Washington: A legendary fighter pilot with extensive knowledge of China, Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr., will be named chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Thursday, according to President Joe Biden.
If Brown is confirmed, African Americans will hold the top military and civilian positions at the Pentagon for the first time. Since the start of the administration, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has served as the first Black Pentagon chief. Army Gen. Colin Powell was the only other Black person to chair the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Long anticipated was the nomination. If approved by the Senate, Brown would succeed Army Gen. Mark Milley, whose tenure as head of the armed forces of the country expires in October. Brown will be introduced by the president as his choice during a Rose Garden event on Thursday.
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According to a senior administration official, Biden believed Brown was the best candidate for the position due to his work modernising the US nuclear arsenal and aircraft fleet as well as his years of experience adjusting US defences to counter China's rise.
He has also played a significant role in the Pentagon's efforts to arm Ukraine with expensive US weapons as Kyiv tries to repel a 15-month Russian invasion.
Brown has held positions of command in the Air Force at every conceivable level as well as joint commands, including those in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Additionally, he played a key role in the development and direction of the US air campaign against the terrorist organisation Daesh.
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Brown has more than 3,000 flight hours as a career F-16 fighter pilot and extensive command experience. Throughout his career, he has overcome obstacles. He led the country's air strategy to counter China in the Indo-Pacific as Beijing quickly militarised islands in the South China Sea and tested the range of its bombers with flights close to Guam while serving as the military's first commander of the Black Pacific Air Forces.
He was the first Black chief of staff of the Air Force and the first African American to command any branch of the military when he assumed that position three years ago.
As the Pentagon switches from preparing for the major land wars of the past to preventing a potential future conflict with Beijing, Brown has been widely seen as the frontrunner to succeed Milley for the past year.
In order to modernise US airpower for a 21st-century battle, that effort could heavily rely on the military's capacity to quickly counter China's rise in cyberwar, space, nuclear weapons, and hypersonics, all areas Brown has sharply focused on for the last few years as the Air Force's top military officer.
However, Brown's confirmation might be postponed. Tommy Tuberville, a Republican senator from Alabama, has been opposing the Pentagon's policy that provides travel funds and support for troops and dependents to seek a variety of reproductive health care, including abortions, if they are based in states where they are currently illegal. As a result, he has been blocking military nominations.
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The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the nation's highest ranking officer and the president, the defence secretary, and the National Security Council's top military advisor. The chairman does not have formal chain of command authority over any troops.
However, the chairman chairs meetings with all of the joint chiefs who are in charge of the various armed services and plays a crucial role in all significant military issues, from policy choices to counsel on significant combat operations
As head of the Air Force, Brown has pushed for the modernization of US nuclear capabilities, including the upcoming next-generation stealth bomber, and has led the charge to retire obsolete warplanes to free up funds for a new fleet of unmanned systems.
Additionally, he has backed the growth of the US Space Force, which derived many of its initial Guardians and resources from the Air Force.