From a Marine and a Sailor, to a Guardian

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Elijah Van Zandt
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Master Sgt. Bradley Ezell, 22nd Space Operations Squadron noncommissioned officer in-charge, is now a member of the U.S. Space Force after serving four years in the U.S. Marine Corps and approximately eight years in the U.S. Navy.

Ezell entered the delayed entry program to join the Marine Corps when he was 17-years-old. According to Ezell, there was no doubt in his mind that he would join the military straight out of high school.

“I was always attracted to the military as a kid,” he said. “And also, the horrible events that took place on 9/11 definitely contributed to my decision.”

Upon receiving his Eagle, Globe and Anchor, he was selected for the job of communications signals collection specialist: an extremely rare job to receive as a young, enlisted Marine.

His journey didn’t come without setbacks.

“Unfortunately, I was medically retired from the Marine Corps and for about four years I was working odds-and-ends jobs” he said.

Ezell knew it would be difficult to rejoin the Marines with his medical history, so he opted to pursue a Naval recruiter.
The rest is history.

Ezell spent approximately two-and-a-half years in the Navy reserves before becoming active duty, once again in an intelligence career field.

“My first active-duty assignment was in Pearl Harbor, after which I instructed students in learning morse code in Pensacola, Florida,” he said.

He also assisted with Operation Allies Refuge in August 2021, where 1,927 flights were flown by U.S. Air Force mobility aircraft to successfully evacuate 124,334 individuals from Afghanistan.

Late 2021 is when his military journey would once again change extraordinarily, when Ezell was officially accepted into the U.S. Space Force.

The Space Force is responsible for organizing, training and equipping Guardians to conduct global space operations. Their goal is to achieve national objectives through space and cyberspace dominance.

“It’s extremely exciting to be in the space industry right now with the innovative programs being developed,” he said.

Ezell specifically mentioned the Artemis Program, an exploration program, led by NASA, to put a base on the moon for explorational, scientific and economic benefits.

“I’m especially happy because my kids love this stuff – I think they were even more excited than me when I got the call,” he said.

When reflecting on the Space Force application process, Ezell considered how his diverse military career helped him to be officially accepted as a Guardian.

“The opportunity to work internationally, with partner nations and in a plethora of different mission sets; none of that would have been possible without the Marines and the Navy,” he said. “I plan to continue leveraging my knowledge from my background to help make the Space Force, the most dominant force, for years to come.”