Europe
Maj. Gen. Brown set to become AFCENT commander
Stars and Stripes
November 19, 2014
Air Force Maj. Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. has been nominated for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and assignment as commander, U.S. Air Forces Central Command, Air Combat Command, Al Udeid, Qatar. Brown is currently serving as director, operations, strategic deterrence and nuclear integration at U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Courtesy U.S. Air Force)
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — A high-level Air Force officer with Europe ties is President Barack Obama’s nominee to be the next commander for U.S. Air Forces Central Command, Air Combat Command, the Pentagon announced Wednesday.
If confirmed, Maj. Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. would take command at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.
Since March 2014, Brown has been the director of operations, strategic deterrence and nuclear integration for U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa at Ramstein Air Base.
The general was nominated to receive a third star. He would succeed Lt. Gen. John Hesterman III, who has directed U.S. Air Forces Central Command since July 2013. The Pentagon hasn’t announced a new assignment for Hesterman.
Before coming to Europe, Brown was for almost a year the deputy commander for U.S. Air Forces Central Command and deputy for the Combined Force Air Component Commander, U.S. Central Command, Southwest Asia.
From 2009 to 2011, Brown commanded the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, Italy.