Biden Picks Air Force Chief to Become Top US General

President Joe Biden has picked U.S. Air Power chief Common Charles Q. Brown as the highest U.S. navy officer, the White Home mentioned on Wednesday, elevating a former fighter pilot with expertise within the Pacific at a time of rising pressure with China.

Brown, whose long-anticipated appointment is topic to Senate affirmation, can be solely the second Black officer to turn into chair of the Joint Chiefs of Employees, after Colin Powell twenty years in the past.

Biden’s official schedule for Wednesday mentioned: “Within the afternoon, the president will announce his intent to appoint Common Charles Q. Brown, Jr. to function the subsequent chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Employees.”

The transfer follows Biden’s appointment of Lloyd Austin to turn into the primary Black U.S. secretary of protection, the highest civilian place on the Pentagon.

A senior Biden administration official mentioned Biden had accepted Austin’s advice to select Brown for the place, believing he “understands the strategic challenges the US faces around the globe.”

“He helped construct and lead the air marketing campaign in opposition to ISIS. He’s deeply versed within the challenges posed by the PRC (Peoples Republic of China). And he has a robust understanding of our NATO allies’ views and capabilities,” the official mentioned.

Upon Brown’s affirmation, Black People would maintain the highest two positions on the Pentagon for the primary time – a serious milestone for an establishment that’s numerous in its decrease ranks however largely white and male on the prime.

Air Power Chief Brown is a self-described introvert whose public persona contrasts sharply with the outgoing chair, Military Common Mark Milley, a loquacious Boston native whose tenure included each the Trump and Biden administrations.

Final 12 months, talking at a safety discussion board, Brown joked that his spouse would ask: “Did you utilize all of your phrases at work in the present day?”

Within the wake of the 2020 killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by Minneapolis police, Brown recounted his experiences in an emotional video posted on-line.

He mentioned how, throughout his Air Power profession, he was “usually the one African American in my squadron or, as a senior officer, the one African American within the room” and of sporting the identical flight swimsuit as his squadron with wings pinned on his chest but being requested if he was a pilot.

Recognized by colleagues as “CQ,” Brown’s experiences embody overseeing coalition air operations in opposition to Islamic State from the Air Power’s prime base within the Center East.

However it’s his experiences as commander of the U.S. Air Power within the Pacific from 2018 to 2020 that gave him a primer on tensions with China’s quickly strengthening navy, a difficulty prone to loom giant over his four-year time period as chair.

Heather Wilson, who was secretary of the Air Power on the time, praised Brown’s management type and expertise within the Pacific.

“He’s considerate, revered by his friends and subordinates, and can present regular management and good recommendation for the nation,” she advised Reuters.

Though broadly revered, it’s unclear how shortly Brown can be confirmed by the Senate. Senator Tommy Tuberville has been blocking navy nominations from transferring ahead since February as a result of he believes the Pentagon is wrongly utilizing funding to cowl journey prices for abortions of service members. The White Home on Wednesday urged Tuberville to launch his maintain on Pentagon nominees, saying he’s threatening nationwide safety.