US Senate confirms Charles Brown as chairman of joint chiefs of staff

WASHINGTON: The US Senate has confirmed Air Force General Charles Brown as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, local media reported.

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Brown as the country's top military officer with overwhelming majority 83-11 and he will assume the post on October 1, succeeding Mark Milley, CNN reported.

US President Joe Biden had formally announced Brown's nomination on May 25.

The months-long delay of Brown's confirmation was caused by Senator Tommy Tuberville's blockade due to his opposition to a Department of Defence policy related to service members' need for abortions, Xinhua news agency reported.

He was the first Black service chief in US military history when he was confirmed as chief of the Air Force in 2020 and the second Black officer to chair the Joint Chiefs after Colin Powell who served the role between 1989 and 1993.