Gen. Charles Q. Brown takes over Air Force, makes history as first Black service branch chief

Source: Washington Post

Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown became the new chief of staff of the Air Force on Thursday, making history as the first Black chief of a military service and acknowledging the significance to himself and others.

“This is a very historic day for our nation, and I do not take this moment lightly,” Brown said, speaking in a hangar at Joint Base Andrews. “Today is possible due to the perseverance of those who went before me, serving as an inspiration to me and so many others.”

Brown cited as examples the Tuskegee Airmen, an all-Black unit of fighter pilots in World War II; Gen. Benjamin O. Davis Jr., who commanded them and went on to become a general; Brig. Gen. Charles McGee, one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen; and Gen. Daniel “Chappie” James Jr., the first Black four-star general in U.S. military history.

Seated in the audience as a special guest was Edward Dwight Jr., a former Air Force test pilot who became the nation’s first African American astronaut candidate. Brown called him “quite an inspiration."

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2020/08/06/gen-charles-cq-brown-takes-over-air-force-makes-history-first-black-service-branch-chief/