Against the backdrop of the raging George Floyd protests, the United States has confirmed the first African-American Chief-of-Staff of one of its six major service branches.
The historic appointment announced Tuesday saw Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr., 58, confirmed unanimously (98-0) as Chief-of-Staff of the United States Air Force by the U.S. Senate.
A fighter pilot, Gen. Brown was nominated for the post on March 2 and succeeded Gen. David L. Goldfein. He is the 22nd Air Force Chief-of-Staff.
Prior to his appointment as Chief-of-Staff, Gen. Brown was Commander of the U.S. Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). He has more than 2,900 flying hours, including 130 in combat. He was the former commanding officer of a fighter squadron and two fighter wings. He also was an instructor on the General Dynamics F-16 lightweight fighter at the U.S. Air Force Weapons School.
Gen. Brown is known throughout the Air Force for the extensive time he spent in leadership roles in Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific.
Before being named commander PACAF in 2018, Gen. Brown was deputy commander of U.S. Central Command for two years. He was appointed combined force air component commander of the U.S. Air Forces Central Command from 2015 to 2016. Gen. Brown was responsible for U.S. and allied air operations against Islamic State forces in Iraq and Syria. He also directed attacks against terrorist groups in Afghanistan.
Gen. Brown posted a video on social media Friday. In this moving video, he described a lifetime of facing down racial bias. Gen. Brown admitted his own experiences in the Air Force "didn't always sing of liberty and equality." He also talked about Floyd's death. In this video, he thought about his Air Force career, where he was often the only African-American in his squadron, or as a senior officer, the only African-American in the room.
"I'm thinking about wearing the same flight suit, with the same wings on my chest as my peers, and then being questioned by another military member: 'Are you a pilot?' "
Gen Brown also mused about the immense expectations that come with his historic nomination, especially through the lens of current events plaguing the U.S.
He said his nomination provides some hope for minorities, but it also comes with a heavy burden. He also said he can't fix centuries of racism in the U.S. nor can he solve decades of discrimination that may have impacted African-Americans in the Air Force.
