As U.S. struggles with race issues, Senate confirms first black Air
Force chief of staff
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[June 10, 2020]
By Patricia Zengerle
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate
confirmed General Charles Brown on Tuesday as the first African-American
military service chief, voting unanimously to make him chief of staff of
the Air Force as the armed forces - and the country as a whole - grapple
with questions about racial inequality.
The vote was 98-0, as Vice President Mike Pence made an unusual
appearance presiding over the Republican-led chamber.
Brown, 58, is currently commander of the Pacific Air Forces.
There have been waves of protests across the United States and other
countries over the past two weeks sparked by the May 25 death of George
Floyd, a black man killed while in Minneapolis police custody after an
allegation that he had used a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes.
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Floyd's funeral was taking place in Houston on Tuesday.
The military has been doing a mixture of damage control and
soul-searching on race amid the protests, as Republican President Donald
Trump sent in the National Guard to control demonstrations and
threatened to deploy active-duty troops against U.S. citizens.
In response, service chiefs have issued poignant statements on race
relations.
Brown recounted his experiences in an emotional video, speaking of how
during his Air Force career he was “often the only African American in
my squadron or, as a senior officer, the only African American in the
room” and of wearing the same flight suit with wings pinned on his chest
as his squadron yet being asked if he was a pilot.
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![](../images/061020PIX/news_r33.jpg)
Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., nominated for reappointment to the grade
of General and to Chief Of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, testifies
during a Senate Armed Services hearing on Capitol Hill in
Washington, DC, U.S. May 7, 2020. Kevin Dietsch/Pool via
REUTERS/File Photo
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He expressed hope that his confirmation would make a positive
difference after centuries of racism in the United States.
"I am thinking about how I can make improvements, personally,
professionally and institutionally so that all airmen, both today
and tomorrow, appreciate the value of diversity and can serve in an
environment where they can reach their full potential," Brown said.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle, Additional reporting by Idrees Ali
and Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Peter Cooney)
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