Michael Langley: US Senate expected to confirm Marines’ first Black four-star general in 246 years

The Senate Armed Companies Committee on Thursday held a affirmation hearing for Langley, who’s nominated to be the Commander of US Africa Command, which oversees the nation’s navy existence in Africa. If the Senate confirms him, he will be the Marines’ first Black four-star common. In the Marines’ 246-yr record, 73 White gentlemen have arrived at the four-star rating.

“It is a good honor to be the President’s nominee to direct US AFRICOM,” Langley mentioned at Thursday’s affirmation hearing. “I’m grateful to the believe in and assurance extended by him.”

Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, Langley graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington and has been in company with the Marine Corps considering that 1985. The son of a US Air power veteran who served for 25 several years, Langley has commanded at each and every stage and served in a number of continents, currently being deployed to nations like Japan and Afghanistan in excess of the training course of his career.

Langley has numerous innovative degrees, such as a Masters in Nationwide Stability Strategic Scientific tests from the US Naval War School as perfectly as a Masters in Strategic Experiments from the US Army War Higher education.

Final calendar year, Stars and Stripes reported that Langley was just one of only six Black generals in the Marines.

Black service members have engaged in each American conflict relationship back to the American Revolution in the 18th century, with each individual department owning distinct policies surrounding racial segregation until eventually President Harry Truman formally desegregated the navy in 1948.

In relationship with extended-standing racial disparities and diversity challenges in the army, some armed forces officials have sought to deal with racial bias throughout the armed forces.

A 2020 CNN evaluate of details presented by the Pentagon and Department of Veterans Affairs exposed the stark fact that Black company users are less possible to become officers and, as a outcome, are a lot more likely to be very seriously injured throughout company relative to their White colleagues.

In his opening statements, Langley spoke to the difficult international protection setting and the systemic effects of current world wide tensions in Africa as properly as challenges precisely struggling with the continent. He said he hopes the command proceeds to tackle issues of strategic competitiveness and extremism in Africa whilst integrating diplomatic attempts.

“I am enthusiastic to have interaction across the whole authorities to faithfully execute the guidelines and orders of the President and the Secretary of Defense,” Langley stated in the conclusion of his opening statements in the course of the listening to.

CNN’s Ellie Kaufman contributed to this report.