×
×
×
×
×
×
×
×

Alumni

Alumni
×

Search

×

New AFIT director not here to tread water

Posted Monday, December 10, 2018

 

Colonel Thomas H. Brown, Jr. is the new director of AFIT’s Civilian Institution Programs.  In this role, he manages graduate school and continuing education assignments required to support nearly every aspect of the Air Force’s mission.  Students include medical professionals, attorneys, chaplains, and line officers earning degrees in academic disciplines at all levels.

“AFIT’s Civilian Institution Program is dedicated to diversifying education by taking advantage of over 375 colleges, universities, clinics and hospitals around the world, to bring a different perspective of an educated Airman-leader and warrior to the fight,” said Col. Brown. “I am glad with the small staff I have of 20 people,  we are making a difference for the 2,600 Airmen that are part of AFIT’s virtual campuses around the world.”

One of the challenges Col. Brown is addressing first is building partnerships through increased face-to-face engagement with organizations who have a stake in the education process such as the Air Force Personnel Center and the Surgeon General’s Defense Health Headquarters.  He works with agencies at all stages of the officer’s early career from recruiting and education, to programs focused on understanding the Air Force life, environment, and culture. “We need to have open, sometimes uncomfortable, dialogue about what needs to be done to get these Airmen prepared to join the fight, how we recruit other Airmen to come participate in this fight, and how we sustain them through the AFIT program, as well as their follow-ons once they are no longer an AFIT student.  It’s a life cycle management process to take care of these Airmen,” said Col. Brown.

Col. Brown is also looking within his organization to address stagnation – pushing his staff to move past simply getting by and finding new and innovative ways to enhance the mission.  “Treading water is not going to make AFIT an academic force to be reckoned with, not just in the Air Force, but the Department of Defense - you have to swim steadily…and quickly,” said Col. Brown.

He is also encouraging his staff to improve their work-life balance through organizational skills and time management to create a better daily battle rhythm.  “The passion and desire of my team just consumed them to the point where there was no work-life balance.  People weren’t taking care of themselves and the job was swallowing them up whole,” said Col Brown.  It’s a challenge he accepts himself, reflecting every day on what he could have done better to make his staff’s jobs simpler and more effective.

Not one to shy away from the hard conversations, Col. Brown works to identify and call out the difficult issues.  As a senior leader, he is focused not only on the accomplishments, but on identifying the policies and procedures that are impeding growth and improvement. “Saying what needs to be said, even if it makes me or my staff look like we are not doing the best job or like we could be doing better - we have to talk about the things that aren’t always positive to get to positive things and a better space,” said Col. Brown.  He expects resistance, but doesn’t give in to NO saying “we owe our students better than that.” 

Commissioned in 1993 as an aircraft maintenance officer, one of Col. Brown’s first assignments was as an executive officer for the 344th Technical Training Squadron at Lackland AFB, Texas which ultimately lead him down the path of becoming a personnel officer.

Throughout his career Col. Brown has held key positions across two Combatant Commands, NATO, and six Major Commands, including a deployment with Special Operations Command and another with the Combined Security Transition Command in Kabul, Afghanistan. Fluent in Italian and Spanish, he spent four years in Italy and one year in Honduras.

He served as the executive officer to Lt. Gen. Glen Moorhead, the commander of the Allied Air Component Command in Naples, Italy, during the execution of Operation JOINT FORGE/JOINT GUARDIAN.  “I absolutely loved it.  Because of my language background I was able to be embedded with the Italian Air Force and could sit in their meetings without information having to be translated.  That was an asset to the U.S. Air Force,” said Col. Brown.

As the deputy fighter group commander for Air Combat Command’s 495th Fighter Group at Shaw AFB, Col. Brown was responsible for all non-flying and non-maintenance issues.  “This was an active duty flying mission with maintenance members embedded that are housed on guard and reserve bases so that the guard and reserve members are training the active duty,” said Col. Brown.  “Our guys were being trained by people who had been flying and maintaining jets for 20 to 30 years.  At that time, an F-16 pilot and maintenance troop could be considered mission ready on an active duty Air Force installation in about 27 months.  Through a guard or reserve base, we were getting them mission ready in 17 months.  I am proud to say I was part of that.”

Born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Col. Brown followed in his parents' footsteps and went to Tuskegee University in Alabama, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science and International Relations. He went on to receive his Master of Arts degree in Human Resource Management from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri.

The oldest of four, Col. Brown has two sisters and a brother.  His father and other family members served in the military, but he is the first to make it a career.  He met his wife while stationed in Germany and 19 months ago became the proud parents of a baby boy. “Every parent says this, but he is just the sweetest kid,” shared Col Brown.  Becoming a husband and father helped him develop more patience, become more methodical, and be a better listener. “I take information in more.  I used to listen to people but really only waited for my turn to respond,” said Col. Brown.  

Through his 25 years of active duty service, Col. Brown has learned that leadership is setting an example that you yourself would be proud to follow.  “It involves treating others with dignity and respect; it’s how you manage and direct your mission, and how you state your plan of execution for running your day to day operations to your people,” said Col. Brown.

When talking with young military members, he tells them to avoid any sense of entitlement and to focus on the job that they have at the rank that they are in.  “Bloom where you are planted.  We hear that speech all the time because it is true,” said Col. Brown.  Taking his own advice, Col. Brown is tackling his responsibilities as the Civilian Institution Programs director head on with a fresh perspective and willingness.  “I think I have a unique skill set coming from the operational Air Force – what I have seen out there can help what I have to do within the institution,” said Col. Brown.
 

 

More news...

Return to the top of the page

Air Force Institute of Technology
2950 Hobson Way
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH 45433-7765
Commercial: 937-255-6565 | DSN: 785-6565