US President Joe Biden nominates 2 women Generals to lead Military Commands

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, US President Joe Biden on Monday (local time) announced the nomination of two women to lead the country’s Military Commands, who will become the second and third women in the history of the United States Armed Forces to lead combatant Commands.

US Air Force General Jacqueline Van Ovost, who is the only woman currently to have reached the rank of four-star officer, has been nominated as Commander of the United States Transportation Command.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Laura Richardson has been nominated to lead the Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) that covers Central and Latin America.

“Each of these women have led careers demonstrating incomparable skill, integrity, and duty to country. And at every step, they’ve also helped push open the doors of opportunity to women in our military — blazing the trail a little wider, a little brighter for all the proud women following in their path and looking to their example,” the US President said while nominating the two Generals during a short speech at the White House.

Speaking on the occasion, Biden said, “Today is International Women’s Day. And we all need to see and to recognise the barrier-breaking accomplishments of these women. We need the young women just beginning their careers in the military service to see it and know that no door will be closed to them…We need little girls and boys both, who have grown up dreaming of serving for their country, to know this is what Generals in the United States Armed Forces look like. This is what Vice Presidents of the United States look like.”