Featured Veteran Master Sargent Brandi

Bray

by Roger Glenn - Colonel, United States Army (retired)

This month’s Veteran Spotlight shines on United States Air Force Master Sergeant (retired) Brandi Bray. MSgt Bray was born in Constantine Michigan, but like so many it didn’t take long to fall in love with Rabun County after visiting family, and once she concluded her nearly twenty years of service she made a beeline for our not-so-little corner of North Georgia. The timing of her enlistment couldn’t have been with any more serendipity as she raised her right hand on September 30th of 2001, and within a couple of months was off to basic training. The events of 9-11 were certainly pivotal in her decision to become a “Citizen Airman”, as was the legacy of family service including an older cousin and her grandfather, Don Heskett- a Korean War veteran. In fact, she enlisted on her Mother’s birthday! Over the course of the next 18 years her service journey took many twists and turns, which is common for all but particularly those who serve in a Reserve capacity during a time of national crisis, or what we refer to as “high operational (op) tempo”.

Brandi spent most of her career in the Life Support field (military occupational specialty or MOS for short), preparing and maintaining critical survival equipment for pilots and flight crews. She gained a reputation for volunteerism as she picked up numerous short-term assignments and deployments to places like Turkey and Qatar. Eventually she transitioned to a narrow band of military personnel that are full-time Guard & Reserve and also had a position as a USAF civilian for a short time. One of her assignments included refurbishing airframes with the necessary lifesaving equipment including F-15s, C-130s,C-5s and E-8s. Brandi was the Life Support Airman of the Year in 2006 and excelled at each of her duty assignments as reflected by this and many other awards.

Medical issues forced her to retire sooner than she had planned, but the silver lining was that it allowed her to get to Rabun County sooner. By August of 2021 she was on her way ‘home’ to reunite with her father-inlaw, the Honorable Crandle Bray. But she hasn’t left that spirit of service behind, although now the objects of her affection and attention are her two children, her 11-year old daughter Michaelyn and 13-year old son, Cal. Her husband, Caleb is a local septic contractor (Reliable Pumping) and handyman, and she has other local family including her father-in-law, the Honorable Crandle Bray. She is known to many students and parents at Rabun County Middle & High School as a substitute teacher, but she also does some part-time work at The Clayton Cafe and is a Trustee of Post 4570 (Clayton) of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Looking back on her service, it is the camaraderie and friendships that she remembers most, and she keeps in contact with many that she served with. Like many that have become the fabric of our community, she did not start here but after seeing much of the world and defending our freedom and national values, she has decided to finish here and we are most certainly the better for it.