According to Fox News, the person nominated by President Biden to succeed Gen. Milley as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs has a track record of emphasizing diversity, equity, and inclusion. Gen. Charles Brown Jr., the current Air Force Chief of Staff, has repeatedly voiced his commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the US Air Force. In the aftermath of the George Floyd incident and the subsequent nationwide unrest in 2020, Gen. Brown stated that diversity has become a prominent factor in personnel-related choices such as recruitment and advancements, as reported by Air and Space Forces Magazine.
During a virtual event organized by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs in the same year, Gen. Brown expressed his practice of prioritizing diversity when hiring, aiming to incorporate diverse perspectives. He asserted that this diversity enhances the strength of both the Air Force and the nation.
In August of the previous year, Gen. Brown issued a memo instructing the Air Force recruitment wing to create a pool of applicants that fulfills gender and racial quotas as a method to enhance diversity.
Furthermore, Gen. Brown initiated two reviews in the Air Force to investigate racial disparities, with a primary focus on Black individuals. He also commissioned a second study that examined disparities between heterosexual white men and individuals of other ethnicities and gender identities.
According to a report by Defense One, after President Biden nominated Brown to succeed Gen. Milley, it was revealed that in 2021, Brown played a key role in establishing the Air Force’s inaugural office dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
On the DEI office’s website, Gen. Brown is quoted expressing his desire to foster crucial discussions on racism, diversity, and inclusion.
According to Defense One, the Air Force policy introduced in September 2021, aimed at boosting the enrollment of minorities in flight school, resulted from monthly meetings led by Gen. Brown’s inclusion council. These meetings involved candid discussions about race and addressed challenging questions on the topic.
Gen. Brown was nominated by President Biden in May to succeed Gen. Milley upon his retirement in October.
At present, all military nominations for promotion are being delayed in the Senate due to Alabama Republican Tommy Tuberville’s opposition. He is blocking confirmation through unanimous consent as a protest against the Pentagon’s policy of funding out-of-state abortions for service members.
