Black general gets his fourth star
Lt. General Michael E. Langley is expected to become the highest-ranking Black officer in the 246-year history of the U.S. Marine Corps.
Lt. General Langley was confirmed by the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday. His nomination will be sent to the full Senate for a vote, which may occur before the August recess, said Cole Stevens, a committee spokesperson in Washington tells Blackmansstreet.Today.
He will become the first Black four star general in the history of the Marines.
He will lead the U.S. military in Africa as the chief of U.S. Africa Command.
Langley assumed command of the Marines Corps Forces in Europe and in Africa after his predecessor was removed for making racial slurs about African American soldiers, according to Stars and Stripes, a military newspaper.
He earned advanced degrees in National Security Strategic Studies from the Naval War College and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College.
He has served in Afghanistan, Europe and Asia.
Langley is the son of a noncommissioned officer from Shreveport, La.