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

CNN
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Following additional than 35 many years in the US Marine Corps., Lt. Gen. Michael Langley is set to be the initially Black normal to realize a single of the branch’s highest rankings.

The Senate Armed Expert services 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 armed service existence in Africa. If the Senate confirms him, he will be the Marines’ to start with Black 4-star standard. In the Marines’ 246-yr background, 73 White adult men have achieved the 4-star ranking.

“It is a wonderful honor to be the President’s nominee to guide US AFRICOM,” Langley claimed at Thursday’s affirmation listening to. “I’m grateful to the rely on and self esteem extended by him.”

Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, Langley graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington and has been in assistance with the Marine Corps considering the fact that 1985. The son of a US Air pressure veteran who served for 25 yrs, Langley has commanded at every single amount and served in various continents, remaining deployed to international locations like Japan and Afghanistan in excess of the class of his occupation.

Langley has many advanced levels, together with a Masters in Countrywide Security Strategic Experiments from the US Naval War School as nicely as a Masters in Strategic Studies from the US Army War Faculty.

Past yr, Stars and Stripes reported that Langley was one of only six Black generals in the Marines.

Black support associates have engaged in each American conflict dating again to the American Revolution in the 18th century, with each branch possessing unique guidelines encompassing racial segregation right until President Harry Truman formally desegregated the navy in 1948.

In link with lengthy-standing racial disparities and range troubles in the armed forces, some armed service officers have sought to address racial bias throughout the armed forces.

A 2020 CNN overview of data offered by the Pentagon and Office of Veterans Affairs uncovered the stark truth that Black support customers are much less probable to become officers and, as a end result, are far more probably to be significantly injured in the course of provider relative to their White colleagues.

In his opening statements, Langley spoke to the hard worldwide protection setting and the systemic results of recent global tensions in Africa as nicely as problems specifically going through the continent. He reported he hopes the command carries on to handle issues of strategic level of competition and extremism in Africa when integrating diplomatic endeavours.

“I am enthusiastic to have interaction throughout the complete govt to faithfully execute the policies and orders of the President and the Secretary of Defense,” Langley said in the summary of his opening statements throughout the hearing.