At a ceremony Thursday at the White House Rose Garden, US President Joe Biden enumerated the qualifications of his nominee to be chief of staff, General Charles Brown.

Biden described the African-American general as a "warrior" and anti-racism fighter, in the presence of Vice President Kamala Harris and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Brown, who attended the ceremony, is currently the commander of the Air Force, and Biden called him a "brave and stubborn patriot," and the president reminded the president that the sixtieth general is the son of a family with a long history in the military "and descends from a proud line of warriors."

Biden noted that this pilot officer is someone who is "not afraid to speak his mind."

If confirmed by the Senate, he would succeed Gen. Mark Milley, who has been chief of staff since Oct. 2019, <>.

General Brown will also become the second black officer to hold the highest military post in the United States, having only been preceded by General Colin Powell in the nineties.

Brown will also work under a black defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, a first in U.S. history.

Combat career

The general, known as C. Q. Brown is a former pilot with 3,130 flight hours, including <> hours on combat missions.

After being appointed brigade commander, Brown became commander of U.S. Air Forces in the Middle East and Pacific.

General Brown's name rose to prominence amid demonstrations in the United States against racism following the death of George Floyd three years ago under the slogan "Black Lives Matter."

At the time, the senior officer posted a video in which he spoke about the discrimination he himself faced, including in the army.

"In the Air Force I was often the only African-American in Serbia. With the rank of senior officer, the only African-American in the room."

"I remember the pressure I was under not to do anything wrong, especially in front of my superiors, who I felt didn't expect much from me as African-American," he said.

He stressed at the time that he was working "doubly hard" to prove that their expectations and stereotypes about African Americans were misplaced.

In his speech Thursday, Biden recalled this aspect of Brown's personality, saying, "It took really courage, and it affected not only the military but Americans across the country."

Biden has urged the Senate to approve his nominee, and it is not yet clear what timeline the approval stages will be.