If President Joe Biden’s likely choice for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has a manifesto to be just the second black man in the position, it was laid out in a powerful video he made at the height of post-assassination racial unrest on George Floyd.
“I cannot solve centuries of racism in our country, nor can I solve decades of discrimination that may have afflicted members of our Air Force,” said General Charles Q. Brown Jr. in June 2020, when President Donald Trump was considering passing the Insurrection Act to quell nationwide protests.
“I think about how I can make improvements personally, professionally and institutionally.
“So that all pilots, today and tomorrow, appreciate the value of diversity and maintain an environment where they can reach their full potential.”
It was an unusually public statement for such a senior officer, especially one who was days away from being appointed by the Senate as Chief of Staff of the Air Force.
But now he is expected to be named as General Mark Milley’s successor when his term ends in September.
It would mean the top two posts at the Pentagon being held by African Americans for the first time, with General Brown next to Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin III.
And it comes after Republicans have repeatedly accused the Department of Defense of putting diversity before warfare.
In his video, General Brown does not shy away from exposing the country’s problems, even when in uniform.
“I think of how full I am with emotion, not just for George Floyd, but for the many African Americans who have suffered the same fate as George Floyd,” he said.
Floyd was an African-American man who was beaten to death by Minneapolis police, sparking protests across the country.
“I think of protests in my country, it is yours, dear land of freedom, the equality expressed in our Declaration of Independence and the Constitution that I have sworn to support and defend all my adult life.
“I think of a history of racial issues and my own experiences that didn’t always sing of freedom and equality.”
General Brown would also be only the second black man to become chairman after Colin Powell, who held the position between 1989 and 1993 under Presidents George HW Bush and Bill Clinton.
General Brown would still have to get the Senate to approve the appointment to the country’s highest military office. President Biden is expected to make the announcement before July, Politicswho first reported the scoop, said.
If appointed, Brown would have a critical advisory role at a time when the US is precariously balancing the threat of China’s military expansion and Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
President Joe Biden smiles as he recognizes Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Brown Jr. at the Commander in Chief trophy for the Air Force Academy, White House, April 28, 2023
Charles Brown Jr. assumed command of Pacific Air Forces in a ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, July 26, 2018
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff serves a four-year term and serves as the highest-ranking military officer in the armed forces.
They do not command troops, but rather act as the chief military adviser to the President, the National Security Council, the Homeland Security Council, and the Secretary of Defense.
If he takes the role, he would have vocal input into discussions such as the supply of US weapons and machinery to Ukraine during the war with Russia.
General Brown’s anticipated appointment would see him play a vital role in advising on national security issues, particularly amid Russia’s war in Ukraine and China’s military expansion.
General Mark Milley’s term expires in September, having been appointed to the position by then-President Trump in October 2019.
President Biden referred to Milley’s departure from office earlier this week at a dinner for combatant commanders, where he praised the military’s efforts to evacuate the embassy and US citizens from Sudan.
“You probably don’t think about it, but you’re just a remarkable, remarkable, remarkable group of people. I sincerely mean that.
‘Except Milley. I’m not so sure,” Biden jokingly added.
“Actually, I don’t want to — I embarrassed him. I said [to Milley] “You know, I’m really going to miss you.” He said, “I’m not going anywhere yet. Don’t get sentimental about me, Biden. I’m from Boston”.
General Charles Q. Brown, Jr. testifies at a Senate Armed Forces hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 7, 2020
General Brown would be only the second black man to become chairman after Colin Powell, who served between 1989 and 1993 under Presidents George HW Bush and Bill Clinton.
While Biden has not yet fully approved his choice, it is clear that Brown’s experience in Asia played an important role in the president’s decision. Brown’s previous position was based in the Pacific as Chief of the Pacific Air Forces.
Brown also has extensive experience in the Middle East, where he commanded troops as head of the US Air Forces Central Command.
His experience in Europe, when Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014, is also expected to serve him well in the deliberations on the choice.
He has held his current position as Chief of Staff of the Air Force since August 2020.
In addition to being only the second African American in the role, Brown would also be the first Air Force officer to serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since General Richard Myers’ term ended in 2005.