President Biden of the United States has appointed a female admiral to lead the United States Navy, marking the first time a woman has been nominated to manage a Pentagon military service branch.
Lisa Franchetti is a former commander of the United States Sixth Fleet and US naval forces in South Korea, as well as an aircraft carrier strike commander.
Her nomination by Mr Biden must still be confirmed by the US Senate.
One lawmaker is currently blocking the Senate from confirming military leaders to protest a military abortion policy.
If confirmed as Chief of Naval Operations she will be the first woman to become a member of the elite group of senior military officers who make up the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
A 38-year veteran, she was only the second woman to achieve the rank of four-star admiral.
In a statement, Mr Biden hailed what he called her “extensive expertise in both the operational and policy arenas” and said she “will again make history” when she is confirmed for the role.
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According to US media accounts, Adm Franchetti was not the first choice of US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who nominated TOPGUN graduate Samuel Paparo as the future Navy head.
Mr. Biden also elevated Adm. Paparo, naming him commander of US military forces in the Pacific.
Admiral Linda Fagan now leads the United States Coast Guard, however that military arm reports to the Department of Homeland Security rather than the Department of Defense.
When the present chief’s four-year term ends in the fall, Adm Franchetti will take over. She will, however, begin in an acting position because it is unlikely that she will be confirmed fast by the split Senate.
Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville is now preventing the Senate from confirming more than 270 military promotions due to a Pentagon regulation that reimburses service members who must fly out of state for abortions.
In his statement, Mr Biden criticised the senator, saying “what Senator Tuberville is doing is not only wrong—it is dangerous”.
He added: “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.”