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Lt. Gen. Michael E. Langley is presented with his fourth star during a recent ceremony at Marine Corps Barracks Washington.
Photos: marines.mil
Langley is the U.S. Marine Corps’ first Black four-star general
Lt. Gen. Michael E. Langley, an alumnus of the University of Texas at Arlington, last month became the first Black four-star general in the history of the U.S. Marines.
Langley, who earned a BBA degree in Systems Analysis at the university in 1985, earned Senate confirmation after the Biden administration nominated him to command all U.S. military forces in Africa as head of U.S. Africa Command. Marine Corps Commandant, Gen. David Berger, promoted Langley, during a ceremony at Marine Corps Barracks Washington.
“43 years we go from our first African American general to now our first - I think leading to many more - four-star African American generals,” said Berger, paying homage to Lt. Gen. Frank E. Peterson.
Langley was joined by friends and family at the ceremony, including his father Willie C. Langley, who is an Air Force veteran. During the ceremony, Gen. Langley repeatedly talked about his father as his greatest mentor.
“My daddy told me to aim high, so I aimed as high as I could and found the few and the proud,” said Gen. Langley.
Langley was born in Shreveport, La., and grew up on a variety of military bases as a child before his family settled in Texas. He graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1985. Langley has served in the Marine Corps for 37 years and sees his promotion as a sign to others that Marine Corps service rewards those who work hard to achieve their goals.
“The milestone and what it means to the Corps is quite essential,” he says. “Not because of the mark in history, but what it will affect going forward, especially for those younger across society that want to aspire and look at the Marine Corps as an opportunity.”
One of his UTA colleagues says Langley is the ideal choice to be the first Black four-star general in Marine Corps history.
“It makes perfect sense,” says his track teammate Robert Howard, a recipient of the UTA Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2000 and president of Don Davis Auto Group. “He was committed to being as good as he could possibly be. The fact that he has achieved what he has achieved is not a surprise.”
Since November 2021, he has served as commanding general of Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic, where he has overseen all Marine forces on the Atlantic coast. He also has served in Afghanistan, Somalia and Japan; led U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa; and held top jobs at the Pentagon.
By Bekah Brunstetter
Directed by Steven D. Morris September 30 – October 16
Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 pm Sundays at 2 pm
Della makes cakes, not judgment calls – those she leaves to her husband, Tim. But when the girl she helped raise comes back home to North Carolina to get married, and the fiancé is actually a fiancée, Della’s life gets turned upside down.down. SheShe can’tcan’t really make a cake for such a wedding, can she? For the first time in her life, Della has to think for herself. This wonderful contemporary play is both laugh-out-loud funny and thought-provoking. Be sure to get your slice of this delicious cake!
Appropriate for ages 15 and up. Adult subject matter.
www.theatrearlington.org
Presented through special arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com.
Starting this month, local students and families hoping to get a boost toward securing a college education will have a valuable resource “just down the street.”
Simply by visiting inspirED’s new office (located at 4381 W. Green Oaks Blvd., Suite 100) during the day and evening, they can receive help with college planning, college applications, financial aid and more. inspirED was established in 2014 by Higher Education Servicing Corporation (HESC), a private, nonprofit student loan servicing agency that has worked persistently over the past 40-plus years to ensure that students across Texas have access to higher education by providing federal and private education loans, scholarship funds, and outreach services and programs.
inspirED
community partnerships,” says Leslie Birdow, inspirED’s Director of Community Affairs. “And we’re here to help Arlington area students with anything they need to prepare for college, career or military.”
Today, inspirED provides high school and community-based GO Centers (college and career centers), college prep and financial aid presentations, high school counselor trainings, and special higher education events, including its annual Destination Success and College and Career Expo.
In addition, the staff of inspirED has also increased its involvement in various community groups and committees to expand its network of partners and find new opportunities for collaboration.
Partners include the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce, the Mansfield Area Chamber of
“We’re focused on our mission: Inspiring students to achieve a higher education by promoting a college-going and career-focused culture through educational outreach activities, services, and Commers, the Arlington, Mansfield, Fort Worth, Hurst-Euless-Bedford, and Kennedale Independent School Districts, the North Texas Regional P-16 Council, Dallas Baptist University, the Arlington
Public Library, Commit!, and Smart Arlington. The partners work with an inspirED staff that features Birdow and Outreach Coordinator Jessica Delmar, who team with a group of mentors from around the area to enhance local students’ opportunities to pursue higher education once their high school years have concluded. Birdow previously worked for the Arlington and Weatherford Independent School Districts to empower and engage students so they graduate prepared for whatever they choose in life. She received a bachelor of science degree from the University of Texas and a master’s of education from the University of Texas at Arlington. Delmar has been with inspirED since November 2018. Her previous work as a mentor in the local GO Centers is invaluable as she guides mentors to serve students and help them find successful paths post-graduation. Jessica obtained Photo: inspiredoutreach.org her associate of art in teaching from With a brand new office, this local organization is helping Tarrant County find college opportunities for students from all around Texas College and is pursuing her bachelor’s degree at Texas Wesleyan University. Some 12 mentors – from the University of Texas at Arlington, Tarrant County College and Dallas Baptist University – assist the staff. For more: inspiredoutreach.org.
