President Joe Biden announced Thursday his intent to nominate Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
If confirmed by the Senate, Brown will succeed U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley as the president’s chief military advisor. As of Thursday, Brown’s nomination was not listed on the Senate’s website.
“Gen. Brown is a warrior, descended from a long line of warriors,” Biden said in a ceremony at the White House.
“He knows what it means to be in the thick of battle and how to keep your cool when things get hard.”
A 1984 Texas Tech graduate and a career fighter pilot, Brown has led the Air Force since 2020. Before taking charge of the service, he held command posts in U.S. Central Command, across the Western Pacific and served as the commander of Pacific Air Forces. He and Marine Corps commandant Gen. David Berger were the top two nominees for the position, several defense officials have told USNI News.
“During his 39 years of service to our nation, Gen. Brown has excelled as a fighter pilot, military strategist, and senior commander. He has served as both instructor and commandant at the elite Air Force Weapons School,” Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement.
“Gen. Brown has developed the expertise, the vision, and the warfighting acumen to help the President and senior DoD leaders navigate today’s toughest national security challenges. In his tenure leading the U.S. Air Force, he has been a model of strategic clarity and a powerful force for progress.”
The nomination comes as Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) has put a hold on about 200 Department of Defense military and civilian nominations. This year several top military positions will turn over, including Marine Corps Commandant, Chief of Naval Operations, Vice Chief of Staff of the Army and Vice Chief of the Air Force.
