In a surprise move, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has recommended that Admiral Samuel Paparo become the Navy’s highest-ranking officer instead of a woman believed to have been the favorite, several top defense officials said. .
Paparo’s nomination for chief of Naval Operations arrived at the White House about a week ago, but President Joe Biden has yet to sign it off, officials said.
Admiral Lisa Franchetti had been considered the top candidate for the chief’s job since she became deputy chief of Naval Operations, the Navy’s No. 2 officer, last fall. She would have been the first female service member to hold the position and the first female member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Currently, a woman heads the Coast Guard, but is not a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Paparo, currently commander of the Pacific Fleet, was expected to become the next commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, as is common. He is one of the Navy’s top operational leaders facing challenges against China and he was expected to bring his experience to the Indo-Pacific Command at a time when China is a top priority for the Biden administration.
Paparo was expected to broaden his combat experience in the region as commander of the Indo-Pacific Command rather than transfer to the Pentagon. If he becomes head of the Navy, he will have to shift the focus to manning, equipping and training, with less focus on operations.
Austin made the recommendation to bypass Franchetti in favor of Paparo, officials said.
“This is a presidential decision,” said the Rear Adm. Ryan Perry, the Navy’s chief spokesman. «The United States Navy has several highly-qualified senior leaders, and it would be inappropriate to speculate which leader the President will nominate to serve as the next Chief of Naval Operations.»
The Pentagon and the White House National Security Council declined to comment.
The decision to bypass Franchetti the same week that the US military celebrates the 75th anniversary of the induction of women into the Military may not sit well with some within the Pentagon who were advocating that the joint chiefs finally have a female officer.
Franchetti has operational and political experience. He commanded two strike groups in the Pacific, served as commander of the US 6th Fleet, NATO Naval Strike and Support Forces in Europe, and as commander of the US Naval Forces. US in Korea, and has held various positions at the Pentagon, including her current job as deputy chief.
“She is just as qualified as previous CNOs,” said a senior defense official.