San Diego-based Lisa M. Franchetti is getting promoted to an exclusive club — Navy rear admiral (upper half), making her among only several dozen women at that rank.
Franchetti now serves as commander, Carrier Strike Group 9, and commander, Carrier Strike Group 15, out of San Diego.
A year ago, her alma mater Northwestern University reported that Franchetti was the first woman to serve as commander of U.S. Naval Forces Korea and one of fewer than 40 female admirals in the U.S. Navy.
“An expert military tactician and strategist who has commanded a guided-missile destroyer and served as a commodore of a destroyer squadron, she is the U.S. Navy’s representative in the Republic of Korea whose main job is to strengthen collective security efforts in the region,” said the profile.
Secretary of Defense Ash Carter on Thursday nominated Franchetti along with three other San Diego-based officers of the same rank for elevation.
Pay for rear admirals starts at about $114,000 a year, rising to $165,000 after 34 years of service.
Other brass being elevated to rear admiral with local connections:
- Navy Rear Adm. (lower half) Christian D. Becker, now serving as program executive officer for command, control, communications and intelligence, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego.
- Navy Rear Adm. (lower half) Bruce L. Gillingham, now serving as commander, Navy Medicine West, San Diego.
- And Navy Rear Adm. (lower half) James T. Loeblein, now serving as commander, Carrier Strike Group One, North Island.
According to this site, the highest-ranking women in the Navy are:
- Admiral Michelle Howard (Surface Warfare Officer) is the Vice Chief of Naval Operations, making her the first female and first African American to become a 4-star admiral in the Navy.
- Vice Admiral Robin Braun is the 12th Chief of the Navy Reserve, first female leader of the Navy Reserve, and the highest ranking female Aviator.
- Vice Admiral Nora Tyson (Naval Flight Officer) is the Deputy Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command.
- Vice Admiral Jan Tighe is the 3rd Commander, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command Command, U.S. 10th Fleet, the Navy’s first female commander of a numbered fleet and the only female Information Warfare Officer admiral.
