Biden nominates Admiral Lisa Franchetti to be first woman to lead US
Navy
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[July 22, 2023]
By Phil Stewart and Steve Holland
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Joe Biden on Friday nominated Admiral
Lisa Franchetti to lead the Navy, an historic step that would break a
gender barrier in the U.S. military by making her the first woman to
command the service and to become a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The decision by Biden is a surprise. Pentagon officials had widely
expected the nomination to go to Admiral Samuel Paparo, who leads the
Navy in the Pacific and who has experience grappling with the growing
challenge from China.
Still, Franchetti, who is currently the vice chief of operations for the
Navy, was among the candidates believed to be in the running for the
position, is widely respected and counts broad experience, including as
commander of U.S. Naval Forces Korea, officials said.
In a statement, Biden noted Franchetti's 38 years of experience.
"Throughout her career, Admiral Franchetti has demonstrated extensive
expertise in both the operational and policy arenas," Biden said in a
statement, noting that she was the second woman ever to achieve the rank
of four-star admiral in the U.S. Navy.
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Last year, Biden picked Admiral Linda Fagan to lead the U.S. Coast
Guard, making her its first female commanding officer. But the coast
guard is not formally part of the Department of Defense, and instead
falls under the Department of Homeland Security.
Franchetti would become the first woman to lead a military service
within the Defense Department and to join the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a
group of eight top uniformed service members who advise the president on
military issues.
Biden also elevated Paparo, nominating him to become the commander of
all U.S. military forces in the Pacific. He picked Vice Admiral Stephen
"Web" Koehler to succeed Paparo as commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet.
Biden's announcement comes during a block on all U.S. military
nominations in Congress by Senator Tommy Tuberville, who is protesting a
Defense Department policy that reimburses costs for service members who
travel to get an abortion.
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A U.S. flag flutters in the background
as members of the U.S. Marines and the U.S. Navy stand on a deck of
the USS Bataan, a U.S. Navy Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, as
it takes part in a parade of ships during Fleet Week 2022 in New
York, U.S. May 25, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo
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Senior military nominations must be approved by the Senate. Although
the review is usually routine, a single senator can pause the
process by putting a hold on nominations that force them to be
considered one at a time, taking many hours each.
Tuberville's block could have a far-reaching impact across the armed
forces, affecting troops and their families, and ultimately costing
the U.S. military talent, a point underscored this month by Biden's
pick to become the top U.S. general, Air Force General Charles "C.Q."
Brown.
The military is already having to shuffle staff to fill a top
leadership post after the commandant of the Marine Corps, one of the
members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stepped down on July 10 when
his four-year term ended.
His Number 2 has taken over but the hold on promotions has left the
Marine Corps without a confirmed leader in the job for the first
time in more than a century, the Pentagon said.
Biden said the delay undermined national security.
"What Senator Tuberville is doing is not only wrong — it is
dangerous," Biden said in the statement.
"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."
(Reporting by Steve Holland, Phil Stewart and Jasper Ward; Writing
by Phil Stewart and Rami Ayyub; Editing by Sharon Singleton and
Rosalba O'Brien)
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