General Charles Q. Brown Appointed Next Chief Of The Air Force> U.S. Air Force> Article Display

General Charles Q. (CQ) Brown, Jr., the commander of the Pacific Air Force, a decorated pilot who has held key positions and served as a military adviser at the highest level, has been appointed to serve as the 22nd chief of the Air Force Staff, Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper announced on March 2.

If confirmed by the Senate, Brown would hold one of the top two positions in the Air Force of General David L. Goldfein, who retires on June 30 after four years as that chief of staff. Brown would be the first African American to serve as the department head.

"I am truly honored and humbled by the appointment to the position of 22nd Chief of the Air Staff," he said. "If confirmed, Sharene and I look forward to building on the legacy of General Dave and Dawn Goldfein and the many before air power giants who served our Air Force and our nation with such dedication. "

Brown, known throughout the Force as the "CQ", will take command of an Air Force in transition from a decades-long priority on countering terrorism and mastering it in a new era of competition from the great powers. As part of this new direction, the Air Force and the entire U.S. military must be trained, ready, and properly equipped to face, deter, and if necessary, overcome the challenges of Russia and China. . It also comes at a time when the challenges of North Korea are heightened and other geopolitical changes across Asia.

Brown knows the Korean Peninsula and Asia well. It is the result of his command of the Pacific Air Force, a sprawling enterprise in which he directs 46,000 airmen spread over half the world and develops policies and tactics that guarantee the success of the mission in part more the world's most complex and dangerous.

"The United States Air Force will be well served by the tremendous talents of CQ Brown," said Secretary of Air Force Barbara Barrett. “He has an unmatched strategic vision and operational expertise. His leadership will be instrumental as the service continues to focus on the capabilities and talents we need to implement the national defense strategy. "

As Chief of Staff, Brown will play a central role in the full integration and connection of war operations that collect, analyze and share information in all areas – air, sea, land, cyber and space – and between all services.

"CQ Brown is one of the best warriors ever produced by our Air Force. It is a world leader – in the Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, "said General Goldfein. "In terms of global and operational know-how, no one is stronger. Congratulations to General Brown on his appointment as our next leader. "

As chief of staff, Brown will also be a key ally and partner in supporting the newly created Space Force.

"Gen. CQ Brown is the right strategic leader at the right time for the United States Air Force, "said General Jay Raymond, Chief of Space Operations. "He clearly understands the evolving and complex strategic environment we face and recognizes the importance of integration across the board to compete, discourage and win." On behalf of the 16,000 men and women assigned to the United States Space Force, congratulations on this appointment! "

Brown will sit as a member of the Joint Staff and represent the Air Force to the public, Congress, industry partners and allies. The Chief of Staff is responsible for defining and articulating Air Force priorities, shaping culture, budget and service priorities, as well as organizing, training and equipping the 685,000 active members, guards, reservists and civilians in the Air Force.

"General Dave Goldfein has been a tireless leader as chief of staff in the defense of the air forces that our country needs. This is important but difficult work that will not do that get complicated as the security environment continually changes in this era of high-powered competition, "said Esper.

"With the appointment of General CQ Brown, comes the right level of talent and experience for the position in order to perfect the lethality and readiness of airmen; strengthen ties with Allied and partner air forces, and to do so effectively, ”he said.

Brown's background and training, orders and experience position him well for the demands and expectations of the job.

He graduated in 1984 from Texas Tech University with a degree in civil engineering and earned his commission – with distinction – from the Air Force ROTC.

Throughout his 35-year career, Brown has been guided by what he describes as his "four principles" – performing at a high level; be disciplined in execution; pay attention to details; Have fun.

"Whatever our respective ranks and positions, we must perform to the best of our ability and we must do it correctly the first time because the application of air power is a serious matter where shy efforts and play to second place are not options, "he said in a speech in 2018.

A pilot in command with more than 2,900 hours of flight mainly in the F-16, including 130 hours of combat, Brown occupied key roles in operations against Libya and in the air war against the Islamic State. Throughout his career, Brown commanded a fighter squadron, two fighter wings and the US Air Forces Central Command. Prior to his current mission, he was deputy commander of the United States Central Command.

He has also held other high-level positions which will be very useful to him as head of the armed forces of the service. They included the position of Commander of the Air Force Arms School from 2005 to 2007 and, from March 2014 to June 2015, as Director, Operations, Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration, U.S. Air Force Headquarters in Europe.

Above all, he also has a deep understanding of the Chief of Staff, having served as an aide-de-camp to the 15th Chief of Staff, General Ronald R. Fogleman and as Executive Action Group Director for the 22nd Secretary of the Air Force, Michael B. Donley and 19th Chief of Staff, General Norton A. Schwartz. He was also a member of National Defense at the Institute for Defense Analysis.

"It is an absolute privilege for Sharene and I to represent our airmen and our families and we remain committed to serving them every day with the unwavering support that will ensure us remain the largest air force in the world," said Brown. .