From Four Years to Four Stars.

* Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles "CQ" Brown, Jr. has been tapped to serve as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. But a long career in the military wasn't his original goal.

Three days before his nomination was announced, Brown was speaking on a panel discussion with all the U.S. military service chiefs hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations. In response to a question about recruitment, Brown spoke about the importance of engaging in local communities and working with influencers in young people's lives such as relatives, coaches or teachers to identify those who might "have an aptitude to join our military."

"You don't have to serve for long," he said. "I'll speak for...