United States President, Donald Trump, has dismissed Admiral Lisa Franchetti from her role as Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), the Pentagon announced on Friday night.
Franchetti, who became the Navy’s top officer in November 2023, was the first woman to serve as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Her removal had been anticipated, as her name appeared on a reported list of officers the Trump administration was considering for dismissal due to their association with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives or for other reasons.
Trump announced on Truth Social that he would replace Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown with retired Lt. Gen. Dan Caine.
He also stated that he had directed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to “solicit nominations” for additional top Pentagon positions.
In a separate statement, Hegseth confirmed that he was “requesting nominations for the positions of Chief of Naval Operations and Air Force Vice Chief of Staff,” acknowledging that Franchetti and General James Slife had “had distinguished careers” and thanking them for their service.
He added that nominations were also being sought for the Judge Advocates General of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
Military leaders serving on the Joint Chiefs typically hold four-year terms, making mid-tenure removals rare. Hegseth, however, defended the administration’s decision, stating, “Under President Trump, we are putting in place new leadership that will focus our military on its core mission of deterring, fighting, and winning wars.”
During her tenure as CNO, Franchetti led major modernization efforts, including Project 33, which was outlined in her CNO Navigation Plan last September.
The initiative aimed to accelerate the deployment of unmanned systems, artificial intelligence, and information warfare capabilities to counter potential threats from China in the Indo-Pacific. Additionally, she established a new “robotics warfare specialist” rating to support operations involving robotic and autonomous systems.
Franchetti’s distinguished naval career included key leadership roles such as Vice Chief of Naval Operations, Director for Strategy, Plans and Policy on the Joint Staff, and Commander of the U.S. 6th Fleet. She also held senior command positions within U.S. Naval Forces Europe, U.S. Naval Forces Africa, and NATO’s Naval Striking and Support Forces.
ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
and then