Biden Promotes Two Women Generals To Four-Star Posts

(Photo : Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 08: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on International Women’s Day as Air Force General Jacqueline Van Ovost (L) and Army Lieutenant General Laura Richardson (R) listen during an announcement at the East Room of the White House March 8, 2021 in Washington, DC. President Biden announced the nominations of General Van Ovost and Lieutenant General Richardson to positions as 4-star combatant commanders. They will become the second and the third women to lead a combatant command in American history.

As part of the International Women's Day, United States President Joe Biden announced the nomination of two women generals for promotion to four-star posts. The President hailed the two nominees as outstanding and eminently qualified warriors and patriots.

Biden Nominates Two Women Generals for Promotion

Based on the remarks of Biden from the White House, the President nominated Lt. Gen. Laura Richardson of the Army to be the commander of the United States Southern Command. He also nominated Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost of the Air Force to be the United States Transportation Command head.

According to Washington Post, Biden also shared during the event wherein he was joined not only by Van Ovost and Richardson but also Vice President Kamala Harris and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, that once the female generals are confirmed, they will become the second and third women in the history of the U.S. armed forces to lead combatant commands.

Biden also emphasized that each of the women has led in their careers while demonstrating incomparable skill, integrity, and duty to America at every step they made. Biden also added that they helped push open the doors of opportunity for women in the military, blazing the trail a little wider and brighter for all proud women following in their path by looking at them as an example.

Biden added that since it is International Women's Day, people need to see and recognize these women's accomplishments who broke the barriers previously set. The United States military has 11 commands, which are all led by four-star generals.

Last month, a report came out that the Pentagon had decided on Van Ovost and Richardson's nomination as early as last year. However, based on The New York Times report, the announcement was delayed until after the November Presidential election because Mark T. Esper, the former defense secretary, feared that then-president Donald Trump would not approve the nominations of the women generals because of their gender.

Esper also shared to the news outlet last month that the female generals were chosen due to their performance, proving that they were the best officers for the jobs. He did not want the two female generals' promotions derailed because someone in the Trump administration saw that he recommended them or think that the DOD was playing some politics.

He added that it was not the case. Esper emphasized that they were the best qualified, which is why they are doing the right thing.

Van Ovost is the commander of Air Mobility Command, and Richardson is the commander-general of the United States Army North. Once the Senate confirms the two women generals' nominations, Richardson and Van Ovost will join Air Force General Lori Robinson as the former commander of US Northern Command. Robinson, who served from 2016 to 2018, is the first woman to serve as a combatant commander since its establishment in 1986, AFP reported via MSN.