General Charles Q. Brown Jr. Becomes First Black Military Service Chief

Posted on by Christopher Vaughan

The four-star general, who was unanimously confirmed by the Senate to become the next Air Force chief of staff, was sworn in Tuesday at the White House, the Hindu reports.

What We Know:

  • General Brown was confirmed by a unanimous 98-0 vote in the U.S. Senate in June and was officially sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence Tuesday to become the next Air Force chief of staff, the first African-American military service chief. In addition, Brown will be the first Black member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since retired general and former Secretary of State Colin Powell.
  • His new position is given at a time when race relations in the United States are at a serious low point, with protests and calls for equality echoing across the nation. President Trump complimented Brown on his “incredible career” and expressed his excitement to work with General Brown following his confirmation.

  • General Brown, nicknamed “CQ,” was asked about his own experiences with racism as a member of the armed forces. “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 explained that his new post comes with a “heavy burden” knowing our nation’s current focus on race issues following the death of George Floyd, even adding that he “can’t fix centuries of racism in our country, nor can [he] fix decades of discrimination that may have impacted members of our Air Force.” With that said, he believes that his new position “provides some hope” for a country fighting for equality for people of all color.

General Brown, who was first commissioned in 1984, will assume his new post as Air Force chief of staff later this week.

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