Senate Confirms Brown to Lead Air Force in Historic Vote

By Rachel S. Cohen

Senators confirmed Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. as the first black military service chief in American history in a 98-0 vote June 9. Brown, the decorated four-star general in charge of Pacific Air Forces, is expected to begin his four-year term as the Air Force’s top uniformed officer later this summer. His confirmation comes as the military responds to nationwide protests over police brutality and systemic racism, spurred by George Floyd’s death in Minnesota last month. He has pledged to carry out the service’s sweeping modernization plan while continuing to fight insurgents in the Middle East and Africa and posturing against Russia and China—all while adjusting to life during the coronavirus pandemic.