Hmm. In this particular case, it's a third-person omniscient narrator, so it doesn't really matter about whether the characters are PC. I guess I'll go with the brown.

The case that caused the post is a small community, but it isn't self-sustaining - it's a military outpost with people getting shipped in from a very large and multicultural army.

And the skin color isn't especially plot-relevant or anything, it's just a little detail about the character's appearance, I just can't find a way to work it in there that doesn't feel too awkward. I guess it's "brown".