Fired General's Texas Ties: Career Began & Ended in Lone Star State
Defense Secretary accused him of "DEI woke shit" & said he "has got to go."
By now, you've likely heard that President Trump removed Air Force General Charles Q. ("CQ") Brown as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the US Military's highest-ranking officer, on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. What you may not know is that CQ Brown's career literally began - and ended - in his native state of Texas.
(That is - unless you are from Lubbock - where he has been honored as a Texas Tech Alumnus alongside quarterback Patrick Mahomes for his accomplishments. In a state where football is revered - that is high praise indeed).
More on General Brown's Texas Tech ties in a moment. We begin with his family's history in Texas, which goes back many years and is rooted in military service.
Charles Quinton Brown Jr. (nicknamed "CQ") was born in 1962 to a military family in San Antonio. His father, Charles Sr., served for 30 years in the Army, rising to the rank of colonel. His grandfather, Robert E. Brown, was drafted in World War II and served in the Pacific Theater in Hawaii and Saipan.
Brown was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1985 after completing Texas Tech's ROTC program and graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering.
In the years that followed, Brown became known as an experienced fighter pilot, racking up 3,100 flying hours (130 of them in combat), mainly in F-16s. His experience as a commander led to President Trump naming him the first African-American to head the US Air Force on August 4, 2020.
Although President Trump did not criticize General Brown's military service in the years that followed, the same could not be said for his Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
During an interview before assuming office, Hegseth accused General Brown of involvement in "DEI woke sh*t" and said he "has got to go."
Hegseth also hinted that General Brown may have attained his position due to his race (ignoring the fact that President Trump himself selected Brown to head the Air Force before President Biden appointed him to head the Joint Chiefs three years later).
“Was it because of his skin color? Or his skill? We’ll never know, but always doubt – which on its face seems unfair to CQ. But since he has made the race card one of his biggest calling cards, it doesn’t really much matter,” Hegseth wrote in his 2024 book “The War on Warriors.”
Hegseth served in the military for less than ten years and never advanced past the rank of Major. By contrast, CQ Brown served for more than 40 years and became a four-star general.
On Friday, February 21, 2025, General Brown found himself back in Texas - at El Paso's Fort Bliss, meeting some of the 9,200 U.S. troops that have been assigned to the U.S. Southern Border with Mexico to secure it from illegal crossings.
As the day ended, General Brown boarded a Pentagon aircraft to return to Washington, DC. A short while later, President Trump announced his dismissal, albeit with far more complimentary words than Defense Secretary Hegseth had for him:
"I want to thank General Charles “CQ” Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family." -President Donald J. Trump (February 21, 2025),
Do you agree with the decision to dismiss General CQ Brown?
Share your opinion in the comments on this article!
Abrazos,
Jack Beavers
Seems like a very accomplished soldier ~ however after DJT promoted him- he (article from 2020) seemed to go-off the DEI rails ~ you can’t solve perceived (or past) racism with…..Racism ~
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/brown-diversity-push-changing-personnel-decision-process/
CQ swamp thing is a racist george floyd piece of garbage