Michael E. Langley confirmed as first Black four-star Marine general

Lt. Gen. Michael E. Langley will become the first Black four-star general in the Marines’ 246-year history, after the Senate confirmed his promotion this week, the Marine Corps said Tuesday.

Langley will formally attain his new rank at a ceremony in D.C. this weekend, the Marines said. He will then become the new head of U.S. Africa Command at its headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. There, he will oversee about 6,000 troops. President Biden nominated him in June.

In his confirmation hearing last month, Langley thanked his father — who had served in the Air Force for 25 years — as well as his stepmother and two sisters. “As many nominees have said in testimony before me, military families form the bedrock upon which our Joint Force readiness stands,” he said. “Without their support, I would not be here today.”

The Marine Corps has had a handful of Black three-star generals, including Langley, who was promoted to that rank last year. Other African Americans have also earned four-star ranks in other branches, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, a retired Army general.

A native of Shreveport, La., Langley has served for 37 years, with tours of duty in Japan, Afghanistan and Somalia. He was commissioned as a Marine artillery officer in 1985 and has commanded at every level — from platoons, which can have a few dozen members, to regiments, which can have several thousand troops. His intellectual and physical prowess, combined with his mediation skills, has impressed his superiors over the years. Read more »