Who is ‘CQ’? Joe Biden picks fighter pilot with China knowledge to head Joint Chiefs
- US Air Force General Charles Q. Brown Jnr, known by colleagues as ‘CQ’, would replace US Army General Mark Milley as the top US military officer
- The promotion of Brown, a career F-16 fighter pilot with experience in the Pacific, would come at a time of rising US-China tensions
US President Joe Biden was expected to announce that he is tapping US Air Force General Charles Q. Brown Jnr, a history-making fighter pilot with deep knowledge of China, to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Brown’s confirmation would mean that, for the first time, both the Pentagon’s top military and civilian positions would be held by African-Americans.
Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, the first black Pentagon chief, has been in the job since the beginning of the administration. The only other black person to serve as Joint Chiefs chairman was US Army General Colin Powell.
The nomination has been long expected. If confirmed by the Senate, Brown would replace US Army General Mark Milley, whose term ends in October, as the nation’s next top military officer.
The president planned to unveil Brown, known by colleagues “CQ”, as his pick during a Rose Garden event Thursday afternoon.
Biden saw Brown as the right person for the job because of his work modernising the US fleet of aircraft and its nuclear arsenal and his years of experience in shaping US defences to meet China’s rise, a senior administration official said.