The U.S. Navy has named its first female four-star admiral, the highest rank achievable in the service.
Michelle Howard was promoted Tuesday at a ceremony at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, near the Pentagon.
She will serve as the vice chief of naval operations, the second-highest admiral in the Navy behind General Jonathan Greenert, chief of naval operations.
In 1999, Howard became the first African-American woman to command a Navy ship.
Howard has served 32 years in the Navy since graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1982.