“It was a matter of time, not that they were women,” said Miller, who served as interim defense secretary for almost three months, in an interview.
If Trump had won the re-election, officials said, General Milley probably would have sent the recommendations to the White House for approval, hoping for the best. But the general and Esper thought that the personnel choices would face a smoother selection process under the new Biden government.
Mr. Biden and Mr. Austin could always choose other candidates, but Mr. Esper and General Milley were confident that the new team would endorse their selections, which were examined and evaluated over several months.
Colonel Dave Butler, a spokesman for General Milley, declined to comment for this article.
General Van Ovost is already a four-star officer, leading the Air Force Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. Of the 43 generals and four-star admirals in the United States army, she is the only woman. An experienced Air Force Academy graduate and commander, General Van Ovost’s choice as head of the multi-service Transport Command, also located at Scott Air Force Base, played to his strengths, officials said.
General Richardson is the three-star commander of the Army component of the Northern Pentagon Command, based in San Antonio, which is playing an important role in providing military assistance to FEMA’s Covid vaccination program.
“Very capable, great team builder,” said Anthony R. Ierardi, a retired commander of the Army’s First Cavalry Division, to which General Richardson was subordinate, via email. “Do things.”