Historic! US gets first woman as top Navy officer; President Biden chooses Admiral Lisa Franchetti

Biden chooses Admiral Lisa Franchetti as first woman to be top Navy officer in US history

In a historic move, President Joe Biden has nominated Admiral Lisa Franchetti to be the next Chief of Naval Operations, making her the first woman to hold this position in the US Navy's history and the first woman to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 

Franchetti, who is currently the Vice Chief of Naval Operations, has 38 years of dedicated service to the nation as a commissioned officer, with extensive expertise in both the operational and policy arenas. She has commanded two carrier strike groups and served as the commander of US Naval Forces Korea, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfighting Development, and director for Strategy, Plans, and Policy of the Joint Staff, according to her official biography.

Biden praised Franchetti's qualifications and achievements in an announcement on Friday, saying: "As our next Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Lisa Franchetti will bring 38 years of dedicated service to our nation as a commissioned officer, including in her current role of Vice Chief of Naval Operations. Throughout her career, Admiral Franchetti has demonstrated extensive expertise in both the operational and policy arenas. She is the second woman ever to achieve the rank of four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and when confirmed, she will again make history as the first woman to serve as the Chief of Naval Operations and on the Joint Chiefs of Staff."

Franchetti's nomination marks another milestone for the Biden administration's Defense Department, which has already appointed the first Black secretary of defense, Lloyd Austin, and the first female Army secretary, Christine Wormuth. Austin applauded the nomination, stating that Franchetti will "ensure that our US Navy and the joint force in the Indo-Pacific remain the finest military force that the world has ever known, and will be at the very heart of our work to project power around the world, defend freedom of the seas, and uphold the rules-based international order."

Biden also announced other key nominations for senior military positions on Friday, including Vice Adm. James Kilby as the next Vice CNO, Adm. Samuel Paparo as the commander of Indo-Pacific Command, and Vice Adm. Stephen "Web" Koehler as the commander of Pacific Fleet. However, these nominations are being held up by Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, who is blocking confirmation of military officers in protest of a Defense Department policy that pays for travel when a service member has to go out of state to get an abortion or other reproductive care. Biden blasted Tuberville for his obstructionism, saying: "What Senator Tuberville is doing is not only wrong — it is dangerous. He is risking our ability to ensure that the United States Armed Forces remain the greatest fighting force in the history of the world."

Franchetti's nomination is expected to face Senate confirmation hearings in the coming weeks. If confirmed, she will make history as a trailblazer for women in the military and a leader for the Navy in a challenging and dynamic security environment.

Source: 

(1) Joe Biden Chooses Admiral Lisa Franchetti As First Woman To Be Top Navy Officer In US History. https://zeenews.india.com/world/joe-biden-chooses-admiral-lisa-franchetti-as-first-woman-to-be-top-navy-officer-in-us-history-2638711.html.

(2) Historic! US gets first woman as top Navy officer; President Biden chooses Admiral Lisa Franchetti. https://www.livemint.com/news/world/historic-us-gets-first-woman-as-top-navy-officer-president-biden-chooses-admiral-lisa-franchetti-11689986349606.html.

(3) Biden chooses Admiral Lisa Franchetti as first woman to be top Navy .... https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/biden-chooses-admiral-lisa-franchetti-as-first-woman-to-be-top-navy-officer-in-us-history/articleshow/102027920.cms.

(4) Biden picks female admiral to lead Navy. She’d be first woman on Joint .... https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/biden-female-admiral-to-lead-navy-first-woman-joint-chiefs-of-staff-2410158-2023-07-22.

(5) Biden chooses Admiral Lisa Franchetti to become the first woman in US .... https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/21/politics/lisa-franchetti-us-navy/.