BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, CALIF. –
The 940th Air Refueling Wing here selected Capt. Brandon W. Stepp as the 2007 Company Grade Officer of the Year.
Originally from Alabama, this Air Force Reservist is the operations officer for the 940th Logistics Readiness Squadron here.
Capt. Stepp is the son of Paul and Alaine Stepp of Sylacauga, Ala. He is the grandson of Senior Chief Petty Officer (U.S. Navy, ret.) Earl and Jean Jones, of Talladega. He is a 2002 graduate of the University of Alabama, commissioned through their Reserve Officer Training program.
After four years of active duty service, he joined the 940th ARW. "I enjoy my duties with the 940th LRS because the mission is unique," said the captain. "As an operations officer, I may be focusing on deploying an individual one minute, and the next, I may be dealing with getting fuel to an aircraft."
Captain Stepp recently completed a deployment to Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet republic in central Asia. He said it was the most fulfilling experience he's had yet.
"Until then, I was responsible for getting folks down range, but going through the deployment myself, from beginning to end gave me a whole new perspective on my duties," he said.
"On my deployment, I got to see the Reservists seamlessly integrate into active duty units," Capt. Stepp said. "Other times, whole Reserve units like mine are at the front, proving that Reservists can stand side by side with our active duty counterparts, in any wartime setting."
He said winning the award was a great honor, especially as a traditional Reservist. "It lets families know that someone does appreciate all those missed weekends."
"Most importantly, it gave me an immense feeling of satisfaction knowing how proud my mom would be," Capt. Stepp said, smiling.
He is appreciative of his 940th LRS family that taught him valuable logistics and life lessons. "I'd like to thank my fiancée, Tracy, for supporting my wish to remain part of the Air Force through the Reserve," said the captain. "I also want to recognize my family who has supported my military career from day one."
In his spare time, the captain is a distance runner and ran two marathons in 2007. He also enjoys watching sports on television, and managing a couple of fantasy football teams on line. He is a full-time student at Sacramento State University, majoring in pre-nursing.