Biden nominates Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

President Joe Biden announced his nomination of Air Force chief of staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Thursday, saying he could "think of no one better suited or more qualified to lead our forces."

"Gen. Brown is a warrior, descended from a proud line of warriors. His father, a US Army colonel, CQ Brown, served in Vietnam. His grandfather, US Army Master Sgt. Robert E. Brown Jr. led a segregated unit in WWII," Biden said, adding later that Brown is a "fearless leader and unyielding patriot."

The unveiling followed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's recommendation to pick Brown as the military's next top officer, a defense official said. If confirmed, it would be the first time in US history that both of the Defense Department's top leaders - the secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs - are African American.

The Joint Chiefs chairman is the country's most senior ranking military officer, who serves as the principal military adviser to the president of the United States, secretary of defense and National Security Council.

Brown, who goes by CQ, would be taking over from Army Gen. Mark Milley who has been in the seat since his nomination in 2019. In 2020, Brown became the first Black service chief in US military history. He was confirmed as chief of the Air Force in a 98-0 vote. Brown would be the second Black man to serve as the Joint Chiefs chairman, following Gen. Colin Powell who served from 1989 to 1993.

The typically reserved Brown made headlines in 2020 following the police killing of George Floyd. Brown released a moving, deeply personal video in which he said he was "full with emotion" for "the many African Americans that have suffered the same fate as George Floyd."

Brown, who was serving as the commander of Pacific Air Forces at the time, recorded the video in uniform.