Who is the first woman to command the United States Navy

With 38 years of military service, Lisa Franchetti’s appointment marks the first time a woman has been appointed to head a military service branch at the Pentagon.

The US Senate voted this Thursday (11/2) to approve Admiral Lisa Franchetti to command the United States Navy.

As chief of naval operations, she becomes the first woman to join the elite group of senior military officers who make up the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The nomination was approved by a vote of 95 to 1, at a time when the Senate was pushing to fill critical vacancies in the military leadership.

A Republican senator attempted to block appointments to office in protest of the Pentagon’s abortion policy.

The 38-year-old naval veteran is the former head of the U.S. 6th Fleet and U.S. Naval Forces South Korea, and also served as the carrier’s strike commander.

Her nomination by US President Joe Biden marks the first time a woman has been appointed to head a military service branch at the Pentagon.

The U.S. Coast Guard is led by a woman, Admiral Linda Fagan, but that division reports to the Department of Homeland Security rather than the Department of Defense.

Who is Lisa Franchetti

Franchetti was born in the city of Rochester, in the US state of New York, and is currently 59 years old.

He studied journalism at Northwestern University in Illinois. While still in college, he entered the Naval Reserve Officer Corps training program and entered the military service in 1985.

Before being named the first woman in command of the U.S. Navy, she served as deputy chief and acting chief of naval operations.

A surface warfare officer, Franchetti served as director of strategy, planning and policy for the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2020 to 2022, second deputy chief of naval operations for warfare development in 2020, and commander of the 6th Fleet United States from 2018 to 2020.

She was also the second woman promoted to four-star admiral in the United States Navy and the first woman to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Married, mother of one daughter and a running enthusiast in her free time, Franchetti held many of the positions held by other senior naval officers: ship captain, aircraft carrier attack commander, fleet commander.

But she was the first woman to take on many of these roles.

“He is a role model for many young officers, particularly surface warfare officers, and has always made it a personal mission to be the mentor he never had, or had very few,” the retired vice admiral said Ron Boxall at the Defense News website.

Retired Adm. James Foggo, Franchetti’s superior when he led the U.S. 6th Fleet, says he spoke with the military veteran several times about the intersection of being a Navy officer and a woman.

“One of the things he said is that he learned a long time ago that you don’t have to sacrifice your femininity or your gender identity to be a good leader in the Navy,” Foggo told Defense News.

“In other words, you don’t need to lower your voice. You don’t need to shout. You don’t need to use foul language. You can just lead. You can be an effective leader by listening to your team, caring about your team, understanding your team. This is leadership and it has nothing to do with gender.

The stalemate in the US Senate

Over the past nine months, Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville has prevented the Democratic-majority Senate from confirming nearly 400 military promotions.

He opposes the Pentagon’s policy of paying travel expenses for military personnel working in states where abortion is restricted or illegal to undergo the procedure elsewhere.

However, Tuberville voted to approve Lisa Franchetti for command of the Navy.

The only vote against the nomination was that of fellow Republican Roger Marshall, a former Army captain and senator from Kansas.

On Wednesday night, Tommy Tuberville’s Republican colleagues broke with him for the first time and dramatically read out the names of the 61 candidates to allow each to get an individual vote on the floor, effectively ignoring the senator’s position.

Alaska Republican Dan Sullivan rebuked Tuberville, saying “American troops’ careers are being punished for a political controversy they have nothing to do with and have no power to resolve.”

Military officials and lawmakers have said it is putting U.S. national security at risk during conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

“Both parties must work together to ensure that our military is fully staffed and equipped to defend the American people at all times, but especially in this time of crisis,” the Senate Majority Leader said Thursday Chuck Schumer.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he was “pleased” that some positions were approved, but added that “the unprecedented delay in confirming key military leaders has harmed the readiness of our service members and unnecessarily burdened our military families “.

*With the collaboration of BBC News Brasil.

Source: Terra

Rose

Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.