Meet Lt. Col. Brown, commander of the 345th Recruiting Squadron Published June 30, 2016 By Staff Sgt. Maria Bowman 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Lt. Col. Joel Brown assumed command of the 345th Recruiting Squadron June 14. He leads 85 Airmen in their recruiting efforts spanning an 118,000 square mile area of responsibility covering America’s heartland. What led you to join the Air Force? As a youngster, I’d visit with my grandparents who lived 10 miles from Lambert Field. My grandfather would drive me over to the edge of a service road in an old red and white suburban. He would park the car, and I’d watch these Trans World Airlines planes land and take off. From time to time, there’d be an F-4 from the Air National Guard unit that would take off or land, deploying a parachute to slow it down. This made a huge impression on me. These planes were awesome. As I grew up and learned about the values found in the armed services, combined with the cool factor of Air Force technology, I knew I wanted in. When did you decide you wanted to become an officer? Early in High School, I learned about the U.S. Air Force Academy and the opportunity it would allow me to transition into the officer corps. At that point, and the three years to follow, my focus became getting an appointment to USAFA. Was there a specific goal in mind when you became an officer? I’ve done so many fun things through my AF career. My goals were incremental. I had a goal of teaching philosophy at the USAFA and was able to do that. Since early in my career, though, I set my sights on command. I first got a taste for recruiting as a captain, and since then I set my sets on commanding a recruiting squadron. What is your favorite Air Force memory? A slew of memories stand out. The time I went to London while deployed and was able to meet my wife and kids there. The time I’ve spent in so many amazing places—from Korea to Germany, and across nearly all parts of the U.S. What can 345th Airmen expect from you? I work with a great group of Airmen who have been successful before I arrived, and will continue to be long after I leave. I want to continue that legacy and make the organization even sharper where it can become so. What do you expect from the Airmen? Everyone knows who the Airmen are in the community. Our clients are the next generation of our Air Force and recruiters are the Air Force’s community liaisons. This also means that they are never really off duty. I expect Airmen of the 345th RCS to maintain and develop their expertise as Airmen and as recruiters, committed to making themselves better at the craft of recruiting, while building the community’s confidence in the Air Force brand and protecting it from blemish. What advice would you give Airmen? Do well in your primary duty. Make it your craft and take pride in your expertise. But continue to pursue education and opportunities that will take you to where you want to be, in five years, 10, and after you leave the Air Force. What do you look forward to the most? This is a challenging time in recruiting. Our Air Force is growing, and rightfully so. I look forward to engaging and succeeding in the challenging times. Do you have a leadership philosophy? We are in the people business here—putting people first, always doing the mission, and exemplifying our core values. This combination will keep people excited and interested in the Air Force mission, and it appeals to future Airmen. How do you feel about being at Scott AFB? I grew up in a small town in Missouri about an hour outside of St. Louis. This will be the first time our family will have lived less than two hours away from family in the last 20 years. We’re excited. I’ve also managed to cultivate a huge Cardinals fan base in the house—my three boys—who can’t wait to get to Busch Stadium and see their favorite players—Matt Carpenter, Matt Holiday, and Randall Grichuk—belt a homer.