Lisa Franchetti creates history as first woman to lead US Navy

In a groundbreaking move, the US Senate on Thursday (Nov 2) voted in favour of Admiral Lisa Franchetti to lead the Navy, making her the very first woman to hold the position and to be a part of the military officers who make up the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Her nomination was approved by a margin of 95-1. She has been serving in a provisional capacity since August 2023 because of a single Republican senator's resistance to the Pentagon abortion access policy.

Franchetti has been in commanding positions on various surface vessels, showcasing her leadership prowess.

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She has held key roles, including commander of a guided missile destroyer, a destroyer squadron, and two carrier strike groups.

Her expertise extends to global affairs, having served as the deputy commander of US naval forces in Europe and Africa, as well as the deputy chief of naval operations for warfighting development.

In September 2022, she was promoted to the service's second-highest rank, which is vice chief of naval operations.

Franchetti has not only created history as the first woman to lead the US Navy but has also become the first woman to serve on the esteemed Joint Chiefs of Staff, a milestone that marks a significant step towards greater gender equality and representation at the highest levels of the US military.

Delay of nominations

Senate also filled two other spots by confirming General David Allvin, a pilot with more than 4,600 flight hours, as the head of the US Air Force by a vote of 95-1. He served as vice chief of staff of the Air Force previously.

Lawmakers generally approve the military nominations quickly through unanimous consent, however, one Republican Senator has been trying to block the military appointments in a bid to protest the Pentagon's abortion access policy.

Tommy Tuberville has been delaying the nominations to oppose Pentagon policies that permit service members seeking reproductive health care including abortions that are inaccessible where they are stationed to receive travel allowances and take organisational dearths.

The White House on Thursday, slammed Tuberville's delay of the nominations stating that his move was harming readiness.

"It's beyond ridiculous that this one senator is having this kind of an impact on our operational readiness," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, noting that it is also affecting officers' families.

"Folks can't get schools for their kids, can't buy or rent houses, you know, don't know where they're going to be living next. It's absolutely ridiculous," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)