Charles Quinton Brown Jr. (born 1962) is a
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
four-star general
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
who serves as the 22nd
chief of staff of the Air Force. He is the first African American to be appointed as chief of staff and the first African American to lead any branch of the
United States Armed Forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
. Brown assumed office from Gen.
David L. Goldfein, who had served as chief of staff since 2016, in a ceremony at
Joint Base Andrews
Joint Base Andrews (JBA) is a United States military facility located in Prince George's County, Maryland. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 316th Wing, Air Force District of Washington (AFDW). The base was e ...
on August 6, 2020.
Brown's previous assignments include serving as the commander of
Pacific Air Forces
Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). PACAF is headquartered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (fo ...
, air component commander for
United States Indo-Pacific Command
United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) is a unified combatant command of the United States Armed Forces responsible for the Indo-Pacific, Indo-Pacific region.
Formerly known as United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) since its incept ...
, and executive director of the Pacific Air Combat Operations Staff. As the air component commander for CENTCOM, he was responsible for developing contingency plans and conducting air operations in a 20-nation area covering Central and Southwest Asia.
[ ] Brown also previously served as the deputy commander of
United States Central Command
The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the U.S. Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilities of the Rapid Deployment Joint Tas ...
(CENTCOM), MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, and prior to that, as commander of Air Forces Central.
In 2020, Brown was named by ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' magazine on its
list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Early life and education
![Charles Q](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Charles_Q._Brown_receiving_his_first_pilot_wing.jpg)
Charles Quinton Brown Jr. was born in 1962 to a military family in
San Antonio, Texas
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, subdivision_t ...
. Brown was nicknamed "CQ". He had one sister. His father, Charles Q. Brown. Sr, served for 30 years in the Army, rising to the rank of colonel. His paternal grandfather, Robert E. Brown, was drafted in World War II and served in the Pacific Theater in Hawaii and Saipan.
Brown graduated from
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...
in
Lubbock
Lubbock ( )
is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the northw ...
with a
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
degree in
civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewage ...
.
He joined the Eta Upsilon chapter of
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. () is the oldest intercollegiate historically African American fraternity. It was initially a literary and social studies club organized in the 1905–1906 school year at Cornell University but later evolved int ...
fraternity.
Brown was also a distinguished graduate of the
Air Force
An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
Reserve Officers Training Corps
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces.
Overview
While ROTC graduate officers serve in all ...
. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant after completing this ROTC program and began his formal military career.
While serving in the Air Force, in 1994, Brown earned a
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. in
aeronautical science
Aeronautics is the science or art involved with the study, design process, design, and manufacturing of air flight–capable machines, and the techniques of operating aircraft and rockets within the atmosphere. The British Royal Aeronautical So ...
from
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, in
Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach, or simply Daytona, is a coastal Resort town, resort-city in east-central Florida. Located on the eastern edge of Volusia County, Florida, Volusia County near the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic coastline, its population ...
.
Military career
![General Charles Q](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/General_Charles_Q._Brown_Jr._flying_an_F-16_Fighting_Falcon.jpg)
Brown has served in a variety of positions at the
squadron
Squadron may refer to:
* Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies
* Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...
and wing level, including an assignment to the
United States Air Force Weapons School
The USAF Weapons School is a unit of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force, assigned to the 57th Wing and Space Delta 1. It is located at Nellis AFB, Nevada.
Mission
The mission of the USAF Weapons School is to teach gradu ...
as an
F-16
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it ...
instructor. His notable staff tours include
aide-de-camp to the
Chief of Staff of the Air Force; director,
Secretary of the Air Force
A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a w ...
and Chief of Staff Executive Action Group; and deputy director, operations,
U.S. Central Command
The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the U.S. Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilities of the Rapid Deployment Joint Tas ...
. He also served as a national defense fellow at the
Institute for Defense Analyses
The Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) is an American non-profit corporation that administers three federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) – the Systems and Analyses Center (SAC), the Science and Technology Policy Institute ...
,
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Downto ...
.
Brown has commanded a
fighter squadron
A squadron in air force, army aviation, or naval aviation is a unit comprising a number of military aircraft and their aircrews, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, dependi ...
, the United States Air Force Weapons School, and two fighter wings. One was the 8th Fighter Wing, which was nicknamed as "Wolf Pack", at
Kunsan Air Force Base,
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. Prior to his current assignment, he served as director, operations, strategic deterrence, and nuclear integration, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe—Air Forces Africa,
Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base or Ramstein AB is a United States Air Force base in Rhineland-Palatinate, a state in southwestern Germany. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and also ...
, Germany. He is a
command pilot
U.S. Air Force aeronautical ratings are military aviation skill standards established and awarded by the United States Air Force for commissioned officers participating in "regular and frequent flight",The standard by which flight status has bee ...
with more than 2,900 flying hours, including 130 combat hours.
Brown's career as a general officer began when he was appointed as commander of the
31st Fighter wing in
Aviano Air Force Base, Italy. He was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in June 2009. In May 2013, Brown was promoted to the rank of major general when he was appointed as deputy commander,
U.S. Air Forces Central Command, U.S. Central Command. In March 2014 he was appointed as director of operations, strategic deterrence, and nuclear integration of
U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa at
Ramstein Air Force Base
Ramstein Air Base or Ramstein AB is a United States Air Force base in Rhineland-Palatinate, a state in southwestern Germany. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and also ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
.
In June 2015, Brown received his third star when he was appointed as
United States Air Forces Central Command (USAFCENT). In July 2016 he was appointed as deputy commander of
U.S. Central Command
The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the U.S. Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilities of the Rapid Deployment Joint Tas ...
. As AFCENT commander, Brown oversaw all of Air Force operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, while also in-charge as second-in-command of USCENTCOM.
In July 2018, Brown was nominated to succeed General
Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy
Terrence John O'Shaughnessy (born ) is a retired United States Air Force four-star General (United States), general who previously served as the commander of United States Northern Command and as the commander of North American Aerospace Defense ...
as commander of
Pacific Air Forces
Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). PACAF is headquartered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (fo ...
. O'Shaughnessy was nominated to become commander of the
United States Northern Command
United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) is one of eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense. The command is tasked with providing military support for non-military authorities in the U.S., and protect ...
. Brown was also promoted to
four-star general
A four-star rank is the rank of any four-star officer described by the Ranks and insignia of NATO, NATO OF-9 code. Four-star officers are often the most senior commanders in the armed services, having ranks such as (full) admiral, (full) general ...
with this position. As PACAF commander, General Brown oversaw all of major United States Air Force operations within the
Indo-Pacific region
The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeography, biogeographic region of Earth.
In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific O ...
.
Air Force Chief of Staff
On March 2, 2020, the White House announced that President
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
would nominate Brown to become the next
Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
The chief of staff of the Air Force (acronym: CSAF, or AF/CC) is a statutory office () held by a general in the United States Air Force, and as such is the principal military advisor to the secretary of the Air Force on matter pertaining to th ...
, succeeding
David L. Goldfein. On June 9, 2020, Brown was unanimously confirmed (98–0) by the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
to succeed Goldfein as Chief of Staff of the US Air Force. With this confirmation he became the first African American to lead a branch of the
United States Armed Forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
. As Air Force Chief of Staff, he advises the President, Secretary of Defense, and National Security Council regarding Air Force matters.
Tenure
Brown is the most senior uniformed Air Force officer responsible for organizing, training and equipping all of the active-duty Air Force officers, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.
Brown has acted to establish a flexible logistics system in the Air Force's budget for Fiscal year 2021, in order to ensure the Air Force is capable of conducting "expeditionary logistics under attack".
Brown has maintained Goldfein's prioritization of multi-domain command and control following the
Air Force Association's 2016 Air, Space & Cyber Conference.
Following the establishment of the
United States Space Force
The United States Space Force (USSF) is the space service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and the world's only independent space force. Along with its sister branch, the U.S. Air Force, the Space ...
, which is also part of the Department of the Air Force, Brown worked closely with the first Chief of Space Operations General
Jay Raymond. Brown has said that the Space Force will make up much of the Air Force department's "near-term innovation and development". He has emphasized the importance of space superiority and committed to a full collaboration between the Air Force and Space Force.
As Air Force Chief of Staff, Brown began integration of the new
tanker aircraft
This is a list of tanker aircraft used for aerial refuelling of another aircraft whilst in powered flight.
Refueling methods
;Looped hose: The first commercial method employed a hose which was held slack in a trailing half-loop behind both air ...
,
Boeing KC-46 Pegasus
The Boeing KC-46 Pegasus is an American military aerial refueling and strategic military transport aircraft developed by Boeing from its Boeing 767, 767 jet airliner. In February 2011, the tanker was selected by the United States Air Force (US ...
, as part of Air Force fleet rejuvenation, and began its operation within Air Mobility Command. Brown and several Congressional delegation members, including U.S. Senator
Jeanne Shaheen
Cynthia Jeanne Shaheen ( ; née Bowers, born January 28, 1947) is an American retired educator and politician serving as the senior United States senator from New Hampshire since 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, Shaheen served as the 78 ...
, a longtime advocate for the tanker, participated in a demonstration flight at
Joint Base Andrews
Joint Base Andrews (JBA) is a United States military facility located in Prince George's County, Maryland. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 316th Wing, Air Force District of Washington (AFDW). The base was e ...
.
General Brown was featured during the 2021
African-American History Month for making history as the first African-American military chief of staff and the first African American who has led any military branch within the
United States Armed Forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
. General
Lloyd Austin
Lloyd James Austin III (born August 8, 1953) is a retired United States Army four-star general who, since his appointment on January 22, 2021, has served as the 28th United States secretary of defense. He is the first African American to serv ...
, the first African American to serve as a
United States Secretary of Defense
The United States secretary of defense (SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense, the executive department of the U.S. Armed Forces, and is a high ranking member of the federal cabinet. DoDD 5100.1: Enclosure 2: a The s ...
, was also featured.
Brown was made an honorary
Tuskegee Airman
The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of primarily African American military pilots (fighter and bomber) and airmen who fought in World War II. They formed the 332d Fighter Group and the 477th Fighter Group, 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) of the ...
, receiving the symbolic red jacket in a ceremony on 14 August 2021.
General Brown is considered a strong contender to succeed General Mark Milley as the next
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) is the presiding officer of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The chairman is the highest-ranking and most senior military officer in the United States Armed Forces Chairman: app ...
.
Education
![General Charles Q](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/General_Charles_Q._Brown_Jr._with_Air_Chief_Marshal_Yuyu_Sutisna.jpg)
* 1984 Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock
* 1991 U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons School, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada
* 1992 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
* 1994 Master of Aeronautical Science degree, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Florida
* 1997 Distinguished graduate, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
* 2000 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
* 2004 National Defense Fellow, Institute for Defense Analyses, Alexandria, Virginia
* 2008 AF Senior Leadership Course, Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, North Carolina
* 2012 Joint Force Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
* 2014 Joint Flag Officer Warfighting Course, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
* 2015 Pinnacle Course, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
* 2017 Leadership at the Peak, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Assignments
* May 1985 – April 1986, student, undergraduate pilot training, 82nd Student Squadron, Williams AFB, Arizona
* May 1986 – July 1986, student, lead-in fighter training, 434th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, Holloman AFB, New Mexico
* August 1986 – March 1987, student, F-16 training, 62nd Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, MacDill AFB, Florida
* April 1987 – October 1988, F-16 pilot, 35th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea
* November 1988 – April 1991, F-16 instructor pilot, wing electronic combat officer, and wing standardization and evaluation flight examiner, 307th and 308th Tactical Fighter Squadrons, Homestead AFB, Florida
* April 1991 – August 1991, student, U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis AFB, Nevada
* August 1991 – August 1992, F-16 squadron weapons officer and flight commander of 307th Fighter Squadron, Homestead AFB, Florida
* September 1992 – October 1994, weapons school instructor, and standardization and evaluation flight examiner, F-16 Division, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nevada
* October 1994 – July 1996, aide-de-camp to the chief of staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Virginia
* August 1996 – June 1997, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
* June 1997 – September 1997, student, Armed Forces Staff College, National Defense University, Norfolk, Virginia
* September 1997 – November 1999, air operations officer, Current Operations Division, Operations Directorate, U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Florida
* November 1999 – June 2003, F-16CJ instructor pilot and assistant operations officer, 79th Fighter Squadron; weapons and training flight commander, 20th Operations Support Squadron; operations officer, 55th Fighter Squadron; and commander of 78th Fighter Squadron, Shaw AFB, South Carolina
* July 2003 – June 2004, National Defense Fellow, Institute for Defense Analyses, Alexandria, Virginia
* June 2004 – June 2005, deputy chief of Program Integration Division, Directorate of Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Virginia
* July 2005 – May 2007, commandant,
USAF Weapons School
The USAF Weapons School is a unit of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force, assigned to the 57th Wing and Space Delta 1. It is located at Nellis AFB, Nevada.
Mission
The mission of the USAF Weapons School is to teach gradu ...
, 57th Wing, Nellis AFB, Nevada
* May 2007 – May 2008, commander,
8th Fighter Wing
The United States Air Force 8th Fighter Wing is the host unit at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea and is assigned to Seventh Air Force. Seventh Air Force falls under Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). The Wing's 8th Operations Group is the suc ...
, Kunsan AB, South Korea
* June 2008 – May 2009, director of Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff Executive Action Group, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Virginia
* June 2009 – April 2011, commander,
31st Fighter Wing, Aviano AB, Italy
* May 2011 – May 2013, deputy director of Operations Directorate, U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Florida
* May 2013 – February 2014, deputy commander of U.S. Air Forces Central Command; deputy, Combined Force Air Component Commander, U.S. Central Command, Southwest Asia
* March 2014 – June 2015, director of operations, strategic deterrence, and nuclear integration, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa, Ramstein AB, Germany
* June 2015 – July 2016, commander of U.S. Air Forces Central Command; Combined Force Air Component Commander, U.S. Central Command, Southwest Asia
* July 2016 – July 2018, deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Florida
* July 2018 – July 2020, commander of Pacific Air Forces; Air Component Commander for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; and executive director of Pacific Air Combat Operations Staff, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
[
* August 2020 – present, chief of staff, United States Air Force, Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia
]
Summary of joint assignments
* September 1997–November 1999, air operations officer, Current Operations Division, Operations Directorate, U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, as a major
* May 2011–May 2013, deputy director of Operations Directorate, U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Florida, as a brigadier general
* July 2016–July 2018, deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Florida, as a lieutenant general
* July 2018–August 2020, commander of Pacific Air Forces; Air Component Commander for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; and executive director of Pacific Air Combat Operations Staff, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, as a general
Flight information
Awards and decorations
Brown has received the following awards and decorations:[
]
Other Recognition
*In 2022, Brown received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement
The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a non-profit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest achieving individuals in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet o ...
.
Effective dates of promotion
References
External links
*
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Charles Q. Jr.
1962 births
Living people
African-American United States Air Force personnel
Chiefs of Staff of the United States Air Force
Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University alumni
Recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Recipients of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal
Recipients of the Legion of Merit
Texas Tech University alumni
United States Air Force generals
21st-century African-American people
20th-century African-American people
Military personnel from San Antonio
Recipients of the Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera)
Recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal (United States)
Order of National Security Merit members