Biden to tap Air Force chief as Joint Chiefs chairman: reports

President Biden is expected to tap Gen. Charles Q. Brown, the head of the Air Force, to serve as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to media reports.

Brown would replace outgoing Gen. Mark Milley, whose term as chairman is set to expire at the end of September. The expected nomination was first reported by Politico on Thursday.

“When President Biden makes a final decision, he will inform the person selected and then announce it publicly,” a National Security Council spokesperson said in a statement to Politico. “That hasn’t happened yet.”

If officially nominated by Biden and approved by the Senate, Brown would be the second Black Joint Chiefs chairman, after the late Colin Powell. It would also represent the first time in U.S. history that the Pentagon’s top two leadership positions would be held by Black men, according to The New York Times.

Brown’s experience in the Pacific and the Middle East made him an early favorite for the position, according to Politico. He led the U.S. Air Forces Central Command in the Middle East and most recently served as chief of the Pacific Air Forces.