WASHINGTON: The United States Senate has confirmed General Charles Q. Brown to be the next Air Force chief of staff, making him the first African American leader of the military service.
The confirmation also makes Brown the second African American officer to sit on the Joint Chiefs of Staff since General Colin Powell. He is replacing Gen. David Goldfein who is expected to retire in the summer.
The 98-to-nil vote was a blowout approval for the four-star general. Vice President Mike Pence presided over the historic vote. President Donald Trump, who nominated Brown in March, hailed the general on Twitter.
“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,” Trump said before the confirmation vote. “A historic day for America! Excited to work even more closely with Gen. Brown, who is a Patriot and Great Leader!”
Brown’s nomination had been in the works for months but the vote came amid nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd in police custody and racial injustice issues across the country.
Brown, who is currently the commander of Pacific Air Forces, delivered an emotional message last Friday about his experience as a black airman.
“I’m thinking about how full I am with emotion, not just for George Floyd but for the many African Americans that have suffered the same fate as George Floyd,” Brown said. “I’m thinking about a history of racial issues and my own experiences that didn’t always sing of liberty and equality”.
In addition to becoming the first African American service chief, Brown will be the most senior African American Pentagon leader since Powell chaired the Joint Chiefs from 1989 to 1993.
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