Charles Q. Brown II is a four-star general in the United States Air Force. He was appointed Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force by the United States Senate on June 9, 2020, becoming the first African-American chief of staff of a U.S. military service. Brown II was appointed Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force against the backdrop of the growing wave of protests in the United States and other countries in response to the death of George Floyd, a black man, in Minneapolis police custody on May 25.
Wiki/Biography
Charles Quinton Brown II was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1962 (now 58 years old; 2020). He attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock and graduated from the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. In 1991, he attended the United States Air Force Fighter Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, and the following year he attended Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. In 1994, he received a Master of Science in Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. In 1997, he graduated with honors from the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. In 2000, Brown attended the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. In 2004, Charles Brown became a Defense Fellow at the Institute for Defense Analyses in Alexandria, Virginia. In 2008, he attended the Air Force Advanced Leadership Course at the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, North Carolina. In 2012, Brown attended the Joint Force Air Component Commander Course at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. In 2014, he attended the Joint General Officer Operations Course at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. In 2015, Charles Brown attended the Pinnacle Course at the National Defense University at Fort Leslie McNair in Washington, D.C. In 2017, he completed the Pinnacle Leadership Course at the Center for Creative Leadership in Colorado Springs.
appearance
Height (approx.): 6′
Hair Color: Bald
Eye color: Black
Family and Race
Charles Brown comes from an African American family in San Antonio, Texas. He is married and his family lives in San Antonio, Texas.
Charles Brown’s wife (left) and mother (right) pin his first star
Charles Brown’s Family
Military career
Charles Brown’s military career began in 1985 when he was commissioned as a second lieutenant. He has since held several important positions in the United States Air Force, such as Commander of Pacific Air Forces, Commander of the Air Component of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Executive Director of the Pacific Air Combat Operations Staff, Deputy Commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), and Commander of Central Air Forces.
Charles Brown appointed commander of Pacific Air Forces
On June 9, 2020, the U.S. Senate confirmed Charles Brown as the first African-American Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force.
After Brown was promoted to become the first black American to serve as Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, Donald Trump tweeted:
My decision to appoint @usairforce General Charles Brown as the nation’s first African American military chief of staff has now been confirmed by the Senate. This is a historic day for America! Excited to work more closely with General Brown, a patriot and a great leader! ”
He was sworn in as Air Force Chief of Staff in the Oval Office of the White House on August 4, 2020. President Donald Trump swears in General Charles Q. Brown, the first Black Air Force Chief of Staff, and Vice President Mike Pence swears Brown in. While praising Brown and calling the moment “special,” Trump said,
You’ve had an incredible career and this is the perfect end to it.”
General Charles Q. Brown is sworn in as Air Force chief of staff in the Oval Office of the White House as his wife holds a Bible
Position
- F-16 Pilot: 35th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea (April 1987 – October 1988)
- F-16 Instructor Pilot, Wing Electronic Warfare Officer and Wing Standardization and Evaluation Flight Examiner: 307th and 308th Tactical Fighter Squadrons, Homestead AFB, FL (November 1988 – April 1991)
- F-16 Squadron Weapons Officer and Flight Commander: 307th Fighter Squadron, Homestead AFB, FL (August 1991 – August 1992)
- Weapons School Instructor, Standardization and Evaluation Pilot Examiner: United States Air Force Weapons School F-16 Section, Nellis AFB, Nevada (September 1992 – October 1994)
- Adjutant to the Chief of Staff: Headquarters United States Air Force, Arlington, Virginia (October 1994 – July 1996)
- Air Operations Officer: Current Directorate of Operations, Directorate of Operations, U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida (September 1997 – November 1999)
- F-16CJ Instructor Pilot and Assistant Operations Officer: 79th Fighter Squadron (November 1999 – June 2003)
- Weapons and Training Flight Commander: 20th Combat Support Squadron
- Operations Officer: 55th Fighter Squadron
- Commander: 78th Fighter Squadron, Shaw AFB, South Carolina
- Defense Fellow: Institute for Defense Analyses, Alexandria, Virginia (July 2003 – June 2004)
- Deputy Director: Program Integration Division, Headquarters Program Directorate, U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Virginia (June 2004 – June 2005)
- Commander: United States Air Force Weapons School, 57th Wing, Nellis AFB, Nevada (July 2005 – May 2007)
- Commander: 8th Fighter Wing, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea (May 2007 – May 2008)
- Director: Executive Action Group, Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff, Headquarters United States Air Force, Arlington, Virginia (June 2008 – May 2009)
- Commander: 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy (June 2009 – April 2011)
- Deputy Director: Directorate of Operations, U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida (May 2011 – May 2013)
- Deputy Commander: United States Air Forces Central Command (May 2013 – February 2014)
- Director: Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa Operations, Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration, Ramstein Air Base, Germany (March 2014 – June 2015)
- Commander: U.S. Air Force Central Command, Air Combat Command, Southwest Asia Command (June 2015 – July 2016)
- Deputy Commander: U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida (July 2016 – July 2018)
- Commander: Pacific Air Forces; Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Air Component (July 2018 – June 2020)
- Chief of Staff: United States Air Force (June 2020 – Present)
Charles Brown in his office
Promotions
- Lieutenant General: June 29, 2015
- Major General: July 3, 2013
- Brigadier General: November 20, 2009
- Lieutenant Colonel: July 1, 1999
- Captain: February 28, 1989
- Lieutenant: February 28, 1987
- Second Lieutenant: February 28, 1985
Awards and decorations
- The Republic of Korea National Security Merit Medal (March 1st Medal)
- Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
- South Korean National Defense Service Medal
- Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
- Global War on Terrorism Expedition Medal
- Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
- National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star
- Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaves
- Joint Service Commendation Medal
- Meritorious Service Medal with Two Oak Leaves
- Defense Merit Medal
- Order of Merit with three oak leaves
- Department of Defense Superior Service Medal
- Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Facts/Trivia
- Charles Brown was the first black American to serve as Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force and the first African-American to serve as Chief of Staff of a U.S. military service.
- After the Senate voted 98-0 to approve it, Vice President Mike Pence made a rare appearance to preside over the Republican-led Senate.
- President Trump announced on March 2, 2020 that Charles Brown will be the next Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, although his appointment was seen as an appeasement strategy to ease the growing violent protests across the United States following the death of George Floyd.
- Charles Brown succeeds David Goldfein as Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force.
- Charles Brown released a moving video days before the confirmation vote, sharing his personal experience with racial discrimination. In the video, posted on Twitter, Brown said,
I was thinking about the history of racial issues and my own experiences where I didn’t always sing about freedom. I was thinking about wearing the same flight suit as my colleagues, with the same wings on my chest, and then being asked by another military member, “Are you a pilot?” I was thinking about the pressure I felt to perform flawlessly, especially because I thought my superiors had lower expectations of me as an African American. I was thinking about how I had to work twice as hard to prove that their expectations and perceptions of African Americans were invalid.”
- As a command pilot, Charles Brown had more than 2,900 hours of flying experience, including 130 hours in combat.
Charles Brown flying a Mirage 2000
- In September 2005, Air University Press published Charles Brown’s book Developing Doctrine for the Future Joint Force: Creating Synergies and Minimizing Seams.
- Charles Brown has flown a variety of aircraft, including the F-16A/B/C/D and 15 other fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education