Thanks to a nomination from President Barack Obama, Eric Fanning will become the first openly gay secretary of the Army -- or any other branch of the U.S. military, according to CNN.
Fanning must be confirmed by the Senate before he begins his duties in this new position. "I am grateful for his commitment to our men and women in uniform, and I am confident he will help lead America's Soldiers with distinction," President Obama said of the historic nomination.
The move is another big milestone in the LGBT community. Obama is also responsible for ending the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in 2010, which prevented openly gay people from serving. This year, he allowed transgender military personnel to serve in the Armed Forces for the first time.
Fanning previously served as chief of staff to Ash Carter, former Secretary of Defense and was also under secretary of both the Navy and the Air Force. Most recently, Fanning has been serving as the acting under secretary of the Army, The New York Times reported.
"I look forward to working with Eric to keep our Army the very best in the world," President Obama said in a statement, according to The Washington Post.
