Marines promote first black four star general

Lieutenant General Michael E. Langley has been promoted to four-star marine general, becoming the first black man to receive the distinction in the military branch’s 246-year history.

Langley was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1985.

He will now command all U.S. military forces in Africa, overseeing about six thousand troops.

Langley’s confirmation comes as new Marine Corps initiatives seek to improve diversity and retention.

The new retention and diversity initiative is called talent management 2030.