Don Brown Appointed as U.S. Chargé d’Affaires for Afghanistan

Don Brown, a career diplomat and former deputy chief of mission, has been appointed U.S. Chargé d’Affaires for Afghanistan, succeeding Karen Decker after her dedicated service.

The United States Embassy for Afghanistan, now operating from Doha, announced the appointment of Don Brown as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim on Thursday, August 21. The embassy confirmed the transition in a statement posted on its official X account, writing: “We bid farewell to Chargé d’Affaires Karen Decker, thanking her for her years of dedicated service and leadership to the U.S. Mission to Afghanistan. Join us in welcoming Don Brown as our new Chargé d’Affaires (CDA), ad interim; CDA Brown has served as Deputy Chief of Mission since November 2023.”

According to the US Embassy statement, Brown, a career member of the U.S. Foreign Service, formally assumed the role in July 2025. Since November 2023, he has served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Mission to Afghanistan. Prior to this appointment, he specialized in counterterrorism, political-military affairs, and disrupting transnational crime and illicit finance.

The statement also pointed out that his extensive diplomatic service includes international postings in Baghdad, Berlin, Gaborone, New Delhi, Jeddah, Kampala, and Lima, with roles ranging from political and economic counselor to deputy director in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR). In Washington, Brown also served as foreign policy advisor to Marine Corps Forces Central Command (MARCENT) and worked in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs on threat finance and sanctions.

Brown began his career in diplomacy in 1997 after ten years as a U.S. Air Force officer. A native of Pasadena, California, he graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1987. He has studied Spanish and Arabic and currently resides in Doha, Qatar, with his wife and mother-in-law.

Meanwhile, his predecessor, Karen Decker, had served as U.S. Chargé d’Affaires for Afghanistan since 2021, following the withdrawal of American forces from Kabul. Decker’s tenure was marked by navigating complex political realities and ensuring continued U.S. engagement with Afghanistan civil society under difficult circumstances.

Brown’s appointment comes at a time when the U.S. seeks to maintain diplomatic presence and humanitarian engagement with Afghanistan despite the absence of an embassy in Kabul. His background in counterterrorism, political-military strategy, and regional diplomacy is expected to play a key role in shaping U.S. policy in the region moving forward.

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