US President Joe Biden has appointed Lisa Franchetti, a female admiral to spearhead the US Navy, marking the first-ever nomination of a woman to lead a Pentagon military service branch.
Having served as head of the US 6th Fleet and US naval forces in South Korea, Lisa Franchetti’s impressive resume also includes her tenure as an aircraft carrier strike commander.
Although nominated by Mr. Biden, Lisa Franchetti’s confirmation to the position still requires approval from the US Senate.
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Should her confirmation as Chief of Naval Operations succeed, she will shatter the glass ceiling, becoming the first woman to be part of the distinguished Joint Chiefs of Staff, a select group of senior military officers.
The 38-year-old veteran accomplished the remarkable feat of becoming the second woman to attain the esteemed rank of four-star admiral.
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In a statement, Mr Biden lauded in what he described as her ‘extensive expertise in both the operational and policy arenas’ and she responded that we ‘will again make history’ when she is confirmed for the role.
According to US media reports, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s preference for the next Navy chief was Samuel Paparo, a TOPGUN graduate, not Admiral Franchetti.
President Biden’s actions included not only nominating Adm Franchetti as the Navy chief but also promoting Adm Paparo to assume the crucial position of commanding the US military forces in the Pacific.
Admiral Linda Fagan currently holds the position of leader within the US Coast Guard, an organization that operates under the Department of Homeland Security, not the Department of Defense.
The fall marks the time when Adm Franchetti is due to assume the position, following the end of the current chief’s four-year term. However, given the divided Senate, she will begin in an acting capacity, with swift confirmation improbable.