Brandon Johnson has worn many hats: Air Force officer, analyst, fierce competitor and now, PGA HOPE Ambassador. What ties them together is a lifelong commitment to service. Through his new role with the Southern Ohio PGA, Brandon is using the game he loves to support Veterans as they rediscover community and connection through golf.

The Southern Ohio PGA is proud to have Brandon on board as the newest PGA HOPE Ambassador, a role that feels like the perfect extension of who he is: a Veteran, a mentor and a lifelong student of the game.

By day, Brandon serves as a Senior Cost Analyst supporting the Air Force Research Laboratory and the F-35 Joint Program Office. But away from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, you’ll most often find him at the course, organizing tournaments and helping others find connection through golf. Over the past six years, he’s been instrumental in growing grassroots programs like Doubles Golf and PGA HOPE Southern Ohio, introducing more Veterans and beginners to the game’s unique blend of challenge and camaraderie.

His own story with golf began far from Ohio, in the rinks and fairways of northern Minnesota. A hockey player at first, Brandon discovered golf the way many in his generation did—watching Tiger Woods redefine what was possible. By age 11, he was caddying at his local muni; by 15, he was on staff. Life and service eventually brought him to Ohio and he has been an asset to the greater Dayton golf community ever since.

A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Brandon’s career took him from Colorado Springs to California and eventually to the Middle East during deployment. After completing his graduate studies at AFIT (Air Force Institute of Technology), he transitioned from Active Duty to civilian life but remained deeply tied to the mission, continuing his service as a Civilian Contractor at Wright-Patterson AFB.

It was during that transition that he found PGA HOPE, and the deeper meaning behind it.

“PGA HOPE is more than a golf program,” Brandon says. “It’s a bridge that connects Veterans and the military community through shared experience and purpose. It gives Veterans a space to rediscover camaraderie, find healing and build relationships that last well beyond the course.”

As a HOPE Ambassador, Brandon’s mission is simple but powerful: to strengthen engagement and expand the opportunities for HOPE graduates. He’s already been doing that for years, now he has the full power and backing of PGA HOPE Southern Ohio behind those efforts. The possibilities are endless.

‘Service Never Stops’ is a phrase you’ll hear around PGA HOPE sessions and it’s a sentiment that Brandon embodies every day. Because for him, golf isn’t just a game, it’s a mission that continues long after the final putt drops.

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