US President Joe Biden has chosen Admiral Lisa Franchetti to be the Navy’s top officer, a historic appointment that would make her the first woman to hold this position in the US Navy’s history and also the first woman in the joint chiefs of staff, as per CNN.
Admiral Franchetti, currently serving as the vice chief of naval operations, has an impressive career history. She was commissioned in 1985 and has held various significant roles, including 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, as mentioned in her official biography.
Also, she has commanded two carrier strike groups and assumed the role of Vice CNO in September 2022.
President Biden expressed his confidence in Admiral Lisa Franchetti’s appointment as the next Chief of Naval Operations. With an outstanding 38-year tenure as a commissioned officer, including her current position as Vice Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Franchetti’s dedication to serving the nation is commendable, he said.
Throughout her illustrious career, Admiral Franchetti has showcased remarkable expertise in both operational and policy matters, as per Biden.
As a testament to her accomplishments, she has achieved the prestigious rank of four-star admiral, making her only the second woman in the history of the United States Navy to reach this position, Biden added.
Upon her confirmation, she will etch her name in history once again, as she becomes the first woman to hold the distinguished role of Chief of Naval Operations and join the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a momentous milestone for gender representation in the military, the US president said.
On July 21, President Biden made an announcement regarding nominations for key military positions. He put forth Vice Adm. James Kilby, who currently serves as the deputy commander of US Fleet Forces Command, as the nominee for the next Vice Chief of Naval Operations.
Adm. Samuel Paparo, who holds the position of commander of US Pacific Fleet, was nominated to take charge of US forces in the Pacific as the commander of Indo-Pacific Command.
Biden also nominated Vice Adm. Stephen “Web” Koehler to take over from Paparo as commander of the US Pacific Fleet.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin applauded the nominations stating that each of the admirals 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”, ANI quoted CNN as reporting.
Notably, Franchetti marks another first for the Biden administration’s Defence Department, which has now had the first Black secretary of defence, the first female Army secretary, Christine Wormuth, and upon Brown’s confirmation would mark the first time the Pentagon’s two most senior leaders are Black men, CNN reported.
(With ANI inputs)
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Updated: 22 Jul 2023, 06:33 AM IST