SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — “When I look at that waterfront over there, I see the world’s most powerful Navy,” Chief of Naval Operations Lisa Franchetti said while overlooking Naval Base San Diego Wednesday afternoon during her visit to America’s Finest City. “San Diego has one of our largest fleets in the entire world.”
Franchetti toured Naval Base San Diego and talked with sailors Wednesday.
“Without our warfighters, we can’t fight and win our nation’s wars, so talking to them personally and getting away from the Pentagon, getting their perspective of what it’s like to be here in San Diego, what it’s like to be out there on their ships, in their squadrons and really what they need, it’s very important for me to see that firsthand,” Franchetti said.
Watch Franchetti’s full exclusive interview here:
Franchetti was officially sworn is as the 33rd Chief of Naval Operations in November. She is the first CNO, and the first female on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“I joined the Navy 38 years ago, it was a different place back then, there were a lot of things that women could not do and through changes in law, changes in policy and changes in culture, now anybody that joins our Navy can do anything they want to do,” Franchetti added.