On Monday the Senate officially confirmed Lt. Gen. Michael Langley as the nation\u2019s first Black four-star Marine general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Langley, who will now lead U.S. troops in Africa as the commander of U.S. Africa Command, was widely expected to land the confirmation<\/a> following a hearing by the Senate Armed Services Committee in late July.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the Marine Corps\u2019 246-year history, more than 70 white men have risen to the four-star ranking, according to The Washington Post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Senate unanimously confirmed<\/a> Langley and a series of other military leaders<\/a> to new roles Monday evening, according to<\/a> a Tweet <\/a>from the Senate cloakroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His confirmation was celebrated by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, on social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before receiving his nomination to the new role by President Joe Biden in June, Langley, a native of Shreveport, Louisiana, held several leadership roles during his 37 years in both the Pentagon and Marine Corps, according to his Marine Corps bio.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Langley will replace the outgoing commander of U.S. AFRICOM, Army Gen. Stephen J. Townsend.<\/a> In late July, Townsend shared that the threat of violent extremism and strategic competition from China and Russia remain the greatest challenges to the combatant command<\/a>, according to a Department of Defense news release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSome of the most lethal terrorists on the planet are now in Africa,\u201d said Townsend, according to the release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Langley\u2019s promotion comes as U.S. troops are once again operating in Somalia<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n U.S. AFRICOM reported no new civilian casualties in its most recent quarter as of June 30 this year, according to a casualty assessment report released in July.<\/p>\n\n\n\n