President Joe Biden on Monday is expected to nominate Christine Wormuth to become the next secretary of the Army and the first woman to ever serve in the role in the 245-year history of the military’s oldest branch.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called Wormuth “a true patriot with a dedicated career in service to America and our nation’s security,” noting her experience as “critical to addressing and deterring today’s global threats” from countries including China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.

Wormuth served in a number of roles under President Barack Obama, first joining the administration in 2009. Her last role in the Obama administration was as under secretary of defense, the third-most senior civilian position in the department, advising on foreign policy and national security issues. Wormuth led Biden’s defense agency review team as part of the transition in January.

Wormuth, 51, is currently director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center at the RAND Corporation and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. She is a graduate of Williams College in Massachusetts and has a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Maryland.

Since taking office in January, Biden has named women to pioneering, key roles in defense, including national intelligence director Avril Haines and deputy defense secretary Kathleen Hicks. He also nominated Air Force Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost and Army Lt. Gen. Laura Richardson to be promoted to four-star generals. If confirmed, Ovost and Richardson would become the second and third women in U.S. history to lead combatant commands.