MADISON – As a junior in high school, Christopher R. Brown joined the Alabama National Guard or ALARNG in 1987. He reported for Basic Training between his junior and senior years.

After basic training at Fort McClellan, he completed Advanced Individual Training at the Defense Information School at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Ind. “I served as a photojournalist and broadcaster in Alabama Army National Guard for 10 years while in high school, college and law school as an enlisted soldier, making the rank of Sergeant,” Brown said.

During 1996-1997, he deployed with ALARNG’s 131st Mobile Public Affairs Detachment to Hungary to support Operation Joint Endeavor.

Brown then was commissioned in ALARNG JAG Corps and served in Montgomery. “I went on active duty in USAR and served in Birmingham, where I was Chief of Administrative Law with 81st Regional Support Command,” he said.

With ARNG of the US, he served as Operations Law Attorney and Chief of Litigation at National Guard Bureau in Arlington, Va.; Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in Alexandria, Va.; law professor at U.S. Army JAG School in Charlottesville, Va.; and domestic operations law attorney at North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command at Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, Colo.

He deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2008.

Brown retired in 2016 as a Lieutenant Colonel. The Brown family returned to Alabama to live near relatives. He joined Brinkley & Brinkley law firm in Huntsville at the invitation of Charles Brinkley, Brown’s friend from law school.

Christopher and Dawn Brown have three children: Campbell, a sophomore at James Clemens High School; Hudson, an eighth-grader at Liberty Middle School; and Alyssa, a student at Heritage Elementary School.

Dawn grew up in Bessemer. Christopher is from Wetumpka originally.

Lieutenant Colonel Brown played baseball at Lurleen B. Wallace Jr. College. At the University of Alabama, he earned a bachelor’s degree. Brown received a Juris Doctorate degree at Cumberland Law School, Samford University. He also earned a LL.M. at Army JAG School and a master’s degree from Army War College.

Since retiring, he volunteers with Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve; serves as Judge Advocate of Madison American Legion, Post 229; and serves as President, Board Chairman of Universal Semper Fidelis Foundation.

Brown likes fishing, college sports and is learning about hunting.