Washington (AFP) – President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday nominated Kathleen Hicks to be deputy secretary of defense, making her the first woman to hold the number two position in the Pentagon if she is confirmed by the Senate. Hicks, who is heading Biden’s transition team at the Pentagon, served in the Defense Department under former president Barack Obama, including as deputy undersecretary of defense for strategy, plans, and forces. She is currently at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank in Washington. Biden, who takes office on January 20, also named another civi…