Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown Jr. Becomes First African American Chief of a U.S. Military Service

Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown Jr. has recently been confirmed as the next Air Force chief of staff. This is the first time an African American officer “has served as chief of staff of a military service,” Fox News said in a report.

Brown is the current commander of U.S. Pacific Air Forces and was also confirmed 98-0 in a Senate vote presided over by Vice President Mike Pence.

He was nominated to be the 22nd Air Force chief of staff by President Trump in March, reported Fox News.

“The United States Air Force will be well served by the formidable talents of CQ Brown,” said Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett after his nomination in March. “He has unmatched strategic vision and operational expertise. His leadership will be instrumental as the service continues to focus on the capabilities and talent we need to implement the National Defense Strategy,” Barret then added.

President Trump has also recently tweeted about Brown. In it, he said: “My decision to appoint @usairforce General Charles Brown as the USA’s first-ever African American military service chief has now been approved by the Senate. A historic day for America! Excited to work even more closely with Gen. Brown, who is a Patriot and Great Leader!”

The Significance

Brown’s confirmation to Air Force chief of staff also comes as the country does some “soul searching” about racial fairness. This has, then, become more significant, following the killing of George Floyd in police custody.

Brown has also spoken about the protests and reflected on his own experiences with racism.

“As the commander of the Pacific Air Forces, a senior leader in our Air Force, and an African American, many of you may be wondering what I'm thinking about the current events surrounding the tragic death of George Floyd,” he said in a video.

“I'm thinking about wearing the same flight suit with the same wings on my chest as my peers and then being questioned by another military member, ‘Are you a pilot?'” Brown also stated.

NPR reported that Brown is slated to begin his four-year term as Air Force Chief of Staff. This will come after he's sworn in on August 6th.

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