Air Force Gen. Charles “C.Q.” Brown Jr. Set to Make History as First African American Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

President Joe Biden is expected to announce Thursday that he is nominating Air Force Gen. Charles “C.Q.” Brown Jr. to serve as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The position is the nation’s highest-ranking military officer, and the chairman is the primary military adviser to the president, as well as to the defense secretary and National Security Council.

If confirmed by the Senate, Brown would become the first African American to serve in both the Pentagon’s top military and civilian positions. The only other Black person to serve as Joint Chiefs chairman was Army Gen. Colin Powell. Brown would replace Gen. Mark Milley, who was appointed by then-President Donald Trump in 2019 and whose term ends in October.

Brown is a history-making fighter pilot with deep knowledge of China. He is currently the commander of the Pacific Air Forces, which oversees more than 46,000 airmen and civilian personnel stationed in the Indo-Pacific region. He has also served as the commander of the Air Education and Training Command and the assistant vice chief of staff of the Air Force.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff serves at the pleasure of the president for a four-year term. Brown’s confirmation would mean that he would take over from Milley, who held the job during the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol and the deadly withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

The White House Rose Garden ceremony to announce Brown’s nomination is expected to take place Thursday. If confirmed, Brown will become the first African American to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.