The Air Force's Black Pilot State of the Union

The Making of a Black Chief

“Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.” Romans 13:7 NKJV

(Bible Gateway, n.d.)

It is my intent in this chapter to give honor to General Charles Q. Brown, the Air Force’s first African American Chief of Staff. To the best of my ability, I will share what I believe are the key ingredients of his success. Gen. Brown’s selection to be Chief of Staff is no fluke or “diversity” hire. Many of Gen. Brown’s qualifications are well documented in a chapter that I wrote about him in “Black Pilot.” However, there are some other qualifications that I don’t think most readers are aware of that I believe caused him to not only thrive in the Air Force but be selected to serve in its highest post.

The following is a quote from the “Black Ceiling” chapter entitled “It Takes Most of the Same Ingredients”:

“In my research for this book, I have discovered that it takes most of the same ingredients to make a general officer, whether that officer is white or black. The making of a four-star is not a mystery; the pattern has been the same since WWII. We have seen in the Creech system and as far back as the careers of Eisenhower and Marshall that these ingredients include door opening, mentoring, top-cover, combat operations experience, and being placed in the right jobs where talent can be observed.” (Thompson, The Air Force's Black Ceiling, 2016)

In “Black Ceiling,” I said that it takes “most of the same ingredients” to make a black general as it takes to make a white one and then proceeded to list the ingredients. The word “most” is the operative word because I believe there is another ingredient that must be included for an African American man or woman to make it to the Air Force’s highest ranks.

I believe that in addition to leadership in combat operations (fighter pilots for the Air Force), mentoring, and door opening, you must add the ability to successfully navigate Air Force culture, i.e., white male-dominated culture. It is my belief that this final ingredient is the difference-maker for black men and women to have stellar career success in the Air Force. It is Gen. Brown’s skill in this area that helped him become the Air Force’s first black Chief of Staff.

       Leadership In Combat Operations

I have had three black Air Force four-stars disagree with me and even mildly scold me about focusing on combat operations/fighter pilots. So, I’d like to briefly revisit my rationale. Without this understanding, the reader will never fully grasp what it takes to make a black Chief of Staff in today’s Air Force. I’d like to start with a quote from Lt. Gen. Hopper, a command pilot with over 4,000 flying hours in cargo aircraft, tankers, executive transport, and helicopters, but not fighters:

“First, I think your research and subsequent publications highlight the critical path of growing a diverse group of leaders for the 21st century.  It's clear the broadest road to the executive suite is through operations.  For the Army and Marine Corps, it's the MOS's that comprise the ‘Combat Arms.’  For the Navy, it is ‘Sea Duty,’ whether that is afloat, submerged, or flying above, for our Air Force, it is flyers (although in my view, we are the most tribal, and all flyers are not created equal).”  (Hopper Jr., 2021)

Here’s an excerpt from “Black Pilot,” in which the Air Force candidly shares where it looks to find its senior leaders. The excerpt also includes a quote from Gen. Darren McDew, a retired black four-star pilot who also flew cargo aircraft, tankers, executive transport, and helicopters, but not fighters:...

‘The Air Force, with few exceptions, traditionally has drawn its top leaders from combat pilots, especially those who fly fighter jets… But the surest path to the top, as in the Army, is leading front-line combat units…We're not that much different than the Army in that the combat arms part of our Air Force has traditionally been where we have drawn our most senior leaders,’ said Gen. Darren McDew…” (USA Today) (Brook, 2015)” (Thompson, The Air Force's Black Pilot Training Experience, 2018)