Blacks who want to make a career in the military generally focus on working in, say, logistics rather than in combat arms. See Moskos and Butler's "All That We Can Be."

But if you want to be a Marine 4-star general, you need to be a fighting man.

That's how the Marines work. https://twitter.com/nytpolitics/status/1300590209587965952

Back in 1990, 7% of US Army generals were black. But the 1980s Cold War Army didn't fight much, but sat waiting in the Fulda Gap. This benefited the careers of blacks in logistics. Since then, we've had lots of small wars, which helped combat arms officers, who tend to be white.

Moskos & Butler's book on blacks in the Army 25+ years ago pointed out that black career soldiers tend to have sensible career plans focusing on getting organizational jobs that will get them post-Army government jobs and eventually collect 2 pensions.

In contrast, a lot of the white recruits wanted to "play Rambo for four years, then go to college."

The Army is an interesting counter-stereotype situation where the blacks tend to be more prudent and the whites more death or glory.

Moskos & Sibley said that by 1990 many black enlistees in the Army were 2nd or 3rd generation. Serving in supply in the Army was becoming a bit of a hereditary career for a part of the black lower middle class.

It's pretty sensible but means black careers top out ~2 stars.