WASHINGTON (FN), The Pentagon announced Wednesday that the chief of the U.S. Navy, Adm. Lisa Franchetti, will step down from her post effective immediately, citing “personal reasons.”
Defense Department spokesman Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder said Franchetti’s departure was unexpected but emphasized that the Navy’s operations remain unaffected. “The Department of Defense thanks Adm. Franchetti for her decades of service and leadership,” Ryder said.
Franchetti, who became the first woman to lead the Navy in 2023, had overseen modernization efforts and expanded cooperation with allies in the Indo-Pacific. Her tenure also included navigating challenges such as recruitment shortfalls and heightened tensions in the South China Sea.
The Pentagon said an acting chief will be named shortly while the White House considers a permanent successor.
Sudden leadership changes in the military are rare but not unprecedented. In 2019, then-Navy Secretary Richard Spencer resigned amid controversy over the handling of a Navy SEAL case. In 2021, Army Gen. Scott Miller stepped down as commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan as the mission wound down.
Franchetti’s departure comes at a time when the Navy is central to U.S. strategy in countering China’s growing military presence in the Pacific.
