Gen. Lori Robinson, the four-star commander of Pacific Air Forces, headquartered in Hawaii, is poised to make history as the first woman to lead a U.S. combatant command.

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced Friday that President Barack Obama will nominate Robinson to command U.S. Northern Command, headquartered in Colorado.

Carter also picked Army Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, head of U.S. Army Pacific, headquartered at Fort Shafter, to be commander of U.S. Forces Korea.

Robinson has served “with distinction and has been a pioneer and trailblazer,” Carter said.

“Gen. Robinson has excelled in a wide array of leadership positions where training, force structure and readiness are paramount,” Carter said. Her abilities as a commander and strategist “have been proven over more than three decades of dedicated service to the U.S. Air Force.”

Naming the first female combatant commander demonstrates “that we have coming along now a lot of female officers who are exceptionally strong. Lori certainly fits into that category,” Carter said.

If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Robinson will take over Northern Command from Navy Adm. Bill Gortney.

“I am truly humbled to be considered to lead the airmen, soldiers, sailors and Marines of (Northern Command),” Robinson said in a statement. “There is no greater honor for a military officer than to be nominated for command. If confirmed, I look forward to tackling the challenges and opportunities of defending North America with a truly incredible joint team.”

U.S. Northern Command was established after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to lead the Department of Defense homeland defense and to support the military’s response to national disasters.

The Pentagon’s Unified Command Plan distributes missions and geographic responsibilities among combatant commanders. Among six geographic commands is U.S. Pacific Command, headquartered at Camp H.M. Smith, which is responsible for U.S. military activity over half the globe.

The Defense Department also has three functional commands, one of which is U.S. Special Operations Command.

Pacific Air Forces at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam oversees approximately 46,000 military and civilian personnel in nine strategic locations and numerous smaller facilities, primarily in Hawaii, Alaska, Japan, Guam and South Korea. Approximately 320 fighter and attack aircraft are assigned to the command with approximately 100 additional deployed aircraft rotating on Guam, according to the command.

Robinson has been on a meteoric rise and was also rumored to be in the running as the next Air Force chief of staff. She received her fourth star in October 2014 when she took over Pacific Air Forces at Hickam. She was the first woman to lead the major air command.

Robinson, who was also stationed in Hawaii from late 1989 to August 1992, had served in a variety of positions as an air battle manager, including instructor and commander of the command and control operations division at the Air Force Fighter Weapons School, as well as chief of tactics in the 965th Airborne Warning and Control Squadron.

She also previously commanded an operations group, a training wing, an air control wing and deployed as vice commander of the 405th Air Expeditionary Wing.

Robinson spoke at a U.S. Army Pacific Sisters in Arms event in June and said, “Leadership to me is about the institution, not about you. Making people better than you equals great success when you have a great attitude, aptitude and you take advantage of opportunities that are provided to you.”

The defense secretary also picked Brooks, head of U.S. Army Pacific, to be commander of U.S. Forces Korea.

As for Brooks, Carter said that U.S. Forces Korea “is part of U.S. Pacific Command but is a major political military command, a place where we need our very best, and Vince is that, and also an officer with tremendous operational and managerial experience.”

Carter said the Asia-Pacific region is “the single most consequential region of the world for America’s future.”