Sharene Brown is well known for her role at Five & Thrive—and for being married to the now-retired former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Charles Q. Brown. But before she led a national nonprofit or stood beside her husband as the most senior military spouse, she was an exhausted mom fighting for her son’s care.
This is the story of an “ordinary” military spouse turning a lifetime of challenges into a blueprint for change across the entire force.
Growing up in an Air Force family, Brown loved traveling and experiencing the culture of every new city, state, or country.
“I’ll never forget spending three years in Panama and getting back to the United States. My dad told me that he was going to retire and it would be his last assignment. Well, what he said went way over my head because three years later I was asking him when we were moving again,” she laughed.
While in college, she studied business with the plan of building a career in international relations. After graduating, Brown lived in Washington, D.C., and was months away from starting a graduate program that would allow her to immerse herself in learning Japanese while living and working in the country.
Brown was hosting a small party at her house for her college friends when in walked a man she definitely didn’t invite. After she got over her annoyance with her friends, she quickly warmed up to him, and before she knew it, her plans were out the window. She was soon an Air Force spouse with two sons.
Her oldest was born with special needs and led them to be framed as a Q-Coded or EFMP family.
“My goal at that time was to ensure that he would become a functioning member of society once he became an adult,” she explained. “As you might imagine, it’s hard enough taking care of yourself, let alone trying to take care of the individual and making sure that their needs are well established.
“Healthcare, education, mental stability, social engagement, the whole nine yards, and then trying to ensure that the services were available everywhere we went.”
Brown also openly admitted that she struggled with not being able to have a full career and find her niche in the business world. Given the time she had to invest in researching her son’s needs, the resources available, and advocating for support, she contemplated going into an educational role.
“Growth is inevitable just because of the challenges. Some of that growth is challenged in ways that we don’t fully expect. Had I not been challenged by this earlier, it makes me wonder whether I would have grown as much as I did,” she said.
When her husband made colonel, she was told this was the pinnacle of his career.
“I believe that we are ordinary people and we were put in extraordinary positions,” Brown said.
On August 6, 2020, he was sworn in as the 22nd Chief of Staff for the United States Air Force. He was also the first Black American to lead a branch of the U.S. military. That same year, he made Time’s 100 Most Influential People list.
“I remember a time when I was trying to work through a situation with my son, and I was venting, saying, ‘What are those people at the top doing? Do they not see that we are dealing with a very difficult time… What is going on at the top? Why are these rules here in place?’” Brown said.
“Apparently, that was a moment when I vented that will stay with me for a very long time because, as he continued to climb in rank and in position, we ended up in a spot where the platform for me was laid out. Now it was, ‘What are you going to do, Sharene?’”
In 2021, alongside two other Air Force spouses, Five & Thrive was born, and Brown was at the helm. The focus was honing in on the top five quality-of-life issues that military families were dealing with: childcare, education, employment, housing, and healthcare. With research and solutions devoted to each issue, the goal was to help Air Force families thrive.
When her husband was tapped to become the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the organization was expanded to include all branches of the service.
“We’ve developed this framework called the Military Quality of Life model. How do we bring to the table our military leaders from the installation, our community partners, civic leaders, and then how do we bring military families into the mix? By doing this, we can really move the needle,” Brown shared.
The organization has worked tirelessly to consolidate resources and make Five & Thrive a one-stop shop for military families. Brown and her team have continually advocated for expanded opportunities for military spouses and families and brought in new supports as the data reflected the need.
In 2025, her husband retired after four decades of service.
“People have asked me why I continue in this role, but I truly feel like it’s just a part of who I am. Giving back to this community is incredibly important to me,” Brown said. “When you know that you can help others, then you realize that means more than anything else that you could give to anyone.
Brown will tell you she’s “just” a military spouse who asked too many questions and refused to stop at just venting. But the ripple effects of her tireless advocacy and work are felt across the force. From the new spouse holding a Thrive Guide to the senior leaders who are now rethinking what readiness actually means.
And as long as there are military families trying to hold it all together, Brown will be right there with them in the fight.
To learn more about Five & Thrive, visit FiveAndThrive.org.
Featured
Loading comments…
Comments couldn’t be loaded. Please refresh the page.