Next Chief of Staff for Air Force could make black history

General Charles Q. Brown, four-star general, is slated to become the first black Chief of Staff for the U.S. Air Force. And not only would he hold this distinction, he’d also be the first black leader of any military branch and the next black Pentagon leader since Army General Colin Powell’s 1993 retirement.

Brown has already been nominated by the Trump administration, so the next step is confirmation. If confirmed, Brown would be the highest-ranking officer in the U.S. Air Force. The Air Force also noted that he will also “take command of an Air Force in transition, one moving from a decades-long priority on combating and containing terrorism to a new era of Great Power Competition.”

During his military career as a four-star F-16 pilot, Brown served tours of combat duty in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. He commented on his nomination and the current Air Force Chief of Staff by saying he is “truly honored and humbled by the nomination to serve as the Air Force’s 22nd Chief of Staff. If confirmed, Sharene and I look forward to building upon the legacy of Gen. Dave and Dawn Goldfein and the many airpower giants before who have served our Air Force and our nation with such dedication.”