President of the United States of America, Joe Biden has announced the nomination of General Charles Brown as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Biden applauded the Black career pilot as ‘a hero who’d not only survived ejecting from a fighter jet into a swamp but fought against racism.
Brown is the second Black man ever picked for the job and if confirmed would be serving alongside Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin thus making it the first time that African Americans have simultaneously filled both of the military’s top positions.
He will also become Biden’s senior military advisor if confirmed.
Speaking at the White House Rose Garden, Biden said, “General Brown is a warrior descended from a proud line of warriors, noting Brown’s military family.
During the nomination ceremony, the president revealed that “As a pilot with 3,000 hours logged, including 130 in combat, Brown “knows what it means to be in the thick of battle and how to keep your cool.”
Drawing laughter, Biden recounted how Brown’s F-16 jet once caught fire and he ejected into a Florida swamp. “A lot of fun, huh?” Biden chuckled.
Biden applauded the general as someone whose career has given him “unmatched first-hand knowledge” of US military operations around the world, earning respect from “our allies and partners.”
“He plays to win, and that is going to be an enormous asset to me as commander in chief and to the United States of America, as we navigate challenges in the coming years,” Biden said.
As the Pentagon’s top military officer, Brown would work to “maintain a combat force capable of deterring and defeating any potential threat.”
According to Biden, “and we have to manage our competition with China and meet the reality of renewed (Russian) aggression in Europe.”
Brown would also be presiding over an era where “emerging technologies, from AI to 3D printing could fundamentally change the character of conflict,” the president said.
Biden, who has made a priority of raising minorities to top positions in his government, cast the nomination of Brown as part of celebrating “the most American of ideas, the most evident truth — that all women and men are created equal.”
Also, Biden recalled Brown’s previous testimony on “his own experience of racism and his deep love of our country,” saying to speak out had taken “real backbone.”
If confirmed in the Senate, Brown will replace Army General Mark Milley, whose four-year term included serving through the end of the chaotic Donald Trump presidency.
