{"id":32075,"date":"2020-08-06T20:17:18","date_gmt":"2020-08-06T20:17:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/08\/06\/a-new-air-force-era-begins-as-cq-brown-the-nations-first-black-service-chief-assumes-command\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:59:54","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:59:54","slug":"a-new-air-force-era-begins-as-cq-brown-the-nations-first-black-service-chief-assumes-command","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/2020\/08\/06\/a-new-air-force-era-begins-as-cq-brown-the-nations-first-black-service-chief-assumes-command\/","title":{"rendered":"A new Air Force era begins as \u2018CQ\u2019 Brown, the nation\u2019s first Black service chief, assumes command"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Gen. Charles \u201cCQ\u201d Brown<\/a> assumed command of the Air Force as its 22nd chief of staff Thursday in a ceremony at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brown succeeded Gen. Dave Goldfein, the chief of staff since 2016, who retired at the ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett oversaw the symbolic passing of the flag, marking the change of leadership from Goldfein to Brown<\/a>, with Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Kaleth Wright holding the flag. Barrett then swore in Brown<\/a>, with his wife, Sharene, holding the traditional Bible used to swear in chiefs of staff since Gen. Carl Spaatz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wright presented Brown with the traditional service cap worn by chiefs of staff, which is embellished with clouds, darts and lightning bolts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m simply in awe today,\u201d Brown said. \u201cI\u2019m in awe that I\u2019m even standing here as the 22nd Air Force chief of staff, considering I had only planned to stay in the Air Force four years, and I almost quit ROTC after the first semester. Yet here I am, in a position I never thought imaginable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown delivers remarks during a transition ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Aug. 6, 2020. Brown succeeded Gen. David Goldfein as the 22nd chief of staff. (Eric Dietrich\/Air Force)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The ceremony took place in the shadow of a P-51 Mustang, alluding to the historic nature of Brown\u2019s leadership as the U.S. military\u2019s first-ever Black service chief. The famed and skilled Tuskegee Airmen of World War II, who fought against racial discrimination to become the military\u2019s first Black fighter pilots, flew P-51s painted with distinctive red tails.<\/p>\n\n\n\t