United States President Joe Biden made history by nominating Adm. Lisa Franchetti to become the first woman to lead the Navy in history, the first woman to be a Pentagon service chief, and the first female member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The Democratic leader's decision was made against the recommendations of his Pentagon chief. However, Franchetti, currently the vice chief of operations for the United States Navy, has broad command and executive experience. Insiders also previously considered the female admiral the top choice for the position.
Joe Biden's Historic Nomination
On Friday, the US president issued a statement noting the historical importance of Franchetti's nomination. He added that throughout the admiral's career, she had demonstrated extensive expertise in the job's operational and policy areas.
Last month, the current commander of the Navy's Pacific Fleet, Adm. Samuel Paparo, was recommended by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for the role. However, as per Yahoo News, Biden chose to nominate the former to lead the US Indo-Pacific Command.
A senior administration official also noted that the Democratic president selected the female admiral to lead the Navy based on the broad scope of her experience at sea and shore. This expertise includes several high-level policy and administrative jobs where she gained deep knowledge about budgeting and running the department.
The official also acknowledged that Biden knows the historical nature of the nomination and knows that the admiral will become an inspiration to both male and female sailors. They previously spoke about the situation under anonymity because the selection has not yet been made public.
Franchetti's nomination to lead the US Navy will join the list of hundreds of military moves currently blocked by Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama. The GOP member is blocking the confirmation of military officers in protest against a new policy by the Defense Department to pay for travel when a service member goes out of their home state to get an abortion or other form of reproductive care.
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First Female Member of Joint Chiefs of Staff
Biden noted that the admiral would bring her 38 years of dedicated service to the US as a commissioned officer. On Friday, the president also announced that he was nominating Vice Adm. James Kilby, currently the deputy commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, to become the next Vice CNO, according to CNN.
Austin applauded all of Biden's nominations, saying that all of the admirals will make sure that the US Navy and the joint force in the Indo-Pacific remain the finest military force in the world. He said they would be at the core of the country's work to project power globally, defend freedom of the seas, and uphold the rules-based international order.
Biden also made history last year when he nominated Adm. Linda Fagan to lead the US Coast Guard, making her the agency's first female commanding officer. However, Reuters said that the coast guard is not officially considered a part of the Defense Department and is under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
