According to the president’s statement, his candidate will contribute to the work of the General Staff with 38 years of military experience. Currently serving as the Vice Chief of Naval Operations, or Vice Chief of the Naval Staff, Lisa Franchetti is the second woman in US military history to reach the rank of four-star general. If the legislature approves the candidate, Lisa Franchitti will become the first woman on the General Staff of the US Army.
According to press reports, Joe Biden overruled the recommendation of his defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, when he nominated the chief of staff. The Pentagon chief wanted to see Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of the Navy’s Pacific Fleet, in the post. The nominee must also be approved by the Senate, which is questionable, since Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Georgia announced in the spring that he would reject all of the president’s nominees for chief of staff in protest of the Department of Defense’s policy on abortion. Because of the senator’s decision, the new Commandant of the Marine Corps cannot currently hold office.
This year, the powers of the commanders of almost all branches of the US military will expire, and Chief of Staff Mark Milley will leave office at the end of the summer. Joe Biden nominated General Charles K. Brown to succeed him, who could become the second African American chief of staff if confirmed by the Senate, which remains in doubt over the objections of Senator Tuberville.
(MTI)
