A woman has been picked to serve as the next superintendent of the Air Force Academy, the first time a female has been tabbed to lead the academy, the Pentagon announced Friday.

Maj. Gen. Michelle Johnson, a 1981 academy graduate, has been nominated to receive her third star and to take over for Lt. Gen. Mike Gould, the academy’s current superintendent. Her nomination moves to the Senate for confirmation.

Johnson served as an assistant professor at the academy from 1989 through 1992, while also serving as an instructor pilot.

She has logged more than 3,600 flight hours in eight different aircraft, including the KC-135 tanker and the C-5, the Air Force’s largest transport aircraft.

Johnson most recently served in Belgium as NATO’s deputy chief of staff for operations and intelligence.

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Maj. Gen. Michelle Johnson Photo by Air Force photo