Charles Q. Brown Jr. | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2023 | |
| Nickname(s) | CQ |
| Born | (1962-03-02)2 March 1962 (age 63) San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service | United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1984–present |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | |
| Alma mater | |
| Signature |  |
Brown's opening statement at his confirmation hearing to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Recorded July 11, 2023 | |
Charles Quinton Brown Jr. (born March 2, 1962) is aUnited States Air Forcegeneral who served as the 21stchairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2023 to 2025.[1][2]
Prior to his appointment, Brown served as the 22ndchief of staff of the Air Force from 2020 to 2023. Brown entered the Air Force in 1984 and served as afighter pilot, where he has logged over 3,000 flight hours, including 130 hours in combat. He has commanded thePacific Air Forces,U.S. Air Forces Central Command,31st Fighter Wing,8th Fighter Wing,U.S. Air Force Weapons School, and78th Fighter Squadron. He has also served as deputy commander of theU.S. Central Command.
Brown, nominated by PresidentDonald Trump during his first term, became the first African American to lead a branch of the United States Armed Forces.[3] He was later nominated by PresidentJoe Biden to becomeChairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.[4] Brown was abruptly dismissed as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on February 21, 2025 by PresidentDonald Trump.[2][5] Trump subsequently announced that Brown would be replaced withDan Caine.[6][7]
In 2020, Brown was onTime'slist of the 100 most influential people in the world.[8]
Charles Quinton Brown Jr.[9] was born in 1962 to a military family inSan Antonio, Texas. Brown was nicknamed "CQ". He has one younger sister. He had one younger brother (died in 2003). His father, Charles 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.[citation needed]
Brown graduated in 1980 fromHomer L. Ferguson High School inNewport News, Virginia and fromTexas Tech University inLubbock with aBachelor of Science degree incivil engineering. He was also a distinguished graduate of theAir ForceReserve Officers Training Corps.[10][11] At Texas Tech, he joined theEta Upsilon chapter ofAlpha Phi Alpha fraternity in the spring of 1981.[12]
In 1994, while serving in the Air Force, Brown earned amaster's degree inaeronautical science fromEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical University, inDaytona Beach, Florida.
Brown was commissioned as asecond lieutenant in 1984 after completing the ROTC program.[13] Brown has served in a variety of positions at thesquadron and wing level, including an assignment to theUnited States Air Force Weapons School as anF-16 instructor. His notable staff tours includeaide-de-camp to theChief of Staff of the Air Force; director,Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff Executive Action Group; and deputy director, operations,U.S. Central Command. He also served as a national defense fellow at theInstitute for Defense Analyses,Alexandria, Virginia.[13]
Brown has commanded afighter squadron, the United States Air Force Weapons School, and two fighter wings. One was the 8th Fighter Wing, nicknamed "Wolf Pack", atKunsan Air Force Base,South Korea. 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, Germany. He is acommand pilot with more than 2,900 flying hours, including 130 combat hours.[13]
Brown's career as a general officer began when he was appointed as commander of the31st Fighter Wing inAviano Air 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 ofU.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa atRamstein Air Base,Germany.[14] In June 2015, Brown received his third star when he was appointed as commander ofUnited States Air Forces Central Command (USAFCENT). In July 2016 he was appointed as deputy commander ofUnited States Central Command. As AFCENT commander, Brown oversaw all of Air Force operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, while also second-in-command of USCENTCOM.[14][15]
In July 2018, Brown was nominated to succeed GeneralTerrence J. O'Shaughnessy as commander ofPacific Air Forces. O'Shaughnessy was nominated to become commander of theUnited States Northern Command. Brown was also promoted tofour-star general with this position. As PACAF commander, Brown oversaw all of major United States Air Force operations within theIndo-Pacific region.[16]
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On 2 March 2020, the White House announced that PresidentDonald Trump would nominate Brown to become the nextChief of Staff of the United States Air Force, succeeding GeneralDavid L. Goldfein.[17] On 9 June 2020, Brown was unanimously confirmed (98–0) by theUnited States Senate to succeed Goldfein as Chief of Staff of the US Air Force.[3] With this confirmation he became the first African American to lead a branch of theUnited States Armed Forces.[18] As Air Force Chief of Staff, he advises the President, Secretary of Defense, and National Security Council regarding Air Force matters, and 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 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".[19] He maintained Goldfein's prioritization of multi-domain command and control after theAir Force Association's 2016 Air, Space & Cyber Conference.[19] After the establishment of theUnited States Space Force, which is also part of the Department of the Air Force, Brown worked closely with the first Chief of Space Operations GeneralJay 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.[19]
As Air Force Chief of Staff, Brown began integration of the newtanker aircraft,Boeing KC-46 Pegasus, as part of Air Force fleet rejuvenation, and began its operation within Air Mobility Command. Brown and several Congressional delegation members, including U.S. SenatorJeanne Shaheen, a longtime advocate for the tanker, participated in a demonstration flight atJoint Base Andrews.[20][21]
Brown was featured during the 2021African-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 theUnited States Armed Forces. GeneralLloyd Austin, the first African American to serve as aUnited States Secretary of Defense, was also featured.[22][23][11] Brown was made an honoraryTuskegee Airman, receiving the symbolic red jacket in a ceremony on 14 August 2021.[24]
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Considered a frontrunner for the position prior to his official nomination,[25][26] Brown was formally announced as PresidentJoe Biden's nominee to succeed GeneralMark Milley as the 21stchairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on 25 May 2023.[4] He was confirmed by the Senate on 20 September 2023,[27] and sworn in on 29 September.[28][29][30] His term was effective as of 1 October 2023.[31]
After the outbreak of theGaza war, Brown said that the U.S. military can support the needs of bothIsrael andUkraine.[32] He warnedIran "not to get involved" in the war in Gaza.[33] In August 2024, Brown traveled to Jordan with plans to also visit Egypt and Israel.[34] In August 2024, Brown visited Israel and met with Israeli Defense MinisterYoav Gallant and Israeli Chief of General StaffHerzi Halevi to discuss threats fromIran.[35]
On 21 February 2025, President Trump dismissed Brown from the position of chairman.Pete Hegseth, who was later appointedUnited States Secretary of Defense by Trump, had previously called for Brown's dismissal because of his involvement in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and questioned whether Brown had gotten the job solely because of his race.[36] Trump said that he would nominateDan Caine as Brown's successor.[37] According to Trump, Caine had told him on a previous occasion, "I love you, sir. I think you’re great, sir. I’ll kill for you, sir" while wearing aMAGA hat.[38]
Brown is rated as a command pilot, having logged more than 2,900 flight hours, including 130 combat hours. Aircraft he has flown include the F-16A/B/C/D, AC-130U, AH-64, AT-38, B-1B, B-2A, B-52H, C-130J, E-8C, HH-60G, KC-135, MV-22, T-37, T-38 and two more fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft.[13]
Brown has received the following awards and decorations:[13]
| Insignia | Rank | Date |
|---|---|---|
 | General | 26 July 2018 |
 | Lieutenant general | 29 June 2015 |
 | Major general | 3 July 2013 |
 | Brigadier general | 20 Nov. 2009 |
 | Colonel | 1 June 2005 |
 | Lieutenant colonel | 1 July 1999 |
 | Major | 1 Aug. 1996 |
 | Captain | 28 Feb. 1989 |
 | First lieutenant | 28 Feb. 1987 |
 | Second lieutenant | 28 Feb. 1985 |
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.He attended Texas Tech University on an ROTC scholarship, rather than the Air Force Academy, and has said he only expected to serve in the military for four years.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Commander of the31st Fighter Wing 2009–2011 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commander ofUnited States Air Forces Central Command 2015–2016 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Deputy Commander ofUnited States Central Command 2016–2018 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commander of thePacific Air Forces 2018–2020 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force 2020–2023 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 2023–2025 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas formerchairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (2019–2023) | Order of precedence of the United States as former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (2023–2025) | Succeeded byasChief of Space Operations |
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