(TEXAS TRIBUNE) - President Donald Trump this week nominated Texas Sen. Brian Birdwell to serve as an assistant secretary of defense, the White House announced Tuesday.

The Granbury Republican currently oversees a Texas legislative committee that hears border and homeland security proposals.

If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, the move would be a return to the Pentagon for Birdwell, a six-term state senator who suffered severe burns when a plane crashed yards away from his office during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

At the time, he worked at the time as Department of the Army staff. His 20-year career in the Army also included operational and training deployments.

Birdwell announced in June that he did not intend to seek reelection to the Legislature’s upper chamber.

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