JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas – The Department of the Air Force has named a volleyball player and a soccer player as its top athletes for 2025, recognizing them for their ability to balance demanding military duties with elite athletic performance and community leadership.
Capt. Jordan A. Daniels, from the 459th Airlift Squadron at Yokota Air Base, Japan, is the Female Athlete of the Year. Staff Sgt. Hunter D. Jackson, from the 100th Security Forces Squadron at RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom, is the Male Athlete of the Year.
“These athletes represent the very best of our Air Force," said Col. E. Jonelle Eychner, Air Force Services Center commander. “The competitive spirit honed playing sports is a direct contributor to our combat readiness. The very same dedication and resilience that drive our athletes to victory are what forge our warfighters to conquer challenges on the air and space battlefields."
Daniels, a volleyball player, captained the Air Force team in the 2025 Armed Forces Volleyball Championship and delivered the tournament’s top defensive performance. An operational aviator and instructor pilot, she logged over 260 flight hours across the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility. Daniels also mentored more than 30 high school athletes and drove an 84% "Excellent" fitness rating for 32 squadron members as a unit fitness leader.
Jackson enhanced international relations through sport by coordinating two United Kingdom versus United States soccer tournaments and establishing RAF Akrotiri’s first-ever soccer league for 415 service members during a deployment. He also founded the RAF Lakenheath Soccer Wing Private Organization for personnel across three installations to ensure long-term continuity for the sport in the region.
Each year, the DAF recognizes one male and one female military member for their athletic accomplishments. Installations nominate their top candidates, highlighting their achievements in sports, military honors, and civic recognition from the past year. A board at the AFSVC reviews nomination packages to make the final selections.
"Every nominee this year was a champion in their own right, balancing immense operational responsibility with elite athletic performance,” Eychner said. "We see the wisdom of (former General of the Army) Gen. (Douglas) MacArthur's words every day. These 'fields of friendly strife' are the proving grounds where we cultivate the leaders our Air Force needs. By balancing elite athletics with the demands of their military duties, these Airmen are sowing the seeds of discipline and teamwork that will undoubtedly bear the fruits of victory in any future conflict."