Photo By Airman 1st Class Helen Ly | U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Jaqueline Gonzales-Brown, 6th Maintenance Squadron fabrication...... read more read more
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MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – Fresh out of technical training, U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Jacqueline Gonzales-Brown, 6th Maintenance Squadron fabrication flight commander, wasted no time making an impact. Within weeks of returning to MacDill Air Force Base, Gonzales-Brown made it onto the Department of the Air Force women’s volleyball team and returned a month later with a gold medal from the 2025 Armed Forces Volleyball Championship.
When the tryout dates moved, Gonzales-Brown seized the opportunity. She reached out to her former coach at MacDill, Chief Master Sgt. Christopher Hucks, for guidance on whether she could still attend tryouts. She was able to make the new tryout window after missing the initial application period and secured a roster spot on the active-duty team.
“I was very nervous and excited,” said Gonzales-Brown. “It’s such a cool opportunity to be able to go play volleyball at such a high level.”
There were 14 positions to fill on the 2025 DAF women’s volleyball team. Out of 56 applicants, 24 women were invited to Hurlburt Field, Florida, over the Fourth of July weekend for a four-day tryout where they trained for four hours each day. Once selected, the team spent the next 10 days practicing and preparing for the 2025 Armed Forces Volleyball Championship, held July 20-24 at Naval Station Mayport, Florida.
Both the DAF men’s and women’s volleyball teams struck gold at the tournament, beating the U.S. Army team and sinking the U.S. Navy team after finishing with bronze in 2024. The men’s team swept all five matches, while the women’s team rallied after a single loss to Army, winning their next four matches to claim the title.
Gonzales-Brown’s success on the court mirrored the same high standards and readiness she brings to the mission. To her, volleyball was more than competition. It was an extension of the discipline, teamwork, and resilience her profession demands.
“My job is to take care of people, planes, and resources, with people being my favorite part,” said Gonzales-Brown. “Just like on the court, nothing works without trust, communication, and confidence in one another.”
That mindset reflects how Gonzales-Brown leads her Airmen. She drives herself and her team to meet the Air Force’s highest expectations, ensuring aircraft remain mission-ready, resources are managed wisely and Airmen are supported. The same energy she carried into every match fuels her leadership philosophy: lead by example, give maximum effort and never let the standard slip.
Balancing the responsibilities of a new officer with the demands of elite competition, Gonzales-Brown demonstrates that readiness is about more than equipment; it is about mindset. She demonstrates that excellence comes from mastering the basics and building up the team. Both roles demand the same qualities: grit, discipline and an unshakable commitment to those by her side, whether on the court or the flight line.
| Date Taken: | 08.19.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.19.2025 14:42 |
| Story ID: | 545970 |
| Location: | MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 117 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Serving excellence: MacDill officer brings home gold at 2025 Armed Forces Volleyball Championship, by A1C Helen Ly, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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