Biden nominates Gen. Charles Brown to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Mike Brest
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President Joe Biden has nominated Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr. to serve as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ahead of Army Gen. Mark Milley’s approaching departure.
Brown, the current chief of staff of the Air Force whose long-anticipated appointment is subject to Senate confirmation, appeared with Biden at the White House on Thursday afternoon for the announcement.
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“He has an unmatched firsthand knowledge of operational theaters, and a strategic vision to understand how they all work together to ensure the security of the American people. And while General Brown is a proud butt-kicking American airman first and always, he’s also been an operational leader in the joint force,” Biden said.
“He gained respect across every service from those who have seen him in action, and have come to depend on his judgment,” the president added. “More than that, he gained the respect of our allies and partners around the world.”
Should he be confirmed, Brown would become the second black man in the position; the first was the late Colin Powell. Brown’s confirmation would mark the first time in U.S. history that the defense secretary and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs are both African American.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement he “enthusiastically supports” Brown’s nomination to be the 21st chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and that the airman is an “outstanding joint warfighter and a thoughtful, strategic leader who will bring his trademark skill, talent, and judgment to this critical role if confirmed.”
The two leaders, Austin and Brown, worked together at CENTCOM nearly a decade ago and will be reunited should the latter be confirmed. Brown would assume Milley’s spot next to Austin at briefings, meetings with allies, and on Capitol Hill.
“He’s a great officer, in my personal view; he has all the knowledge, skills [and] attributes to do this job, and he has the appropriate demeanor,” Milley told reporters at a Pentagon briefing on Thursday.
Milley also said he’s looking “forward to a speedy confirmation,” though it’s not clear that will happen even though he was previously confirmed 98-0 for his current position three years ago.
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Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) has placed a hold on all Department of Defense nominations due to the updated policies it put in place following the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade. In light of many conservative states issuing strong abortion restriction laws, the department announced it would pay for the travel expenses accumulated in the event a service member, or a service member’s loved one, has to travel out of state for the procedure.
The Alabama senator insists the policy violates the Hyde Amendment, which blocks federal funds from being used for most abortions, even though the Department of Justice has determined it doesn’t.