The US defence secretary, Ash Carter, has said Barack Obama would nominate the first woman to head a major US military combatant command.

If confirmed by the Senate, Gen Lori Robinson would be the seventh commander to head the Colorado-based US northern command, said Carter. The command was created in the aftermath of the 11 September terror attacks to coordinate and improve homeland defence and to provide support for other national disasters. Robinson is currently the head of the Pacific air force.

“Gen Robinson, it just so happens, would also be the first ever female combatant commander,” Carter said at an event in Washington.

In December, Carter opened all combat roles in the US military to women, removing the final barriers that kept women from serving in combat, including the most dangerous and gruelling commando posts.

His decision rebuffed requests by the marines to exclude women from certain infantry and combat jobs and signalled a formal recognition that thousands of women served, and many were wounded or killed, in the last 14 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. “We are a joint force, and I have decided to make a decision which applies to the entire force,” Carter said at the time.

Obama concurred, declaring: “As commander in chief, I know that this change, like others before it, will again make our military even stronger. Our armed forces will draw on an even wider pool of talent.”

Carter’s order opened the final 10% of military positions to women – a total of about 220,000 jobs. He also said Obama would nominate Gen Vincent Brooks to head the Korea command, subject to confirmation from the Senate. Brooks is currently in charge of the US army Pacific command.

