Black Colonel Finally Promoted To General After Being Passed Over 3 Times By The Marines

Col. Anthony Henderson, a combat-tested Iraq and Afghanistan veteran is now being promoted by the marine corps to the position of brigadier general. This is the senior-most position held by an African American man in the armed forces. 

The Marine corps placed Colonel Henderson in a highly selective list that contained names of 9 colonels who will be presented the coveted one star that represents general rank status — brigadier general. 

The list was signed by President Biden this week according to the committee’s website.

United States Marine Corps.

This kind of promotion usually donot gain such attention except this time in its 245 years history no man except white has been given the honor of four-star. Even one, two, and three-star positions are granted mostly to white officers. So Colonel Henderson has made history with his selection. 

If Senate confirms the Colonel's position then he will be the first black man with a chance to go all the way up. 

“Tony Henderson has the potential to be the commandant of the Marine Corps,” said retired Lt. Gen. Ronald L. Bailey, the first Black man to command the First Marine Division, from 2011 to 2013. “He’s an individual who will work above and beyond what is required. This is well overdue.”

United States Marine Corps.

Colonel Henderson's promotion comes at a crucial time for the American military and for the nation as a whole. 

As the January 6 Capitol riots laid bare the extremist groups that attacked and participated in Capitol riots and who reportedly have had links to the military too. 

United States Marine Corps.

This has been the case with the Marine Corps. Senior Defense Department officials who have pored over videos from the Capitol riots noted that the Marine Corps flag was among the Confederate battle flags and QAnon symbols displayed during the anti-government protests.

In a rare move, the Pentagon now has a Black secretary of defense, who after the Cpatiol riots now appears keen on addressing the extremism issues in the military. 

One of the first things Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III did after assuming his position at the Pentagon was to order up a service-wide “Stand Down” to address extremism in the military. The term was used by the military in the past to refer to an issue including safety, sexual assault, or suicide. Now the defense secretary has decided that the matter is important enough to be that it needs to be addressed through discussions with troops worldwide.

United States Marine Corps.

Colonel Henderson, 53, passed over three times for the brigadier general position. In fact, in the year 2019, the Navy Secretary even wrote a handwritten recommendation to Colonel Henderson’s candidacy. But each time, Colonel Henderson's promotion was ignored, and instead, the position was given to white men. 

Critics say that the reason why Colonel Henderson's promotion was neglected was because of the race problem in the Marine corps which is deeply ingrained in the system and resists any kind of change. 

The news that an African American man has been promoted to such a prestigious position has lit up the telephone and text lines of Black Marines stationed around the world.

United States Marine Corps.

The African-American Marines said they were happy for Colonel Williamson, whose background is communications, but for Colonel Henderson, they are ecstatic because he comes from the combat arms background that can lead to four stars. However, some also expressed anger that the pace of promotion for African American officers in the Corps has been so slow.

“Tony Henderson should have gotten selected last year,” said Milton D. Whitfield Sr., a retired Marine gunnery sergeant who served for 21 years. “Or the year before that. Or the year before that. He is who the Marine Corps should want up there — someone who will speak truth to power.”

United States Marine Corps.