Life has its struggles. Its ups and downs. For U.S. Navy Lt. Cdr. Brandon Hill, his struggle was weight. Coming off an 18-month deployment from Bahrain, Hill gained a significant amount of weight. Checking into U.S. Special Operations Command he went through a physical assessment and the doctor told him he needed to make some lifestyle changes and he join the Preservation of the Force and Family Program (POTFF) to assist.
The mission of POTFF is to optimize and sustain Special Operations Forces mission readiness, longevity and performance through integrated and holistic human performance programs designed to strengthen the Force and Family.
“POTFF helped in a myriad of ways, and, in a roundabout way, I want to explore how the Navy can implement something similar for non-SOF personnel. Physically, the facilities provided through two [Theater Special Operations Commands] helped fine-tune my personal strength and conditioning. By far, the gym facilities provided to SOCOM are some of the best I have trained at to date,” said Hill. “State-of-the-art equipment paired with a professional coaching staff who suggested certain movements and lifting techniques made me feel as if I was part of a top-notch college/professional football program. Psychologically, working with [U.S. Army] Maj. Maureen Mulholland has allowed me to focus on my emotional health to help me become the best version of me.”
The Goldsboro, North Carolina, native and U.S. Navy Maritime Cyber Warfare Officer (MCWO) became inspired to become a bodybuilder by his sister-in-law, Anna-Kate.
“She was living up the road in Savannah, Georgia, at the time working as a personal trainer and competed in multiple shows leading up to the OCB Tampa show, an amateur bodybuilding contest in November 2023. When she competed at OCB Tampa, I was going through very serious medical issues with my obesity. At my heaviest, I was 234 lbs. at 34% body fat and miserable. Joint pain, poor emotional health and terrible eating habits were the daily occurrence,” Hill said. “Case in point, I would leave SOCOM in the afternoons, find the nearest convenience store or Publix, snag two king-sized candy bars, and chow down over my afternoon commute. These poor habits led to very serious conversations with my [Primary Care Manager] about my health.”
Hill continued to explain how his sister-in-law motivated him to change.
“I arrived to SOCOM in very bad shape. When I watched Anna-Kate compete, a spark ignited within me like no tomorrow. While observing her and several other athletes, many of whom were other military members in the Tampa Bay area, I told myself, ‘2024, it’s my turn to get on that stage.’”
Hill began a year-long journey and gradually got in excellent shape and regained his good health.
“I became a client of local OCB legend and U.S Navy Veteran, Coach Marcus Harris – a Yorton Cup Champion, the Super Bowl of the OCB Federation. Under his coaching and guidance, he provided a rigorous diet and strength conditioning program tailored to my specific abilities. Within 11 months, I lost 65 pounds and 24% body fat,” said Hill.
Hill also credits his journey back to good health to the positive work environment at the command’s headquarters.
“Frankly, the best command I’ve been assigned to, period. First, I’ll start with the leadership at the very top. Let my story be an example of what it means to have great leaders. Great leaders directly correlate to increased morale, individual confidence and overall performance. I remember there was one morning where we did a command run. Gen. Fenton [commander of U.S. SOCOM] and Rear Adm. Sands [former Chief of Staff of U.S. SOCOM] were both in attendance,” said Hill. “I walked up to Rear Adm. Sands following our most recent leadership discussion to express how much I enjoyed his leadership talk. In that conversation, he asked about my time at SOCOM so far and I shared with him my weight loss journey. At the time, I had lost 40 pounds. As I am sharing this story, Rear Adm. Sands called over Gen. Fenton who was standing close to us to share my good news. The fact that both took time out of their busy morning to congratulate me skyrocketed my confidence.”
Additionally, Hill credits his direct supervisor for creating a positive work environment.
“The J3 Cyber and Electronic Warfare Chief, Col Alphanso “Fonz” Adams, is a leader who I aspire to be like one day. His leadership style is textbook when we talk about what it means to be a leader,” said Hill. “I have never witnessed him having a bad day. Far too often, we see leaders who put their emotions on full display. He is someone who arrives to work daily and greets the team with a smile or handshake, takes time to listen to concerns, and routinely engages in small talk to ask how things are going. The ‘human’ factor is very much prevalent with him and really makes life working in J3 Cyber and EW incredibly easy.”
Last, Hill is thankful for his wife, Candace’s, who also provided the support he needed to go from low self-esteem to the confidence he possesses today.
“Since Brandon started this personal voyage, I have been so proud to watch him change from the inside out. I watched him set a goal, stay committed and get his body ready for competition,” said Candace. “He went from low confidence and not knowing where to begin to being self-assured and currently encourages others who face similar struggles. He has proven if you want to see change you have to be willing to change.”
The command and POTFF stay true to the first SOF Truth – “Humans are more important than hardware.” Hill’s story is but one example of that truth.