Lt. General Michael E. Langley became the first lack four star general in the Marine’s 246-year history after the Senate confirmed his promotion this week, reports the Washington Post and other news outlets.
Langley will formally attain his new rank at a ceremony in D.C. this weekend. He will then become head of U.S. Africa Command at its headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. There he will oversee about 6,000 troops. President Joe Biden nominated him in June.
During his confirmation hearing, Langley thanked his father, who served in the Air Force for 25 years, as well as his stepmom and two sisters.
“As many have said in testimony, military families form the bedrock upon which our Joint Forces readiness stands,” he said. “Without their support I would not be here today.”
The Marine Corps has a handful of Black three-star generals, including Langley, who was promoted to that rank last year. A native of Louisiana, he has served for 37 years with tours of duty in Japan, Afghanistan and Somalia.
“He gets stuff done and people tend to like working with him,” said Robert Neller, a former Marine commander.
