of Texas’ most competitive congressional districts.