US President Joe Biden has announced his nomination of Air Force General Charles Q. Brown as the country's next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Biden revealed his choice at the White House on Thursday. Brown would become the military's highest-ranking advisor to the president.
If the Senate confirms the nomination, it would be the first time in US history for Black officials to hold both of the top US defense posts -- the secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Brown has been serving as chief of staff of the US Air Force since 2020. He also served as the deputy commander of the US Central Command, which oversees the Middle East region, and the commander of the Pacific Air Forces.
Biden said, "Our world is at an inflection point where the decisions we make today are going to determine the course of our world for decades to come."
He added, "We have to manage our competition with China and meet the reality of renewed aggression in Europe," expressing his expectations of Brown, who was in command in the regions including the Indo-Pacific.
US media outlets report that Biden has praised Brown for being well versed on China and for his role in the US military's support for Ukraine amid the Russian invasion.