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As speculation heats up about who will replace Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel now that he has announced his resignation, the front-runner could very well be the first woman ever to hold the job.

Michele Flournoy is one of the top names being floated as the next secretary of Defense, which has policy analysts wondering how she could change Pentagon policy as it grapples with a number of issues that impact women, from sexual assault in the military to allowing women to serve as infantry soldiers on the front lines of combat.

Other names cropping up in Washington policy circles include Sen. Jack Reed (D) of Rhode Island (though some point out that, having just won Senate reelection, he might be reluctant to take a two-year job) and Ashton Carter, who served as deputy secretary of Defense from 2011 to '13.

Though not a household name, Ms. Flournoy is well-known and widely respected in foreign and defense policy circles. She also holds the distinction of having been the highest-ranking woman yet to serve in the Pentagon,聽as the undersecretary of Defense for policy,聽which made her the No. 3 official in the building, effectively outranking all of the US military鈥檚 combatant commanders.

As a result, Flournoy was former Defense Secretary Robert Gates鈥檚 point person on all matters of policy, including Iraq, Afghanistan, defense budget wrangling, and even the raid on Osama bin Laden鈥檚 compound.

Mr. Gates writes in his memoir that he 鈥渜uickly developed a very high respect for Flournoy,鈥� when they began working together.

It was Flournoy who helped to persuade Mr. Gates to support the involvement of Special Operations Forces in the bin Laden raid. (Gates says that he initially wanted to hit the compound with a drone instead.)

But after Flournoy pleaded the case, along with the Pentagon鈥檚 intelligence policy chief Michael Vickers, Gates changed his mind. 鈥淭here were no two people whose judgment I trusted more,鈥� he writes.

Former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta describes Flournoy as one of the 鈥渕ost critical advisers I had during my time as secretary,鈥� adding in his own memoir that she was 鈥渁t the core of the Pentagon鈥檚 mission.鈥�

The selection of a woman to be America鈥檚 next Pentagon chief is an exciting prospect for organizations that advocate for women鈥檚 rights in the military.

鈥淪he鈥檚 eminently qualified, by all accounts, and incredibly well-respected in the defense community. I think she鈥檇 be a formidable secretary,鈥� says Anu Bhagwati, executive director of Service Women鈥檚 Action Network.

鈥淭his would be a huge step forward, and I think it would send a very strong message to the Defense Department and to both allies and enemies abroad that women are to be taken seriously.鈥�

That said, it鈥檚 not a given that a woman at the helm of the Department of Defense would necessarily change Pentagon policy towards women, says Ms. Bhagwati, who served as a Marine.

鈥淲e can鈥檛 assume that because she is聽a woman that she has an ideological bent towards helping women,鈥� she says, adding that she hopes any policy changes Flournoy might make that would impact women 鈥渨ould be because of her extensive policy experience, not her gender.鈥澛�

鈥淚 would hope that she would just look at the facts for women in combat, for reforming the military justice system to help victims of sexual assault,鈥� Bhagwati says, 鈥渁nd then do it because it鈥檚 the right thing to do.鈥澛�