Photo By Senior Airman Victoria Moehlman | U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Brandon Vazquez, 325th Logistics Readiness Squadron...... read more read more
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TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – At 19 years old, Brandon Vazquez felt stuck. After losing a college scholarship and struggling to find direction, he walked into his local Air Force recruiter’s office ready for change.
“I walked into the recruiter’s office and told them, ‘Get me out of here,” said Vazquez. “I gave him a list of 30 jobs… he gave me number 18. Three months later I was gone.”
Now, Master Sgt. Brandon Vazquez, 325th Logistics Readiness Squadron section chief, is one of the Air Force’s 2025 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year, a recognition that places him among a select group honored for their leadership, job performance and personal achievement. Reaching that point was no easy feat for the St. Cloud, Florida, native. His career didn’t begin with accolades, but with setbacks, hard lessons and the determination to push forward.
Vazquez graduated Basic Military Training in May 2011 before going to technical school to learn job number 18 -- petroleum, oils and lubricants. After an initial assignment at McGuire AFB, New Jersey, he moved to Eielson AFB, Alaska. There were several challenges in his first years of service.
“Alaska was probably the toughest four years of my career,” Vazquez said. “I was a young senior airman, angry at the world…blaming everyone else. It was a dark time.”
While stationed at Eielson, he participated in Red Flag-Alaska and deployed to Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, where he experienced his first taste of serious responsibility. There, he was tasked with fueling operations in extreme desert heat, managing resources that kept aircraft flying and missions on schedule. For the first time, the outcome of his work had a direct impact on the mission and the people around him -- a reality that forced him to take ownership of every task.
“If my name was attached to something, I was always going to give it my best,” said Vazquez. “Even as a young Airman with a bad attitude, I told myself if I’m coming to work, then I’m coming to work.”
The major turning point for Vazquez came in 2017 after he arrived at Tyndall as a senior airman. He earned distinguished graduate honors at Airman Leadership School and promoted to staff sergeant soon after.
“That was my first major award, and it felt good,” said Vazquez. “That’s when I decided I was done blaming other people. I was going to take my career into my own hands.”
While at Tyndall, Vazquez deployed to Ali Al Saleem Air Base, Kuwait, where he discovered a talent for teaching. He emphasized mentoring Airmen through on the job training and watching their confidence grow sparked something in him.
“It made me want to do more of that,” he said. “It became my passion.”
That spark grew when he later became a military training instructor at Lackland AFB, Texas, following the evacuation from Tyndall after Hurricane Michael in 2018. As an MTI he trained thousands of Airmen, mentored fellow instructors and earned the coveted Blue Rope -- a distinction reserved for top-tier MTIs trusted to lead and develop their peers.
He also played a key role in restoring graduation ceremonies during the COVID-19 pandemic, a responsibility that demanded both creativity and leadership under pressure.
Even with his success he faced moments that revealed the depth of his humility. When a new supervisor arrived at BMT, Vazquez was reassigned from section chief to non-commissioned officer in charge of operations, a position where he had fewer responsibilities and less authority.
“I was walking around as one of the best…confidence was through the roof,” Vazquez said. “I was stepping into cocky, and he humbled me. He told me, ‘Whenever I tell you to stand down, you need to stand down.’ That taught me that no matter how good you are, you still must trust the process.”
The supervisor challenged him to use his last months at BMT to prepare for the operational Air Force.
“He helped me put my ego in check and developed me as a leader,” stated Vazquez. “I think my successes had a lot to do with that pivotal moment.”
After five years as an MTI, Vazquez carried those lessons with him when he returned to Tyndall March 2024. He quickly became known for his professionalism, leading inspections across the wing, mentoring Airmen through professional development courses and setting the example in the squadron by holding himself to the same standards he expected from others.
Chief Master Sgt. Brandon Johnson, 325th Logistics Readiness Squadron senior enlisted leader, said Vazquez’s ability to connect with people set him apart.
“I think he is very inspirational,” said Johnson. “Every time he talks to someone, they want to keep talking [to him] afterward. He’s personable, approachable and as an Airman -- this is someone I want on my team.
“He’s a senior NCO now, but he still has an open-door policy,” Johnson continued. “No matter where you are -- in his flight, in another section or even outside the squadron -- if you need someone to talk to, he’s there 24/7.”
After 14 years of service the young hot-headed Airman turned top-tier senior NCO was recognized at the highest level as one this year’s 12 OAY.
Vazquez admitted the news came as a shock.
“When I found out I was selected as one of the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year, I was shocked,” he said. “It’s not something you ever expect, and I don’t see it as just my award. To, me it’s a reflection of the mentors who guided me, the teammates who worked beside me and the Airmen I’ve had the chance to lead. This recognition motivates me to keep giving back.”
He stated the honor is less about titles and more about the responsibility to lift others the way his mentors lifted him.
“My motto used to be, ‘What’s next?’” Vazquez said. “Now it’s, ‘Who’s next?’ Who’s that Airman who needs someone to believe in them the way others believed in me? I’m thankful for the people who saw something in me, because without them I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
It’s been more than a decade since Vazquez was desperate for change in an Air Force recruiter’s office. Today, he is exactly where he needs to be -- leading, mentoring and inspiring the next generation of Airmen.
| Date Taken: | 09.18.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.18.2025 17:22 |
| Story ID: | 548675 |
| Location: | TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, FLORIDA, US |
| Hometown: | TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 37 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Fueled for success: Team Tyndall Airman’s path to 12 OAY, by SrA Victoria Moehlman, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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