US President Joe Biden has picked a female admiral to lead the US Navy, which would make her the first woman to hold the position if confirmed by the Senate. She will also become the first woman to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff and to be a Pentagon service chief.
Biden, in a statement on Friday, said that “throughout her career, Admiral Franchetti has demonstrated extensive expertise in both the operational and policy arenas… 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.”
Franchetti is the second woman ever to achieve the rank of four-star admiral in the US Navy, said Biden, adding that “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 was commissioned in 1985 and formerly commanded the US 6th Fleet and US naval forces in South Korea. She has also served as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfighting Development, and director for Strategy, Plans, and Policy of the Joint Staff. She was also an aircraft carrier strike commander.
According to Homeland Security Today, Franchetti is a recipient of personal awards including the Defence Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Service Medal, Defence Superior Service Medal (two awards), Legion of Merit (five awards), Meritorious Service Medal (five awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (four awards), and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (two awards).
But Franchetti was not the preferred pick of Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, who recommended that Biden choose Admiral Samuel Paparo, the current commander of the Navy’s Pacific Fleet, for the top Navy job, according to officials. However, Biden is naming Paparo as the chief of the US Indo-Pacific Command instead.
Meanwhile, Austin supported Biden’s decision, saying, “I’m very proud that Admiral Franchetti has been nominated to be the first woman Chief of Naval Operations and member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, where she will continue to inspire all of us.”
The US Coast Guard is also headed by a woman, Admiral Linda L. Fagan. But she is not a member of the Joint Staff as the Coast Guard comes under the Department of Homeland Security and not the Defence Department.
It is uncertain if and when the Senate will confirm Franchetti’s nomination and hence, she is likely to take over the position in an acting capacity. The holdup in the Senate comes as Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville is currently stalling hundreds of military promotions to protest the Pentagon's policy to pay the expenses of service members who have to travel out of state to get abortions.
In his statement, Biden slammed Tuberville, saying delaying the confirmation of the nominees "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. And his Republican colleagues in the Senate know it,” he added.
Other stalled nominations include Vice Admiral James Kilby for vice chief of Naval Operations and Vice Admiral Stephen Koehler for commander of the Pacific Fleet.
