The Senate on May 27 confirmed Christine Wormuth to be the next Army secretary, making her the first woman to lead the service.

“It has been the privilege of my career to work alongside and see first-hand the sacrifices soldiers and their families make, as well as everything they have achieved in answering the nation’s call, time and again,” Wormuth, a former undersecretary of defense for policy, said during her confirmation hearing May 13. “I could not be more humbled and proud to have the opportunity to serve as secretary of the Army and to ensure that we continue to provide the Army what it needs to succeed.”

A national security expert who most recently was director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center at Rand Corp., Wormuth promised to be a “hands-on” leader who, if confirmed, would focus on taking care of people while making sure the Army has what it needs to fulfill its mission.

“I will be the strongest possible advocate for the Army inside the Pentagon and out,” she said.

During her testimony, Wormuth said the U.S. is at a “strategic inflection point,” more than at any time in her professional life. 

“We have a window to make needed changes to ensure that the Army continues to be the best fighting force in the world, but that window will not be open indefinitely,” she said.

This is why the Army’s transformation must continue as it gears up for great-power competition, she said. “Seeing these modernization programs through successfully, while also maintaining readiness to meet the demands of current operations will be a top priority for me, if confirmed,” she said.

Another priority is people, Wormuth said, from recruiting and retaining the best talent to taking care of soldiers and their families. She pledged to make sure there is a “healthy command climate at every Army installation that fosters Army values and ensures the wellbeing of all our people.”