Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg to sponsor new Navy submarine

And now she’s been chosen to sponsor a Navy submarine.

The Navy tells AP that the move is to better connect with the general American public as Sandberg will be the “public face” of the sub.

It’s an unconventional choice for a sponsor, who christens the ship. The role, though always given to a woman, has traditionally been taken on by the wives of senior officials or politicians who have strong ties to the Navy.

Senator Richard Blumenthal said her selection is an exciting statement about the Navy’s future.

“She really has come to epitomize a successful empowered woman”, he said Wednesday. “Her selection is merited in her own right”, he continued. Sandberg is the 1st women ever to be chosen for her accomplishments.

Sandberg, known for her “Lean In” campaign advocating women’s empowerment has a standing relationship with the Navy, according to the Associated Press.

Sandberg will christen a new sub, the U.S.S. Massachusetts, which the Navy will start building in 2017. It is 7,800-tons and 377 feet in length, has a beam of 34 feet, and can operate at more than 25 knots submerged.

They have met several times and he visited her at the Facebook headquarters in California.

Sandberg is also credited with the founding of Lean In, a non-profit group aimed at helping women form “circles” to aid in attaining goals.

Sandberg has been critical of gender and racial biases within the military. Two months ago, she urged military leaders to make sure that equality prevails. The secretary of the Navy’s office said recently that this move had been designed for getting the United States public closer with the Navy. This is how other young women could be inspired to opt for a career in tech or science. The Navy had a ban in place on women serving aboard USA submarines, which it reportedly abolished in 2010. Newport News Shipbuilding will do the final assembly work in Virginia. The submarine is expected to join the fleet in 2022. Sheryl Sandberg graduated from Harvard University, which is located in Boston. Her submarine will be the USS MA, also fitting, since she went to Harvard.

Most of the submarines in the class, however, are sponsored by the wife or daughter of a politician or senior military leader. Former First Lady Laura Bush is the sponsor of the USS Texas.