Praise rolled in on Thursday for President Biden’s next intended Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman pick, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., but the four-star general may still face a somewhat complicated confirmation process later this year.
Biden earlier in the day announced Brown as the nominee in the White House Rose Garden, calling him an “unflappable and highly effective leader.”
“He knows what it means to be in the thick of battle and how to keep your cool when things get hard,” Biden said.
What followed were several high-profile endorsements from the likes of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin whom Brown served under while Austin was head of U.S. Central Command and Brown was commander of Air Forces Central – as well as several top ranking lawmakers and industry officials.
Austin called Brown an “outstanding joint warfighter and a thoughtful, strategic leader” who has also been “a model of strategic clarity and a powerful force for progress.”
“Gen. Brown is an inspiring and effective leader and a man of deep integrity and compassion. Throughout his career, he has insisted on doing right by his teammates and their families,” Austin added.
House Armed Services Committee ranking member Adam Smith (D-Wash.), praised the nominee as “imminently qualified” and “well-suited” to serve as the nation’s highest ranking military officer.
Praise rolls in for Biden’s Joint Chiefs pick, but confirmation may hit a snag | The Hill