President Biden nominates picks Lisa Franchetti as first woman admiral to lead US Navy

US President Joe Biden announced that he will nominate Admiral Lisa Franchetti to head the country’s Navy, making her the first woman to possibly hold the post in US history.

It is, however, unclear whether the Senate will confirm her position by the time her predecessor leaves office. A Republican lawmaker is stalling more than 200 senior military nominations to protest the Pentagon’s decision to assist troops who have to travel to receive abortions.

“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,” Biden said in a statement.

“She is the second woman ever to achieve the rank of four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and 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,” he added.

Who is Lisa Franchetti?

Admiral Franchetti has served on a series of surface vessels and has commanded a guided missile destroyer, a destroyer squadron and two carrier strike groups.

She has also served as the deputy commander of the US naval forces in Europe and in Africa. She was the deputy chief of naval operations for warfighting development, among other positions. She became vice chief of naval operations in September 2022.

Admiral Mike Gilday is due to complete his four-year term as head of the Navy next month, but Franchetti’s confirmation will likely be held up by Senator Tommy Tuberville, who has been delaying the approval of military nominees for months.

With inputs from AFP