USF College of Nursing alumnus Captain Deondra Braden is making a national impact through his service in the U.S. Air Force. In 2025, he was named Air Mobility Command Nurse of the Year, one of the military’s most prestigious medical honors.
Braden in clinic at Travis Air Force Base alongside the AMC Respiratory Therapist of the Year, TSgt Derrick Pitchford.
Braden’s journey to becoming AMC Nurse of the Year began nearly two decades ago. He entered the Air Force as a mental health technician and became a certified alcohol and drug counselor, completing deployments to Iraq and Kuwait. He was inspired to become a nurse after eight years of service by Capt. Kedrian Gui, one of the first graduates of USF’s Veteran to BSN Nursing Pathway (V-CARE) program.
While still on active duty, Braden enrolled in USF’s Upper Division nursing program, where his sole mission was academic success. “I loved it,” Braden said. “I met some amazing people there."
One of Braden's mentors when he was a student was Alicia Gill Rossiter, an Air Force veteran and leader of the V-CARE program. "As a fellow Air Force Nurse Corps veteran, I could not be prouder to see one of our graduates achieve this prestigious recognition as the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command Nurse of the Year," Rossiter said. "It not only honors Deondre's exceptional clinical excellence, leadership abilities, and commitment to service, it also reflects the mission of our college to empower veterans as they continue serving others."
Braden credits his time at USF with teaching him to take the time required to do things right the first time, both for people and for the job. He embodies these lessons today, leading both military and civilian clinical teams as flight commander for the largest cardiopulmonary flight in the Air Force.
USF prepared me really well. After graduating, I worked with nurses from other programs who didn’t know certain things I considered foundational knowledge. They didn’t know what they didn’t know. It made me appreciate my experience at the College of Nursing.
Capt. Deondra Braden, USF College of Nursing Upper Division Alumnus
With plans to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner, Braden continues to build on the foundation he gained at USF. He joins a proud tradition of College of Nursing alumni who use their skills to lead and serve at the highest levels.