Who is Lisa Franchetti, Admiral picked by Biden as first woman to head Navy in US history?
Adm. Lisa Franchetti has been picked by US President Joe Biden to lead the Navy. Her confirmation to the role could be historic for the country.
- World News
- 2 min read
The United States could be on its way to having its first female military service chief, thanks to President Joe Biden selecting Adm. Lisa Franchetti to head the US Navy, defying the Pentagon's decision. In a statement released on Friday, the 80-year-old commander-in-chief said that Franchetti “demonstrated extensive expertise in both the operational and policy arenas.”
If confirmed to the top role, she could create history by being the first woman to lead the force and becoming a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Franchetti has given 38 years of her life to serving as a commissioned officer and is only the second woman to climb up to the rank of four-star admiral in the US Navy.
All you need to know about US Navy's Lisa Franchetti
Currently the vice chief of naval operations, Franchetti hails from New York's Rochester. Her track record includes having served as commander of the U.S. 6th Fleet and U.S. Naval Forces Korea, and chief of staff for strategy, plans and policy with the J-5 Joint Staff, according to The Washington Post.
She kickstarted her career in 1985, when she got commissioned at the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Program at Northwestern University after obtaining a bachelor's degree in journalism. According to a profile of her published in the university's magazine in 2015, Franchetti aspired to be a journalist in the Middle East.
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However, she changed her mind after having a chance encounter with Navy officers-in-training. She then pursued a master's degree in organizational management from the University of Phoenix. After joining the maritime service branch, Franchetti opened up about the challenges that women face in the Navy.
In an interview, she revealed feeling disheartened when she failed to get selected to go on a ship operation. However, she carried on, finally overcoming all the obstacles in her way. “I think really just having faith in what I wanted to do, being motivated, not giving up, that was the key to that success,” she said.