By Chris Hoenig
Confirmation by the Senate is all that stands between Vice Admiral Michelle Howard and history.
Howard was nominated by President Obama on Friday to become the Navy’s new Vice Chief of Naval Operations (VCNO), the branch’s second-highest post. If confirmed by the Senate, she will become the first woman and the first Black person to serve as the Navy’s VCNO. The position also includes a promotion in rank that would make Howard the first Black female four-star admiral in Navy history.