President Joe Biden is reportedly expected to recommend Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. to serve as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as Army Gen. Mark Milley's four-year term comes to an end.
Brown, who serves as the chief of staff of the Air Force, would become the second black man in the position if he’s confirmed by the Senate. The first was the late Colin Powell. Brown's confirmation would mark the first time in U.S. history that the defense secretary and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs are both African American, a milestone for the Biden administration, which has prided itself on diversity in leadership, and for the military.
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The New York Times reported the pick, while CNN reported the announcement is expected sometime before July. Milley's term expires at the end of September.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff serves a four-year term, and the officeholder does not command any troops but serves as the president's top military adviser.
Brown, if confirmed, will be tasked with advising Biden on national security matters ranging from the war in Ukraine to the Chinese military's continued aggression in the region. He would also be called upon to brief congressional leaders alongside Austin.
As the chief of staff of the Air Force, Brown is already a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, though he only oversees the Air Force. Each service branch's chief of staff is a member — Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, the chief of the National Guard Bureau — as well as the chairman and vice chairman.
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Brown, an F-16 fighter pilot with more than 3,000 hours of flying experience, was commissioned into the Air Force in 1984 after graduating from Texas Tech University’s ROTC program. He has served as chief of staff of the Air Force since August 2020.
Brown will be Biden's pick over his closest competitor, the Marine Corps commandant, Gen. David Berger, per the New York Times.