President Biden on Friday announced Admiral Lisa Franchetti as his pick to head the Navy — a historic decision that, upon her confirmation 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.
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.
A native of Rochester, N.Y., Franchetti has served in key positions, including as the commander of the U.S. 6th Fleet and U.S. Naval Forces Korea, as well as chief of staff for strategy, plans and policy with the J-5 Joint Staff — which makes recommendations to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
She received her commission in 1985 at the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Program at Northwestern University, where she completed a bachelor’s degree in journalism. In a 2015 profile published in her alma mater’s magazine, Franchetti said she had wanted to become a journalist in the Middle East but a chance encounter with Navy officers-in-training put her on the path to a military career. Her colleagues described her as a “no-nonsense person” who was intelligent and calm.
She has a master’s degree in organizational management from the University of Phoenix and has attended the Chiefs War College.
Biden’s pick of Franchetti for the top Navy job got so many surprised as reports had it that Pentagon officials initially recommended Admiral Samuel Paparo, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and who has experience grappling with the growing challenge from China.
