Michael E. Langley: All about the first Black 4-star US Marine general

Lt. Gen. Michael E. Langley of the United States Marine Corps has been confirmed as a general, becoming the first Black four-star Marine general in 246 years, the Marine Corps said this week.

On Monday, Congress confirmed Langley’s promotion. According to the Marines, he will become chief of US Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany, and would command all US military forces in Africa.

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Langley, a native of Shreveport, Louisiana, has served in Okinawa, Japan, and Afghanistan, commanding Marines at all levels, from platoon to regiment.

In June, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III revealed that President Biden had nominated Langley for the position of general.

Langley was raised in a military family. His father, former United States Air Force Master Sergeant Willie C. Langley, served in the Air Force for 25 years, according to Langley, who testified at a confirmation hearing in June. “As many nominees have said in testimony before me, military families form the bedrock upon which our Joint Force readiness stands. My family is no different,” he said.

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Ola Langley, his stepmother, whom Langley affectionately referred to as “Momma,” was a US Post Office superintendent.

Langley received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas in Arlington. His formal military schooling includes the Amphibious Warfare School of the United States Marine Corps and the College of Naval Command and Staff. He also has a master’s degree in National Security Strategic Studies from the United States Naval War College and a bachelor’s degree in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College.

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Austin, a former four-star Army General and the nation’s first Black secretary of defence, talked earlier this year about the need for diversity in the military. “Diversity is really important to us. The … military has led the way in a lot of cases,” he stated this during a Black History Month roundtable discussion. “With respect to diversity, I’ve got to make sure that we continue to make strides. And I equate diversity with being invited to the dance. Inclusion is actually being asked to dance.”