President Biden, joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, announced the nominations of two female generals to be promoted to four-star commanders.
The nominations came on International Women's Day.
Once confirmed, Air Force Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost and Army Lt. Gen. Laura Richardson will be the second and third woman in U.S. history to reach the rank.
"I say this to remind us, while it has only been five years since all combat jobs have opened to women, women have been in the line of fire, risking their lives to protect our nation long before that," the vice president said. "We also know that women want to serve and that our military is stronger when they do."
President Biden promised to continue to investigate and tackle incidents of sexual assault and harassment in the military.
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