Brown to Serve as AEDC’s Director of Military Affairs
August 11, 2025LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (August 11, 2025) – Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Charles E. Brown Jr. has been named the new Director of Military Affairs for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.
In this role, Brown is charged with strengthening and sustaining the military installations in Arkansas to drive economic growth in local communities and the State of Arkansas. He will serve as the first point of contact between the State of Arkansas and the U.S. military in economic development projects.
Arkansas is home to five major military installations, including the Little Rock Air Force Base, Camp Robinson, Pine Bluff Arsenal, Ebbing Air National Guard Base, and Fort Chaffee Joint Maneuver Training Center. Arkansas most recently became the home of a new enduring mission: a new Foreign Military Sales Program Pilot Training Center at Ebbing Air National Guard Base.
“We are excited to welcome Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Charles Brown back to the Natural State to serve as AEDC’s Director of Military Affairs. He has experience both in our state and at the national level that will be invaluable in his new role, working to protect military installations in Arkansas,” said Clint O’Neal, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. “Supporting the state’s military installations is an essential part of our economic development strategy. These installations are major economic drivers – supporting service members, families, and businesses – and Brig. Gen. Brown is perfectly equipped to help drive continued growth for the five Arkansas military installations.”
Brown held numerous leadership and command roles during his military career. His final posting was as Chief of Staff for the Headquarters Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base. Prior to this posting, he served as the Senior Defense Official and Defense Attache for the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel.
He also held multiple leadership roles at the Little Rock Air Force Base, including serving as Commander of the 19th Airlift Wing from May 2015 to July 2017. Earlier postings at the Little Rock Air Force Base included Chief of Wing Safety for the 314th Airlift Wing (July 2008-March 2009), Commander of the 62nd Airlift Squadron (April 2009-May 2011), and Deputy Commander of the 314th Operations Group (May 2011-July 2011).
A seasoned aviator, Brown flew more than 1,600 flight hours, including 300 combat hours and 160 combat sorties with a command pilot rating.
Brown succeeds Col. (Ret.) Robert Ator II, who served as AEDC’s Director of Military Affairs from 2018 to 2024. Governor Sarah Sanders appointed Ator to serve as the Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs in December 2024.
Brown graduated in 1994 from Florida State University with a bachelor’s degree and earned his commission through the Air Force ROTC. He is also a distinguished graduate of the Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base and received a Master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. Brown also served as a National Security Fellow at Harvard University in 2012.
“It is my honor to be back in the great state of Arkansas which has been the backbone and foundation of my military career and a part of my family’s greatest memories,” said Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Charles E. Brown Jr. “I have served in the state numerous times, concluding with Commanding Little Rock Air Force Base, and the 19th Airlift Wing. I look forward to giving back to the state as much as it has provided my family and I over nearly 30 years of service to our great nation and this amazing state!”
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About the Arkansas Economic Development Commission
At AEDC, we know economic advancement doesn’t happen by accident. We work strategically with businesses and communities to create strong economic opportunities, making Arkansas the natural choice for success. AEDC is a division of the Arkansas Department of Commerce. To learn more, visit ArkansasEDC.com.
