Col Chris Brown is the Staff Judge Advocate for Headquarters, Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. As staff judge advocate, he is the principal legal adviser to the Commander, Air Combat Command (ACC), and headquarters staff on all legal issues involving military justice, operational and international law, and civil law. He provides professional guidance to over 300 active duty, reserve and civilian attorneys, and to over 300 enlisted paralegals and civilians. His office establishes policy oversight for 21 legal offices, to include six general court-martial jurisdictions, providing legal services to over 157,000 active duty and reserve members, civilians and their eligible dependents.
Col. Brown went to Army Basic Training in 1985 and served in Operation DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM as an enlisted Army Military Policeman. He commissioned through the Air Force Officer Training School in September of 1995, serving over 5 years as a Security Police Officer prior to completing an inter-service transfer to the JAG Corps.
Col. Brown has served as an Area Defense Counsel, Judge Advocate General School Instructor, Deputy Director of Training and Readiness Directorate, Staff Judge Advocate, Appellate Military Judge, and Chief of Military Justice Division levels. He deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in support of Detainee Operations and to Qatar and Pakistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. He is admitted to practice law before the Supreme Court of the United States, the Supreme Court of Massachusetts, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.
Prior to his current position, Col Brown served as the Commandant, Air Force Judge Advocate General’s School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
EDUCATION
1989 Bachelors of Arts Degree in History, cum laude, Bridgewater State College, Mass.
1993 Juris Doctorate, Suffolk University Law School, Mass.
1995 Officer Training School (Distinguished Graduate)
2000 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence
2000 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2005 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2008 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2011 Air War College, by correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
1. November 1985 - April 1986, Basic Military Training/Advanced Infantry Training, Fort McClellan, Ala.
2. April 1986 - September 1991, Massachusetts Army National Guard (December 1991 - May 1992 served on active duty in Southwest Asia during operation DESERT SHIELD/STORM)
3. October 1995 - February 1998, Missile Security Flight Commander, 447th Missile Squadron, Grand Forks AFB, N.D.
4. February 1998 - February 2000, Flight Commander, Training & Resources Flight, 9th Security Forces Squadron, Beale AFB, Calif.
5. May 2000 - July 2003, Chief, Legal Assistance/Preventive Law (Chief Military Justice, and Claims) 86th Airlift Wing, Ramstein Air Base, Germany (September 2001 - December 2001, Deployed Staff Judge Advocate, Doha Air Base, Qatar)
6. August 2003 - August 2004, Chief, Military Justice, 8th Fighter Wing, Kunsan AB, Republic of Korea
7. September 2004 - September 2005, Chief, General Claims, 37th Training Wing, Lackland AFB, TX (May 2005 - August 2005, Deployed Chief of Intelligence Law, Joint Task Force GTMO, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba)
8. September 2005 - August 2007, Area Defense Counsel, Air Force Legal Service Agency, Lackland AFB, Texas
9. August 2007 - July 2008, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
10. July 2008 - July 2011, Instructor, Deputy Chief, and Chief Military Justice Division, The Air Force Judge Advocate General’s School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
11. July 2011 - July 2013, Deputy Director, Training and Readiness Directorate, Joint Air Base Andrews, Md.
12. July 2013 - July 2016, Staff Judge Advocate, 6th Air Mobility Wing, MacDill AFB, Fla.
13. July 2016 - August 2017, Appellate Judge, Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
14. August 2017 - July 2019, Chief, Military Justice Division, Air Force Legal Operations Agency, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
15. July 2019 - July 2021, Commandant, Air Force Judge Advocate General’s School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
16. July 2021 - present, Staff Judge Advocate, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal
Reserve Component Army Achievement Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS:
Robert Lowry Award for Leadership and Academics, JASOC May 2000
447 Missile Squadron Company Grade Officer of the Year, 1997
Security Forces Company Grade Officer of the Year, 1997
Honor Graduate Security Police Officer Air Base Ground Defense School, March 1996
Distinguished Graduate Officer Training School, September 1995
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant, Sept. 22, 1995
First Lieutenant, Sept. 22, 1997
Captain, Sept. 22, 1999
Major, April 1, 2006
Lieutenant Colonel, Nov. 1, 2011
Colonel, Dec 1, 2016
(Current as of July 2021)