US Air Force leader to become Joint Chiefs Chairman.

Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown Jr. Expected to Be Nominated as Next Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff

Multiple reports suggest that Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown Jr., the current top officer of the Air Force, will soon be nominated by the White House to serve as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. If appointed, Brown would replace Gen. Mark Milley, who is set to retire this summer after serving as the top military adviser to the president for the past four years.

Breaking Down Racial Barriers

Brown’s appointment would mark the first time that the Pentagon’s two top positions will be held by Black men, with Brown joining Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. He would also be the second Black officer appointed chairman of the Joint Chiefs, following in the footsteps of Army Gen. Colin Powell who served in that capacity during the presidencies of George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

Brown has already broken down racial barriers as the first Black officer to lead one of the military’s service branches. In 2020, he garnered national attention when he weighed in on the racial unrest roiling the country in connection with the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, a Black man who was choked to death by an arresting officer.

Experience Grappling with the Challenge Posed by China

Before serving as Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Brown commanded the Air Force in the Pacific, which gives him experience grappling with the challenge posed by China. Brown has given blunt assessments of what is in store from Beijing. In 2021, he told reporters that the world is experiencing changes to the “rules-based international order” not seen since World War II.

“To put the gravity of our pacing challenge in perspective, at the height of the Cold War, the USSR’s GDP was 57% of the U.S.’s,” Brown said. “China’s economy will likely exceed the U.S.’s in dollar terms as the largest economy in the world in the next 10 years … I really believe, without change, we are at risk of losing.”

Contending with Ongoing Culture Wars in the United States

While Brown’s job as chairman would revolve around advising President Joe Biden on top security concerns like countering Russia and China, he will also likely have to contend with the ongoing culture wars in the United States. In recent years, the military has found itself caught in the middle on so-called “woke” issues such as transgender rights, drag queen performances on bases, and books in military school libraries related to gender identity.

Such matters are likely to come up during Brown’s nomination process. Last week, he got a sampling of such questions during a congressional hearing about an Air Force Academy diversity training initiative that suggested cadets consider favoring words such as “parents” or “guardians” instead of “moms and dads.”

“Part of leadership is understanding the people you are privileged to lead,” he said. “And as you have that opportunity, you get to know them. Now, every one of us grows up differently and has different experiences and different backgrounds, and we can’t assume who we engage with.”