Biden taps "unyielding patriot" Gen. Charles "C.Q." Brown as Joint Chiefs chairman
Washington — President Biden announced he is nominating Gen. Charles "C.Q." Brown Jr. to serve as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, unveiling his selection in a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden on Thursday.
The president said he can think of no one more qualified to help lead in protecting the nation than Brown, currently the Air Force chief of staff. The Joint Chiefs chairman is the nation's highest-ranking military officer, and serves as the primary military adviser to the president, defense secretary and National Security Council.
"General Brown is a warrior, descended from a proud line of warriors," Mr. Biden said Thursday. "He knows what it means to be in the thick of battle and how to keep your cool when things get hard, like when your F-16 was on fire and you returned to the base in Florida in 1991. C.Q. had to eject at more than 300 miles an hour, landing in the Everglades. That's a lot of fun, huh? Well, I tell you what, he was back in the cockpit the next week, with a new call sign — Swamp Thing."
Brown would replace Gen. Mark Milley, who was appointed by then-President Donald Trump in 2019. The chairman serves at the pleasure of the president for a four-year term. Milley held the job during the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol and the deadly withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
Milley's term ends in September, but it is customary for the president to select a successor in the spring to allow time for congressional confirmation. The president thanked Milley, along with his family, for their service.
"Chairman Milley, I want to start by thanking you, I really mean it, for your years of service as chairman and for your lifetime of selfless commitment to our country," the president said.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recommended Brown.
His confirmation could be delayed by Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, who has been blocking the Senate confirmation of hundreds of senior military promotions to protest the Pentagon's policy on abortion-related travel for service members.
Mr. Biden urged the Senate to confirm Brown in bipartisan fashion.
"C.Q. is a fearless leader and an unyielding patriot, and that's why three years ago, he was confirmed by the United States Senate, 98-0," the president said. "I urge the Senate to once again confirm General Brown with the same, the same overwhelming bipartisan support for his new role as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff."
If ultimately confirmed, Brown would be the second Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Gen. Colin Powell became the first when he was tapped by President George H.W. Bush in 1989.
With Austin as the first Black defense secretary, the selection of Brown would mark the first time ever two Black Americans held the most senior positions at the Pentagon at the same time.
As the chief of staff of the Air Force, Brown is already a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He currently oversees the training and equipping of nearly 700,000 active-duty, Reserve, Guard and civilian forces both in the U.S. and abroad.
As the president outlined, Brown began his military service as a command pilot, with more than 3,000 flying hours, including 130 combat hours. He holds a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Texas Tech University. Before serving as chief of staff of the Air Force, Brown was the commander of Pacific Air Forces for the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
The White House says Brown has been a strong contributor to the United States' efforts to equip Ukraine with the capabilities it needs to fend off Russia's aggression, and says he is deeply versed in the threats posed by China.
Mr. Biden interviewed both Brown and the commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. David Berger, for the position.
Weijia Jiang contributed to this report.