 |
Philip Mark BreedloveAmerican military leader, US Air Force general
Date of Birth: 21.09.1955
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Philip Mark Breedlove: A Distinguished Air Force General
- Early Life and Education
- Military Career
- Operational Commands and Staff Assignments
- Education and Command Assignments
- As Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force
- As Commander of United States Air Forces in Europe and Africa
- As Commander of U.S. and NATO Forces in Europe
- Personal Life
Philip Mark Breedlove: A Distinguished Air Force General
Philip Mark Breedlove, a distinguished American military leader, served as General of the United States Air Force, Commander of U.S. European Command, and Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
Early Life and Education
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 21, 1955, Breedlove grew up in Forest Park. He graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1977 with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering. During his time there, he was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and formed a friendship with James Winfield.
Military Career
In 1977, Breedlove entered the U.S. Air Force as a distinguished graduate of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program. From March 1978 to March 1979, he underwent pilot training at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona. He served as an instructor pilot at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, from March to August 1979.
From August 1979 to January 1983, Breedlove was a Cessna T-37 Tweet instructor pilot, flight evaluation expert, and runway landing control officer at Williams. He graduated with honors from Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, in 1982.
Breedlove became an undergraduate fighter pilot in the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, from January to September 1983. He then assumed positions as an F-16 commander and instructor pilot with the 614th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Torrejon Air Base, Spain, from September 1983 to January 1985.
Between January 1985 and March 1987, Breedlove served as the aviation liaison officer for the 602nd Air Support Operations Group at Kirtland Air Force Base, West Germany. He joined the 526th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Ramstein Air Base from March 1987 to January 1988.
In January 1988, Breedlove became the chief of safety for the 316th Air Division, a position he held until August. Over the next two years, he was the 512th Tactical Fighter Squadron's first F-16 flight commander and assistant operations officer.
Breedlove returned to the U.S. in August 1990 to attend the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, graduating with distinction in July 1991. That same year, he earned a Master of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from Arizona State University.
Operational Commands and Staff Assignments
From July 1991 to May 1993, Breedlove was the Air Operations Division chief for United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and U.S. Forces Korea at Yongsan Garrison in South Korea. He commanded the 80th Fighter Squadron at Kunsan Air Base from May 1993 until July 1994.
Attending the National War College at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C., Breedlove earned a Master's degree in national security studies in June 1995. He was appointed as an operations officer for the Pacific Command Directorate on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon from June 1995 to July 1997.
Breedlove went on to command the 27th Operations Group at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, from July 1997 to June 1999. He served as senior aide to the commander of Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, from June 1999 to May 2000.
By May 2001, Breedlove had become the commander of the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base. He became the senior military assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force at the Pentagon from June 2001 to June 2002. During this period, Breedlove supported peacekeeping operations as part of Operation Joint Forge in Bosnia and Operation Joint Guardian in Kosovo. He also completed 10 overseas tours, including two combat tours.
Education and Command Assignments
In 2002, Breedlove graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Seminar XXI education program sponsored by the Center for International Studies. From June 2002 to June 2004, he commanded the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. He became commander of the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, Italy, until June 2005.
Breedlove served as the vice commander for the 16th Air Force at Ramstein Air Base from June 2005 to October 2006. He then held the position of vice director for Strategic Plans and Policy on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon until July 2008.
From July 2008 to August 2009, Breedlove commanded the Third Air Force at Ramstein Air Base. In August 2009, he became the deputy chief of staff for Operations, Plans, and Requirements at Air Force Headquarters in Washington.
As Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force
On January 14, 2011, Breedlove took office as the 36th Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, succeeding General Carroll Chandler. He was promoted to the rank of general the same day. In this role, Breedlove presided over the Air Staff, served on the Joint Requirements Oversight Council and the Deputies' Advisory Working Group, and assisted the Chief of Staff in organizing, training, and equipping the Air Force's 680,000 military, reserve, and civilian members serving at home and abroad. Breedlove relinquished command as Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force on July 27, 2012, when General Larry Spencer received his fourth star at a ceremony at the Pentagon.
As Commander of United States Air Forces in Europe and Africa
On July 31, 2012, Breedlove assumed command of United States Air Forces in Europe during a ceremony at Ramstein Air Base, receiving the flag from Mark Welsh. Breedlove also became the commander of Allied Air Command and director of the Combined Airpower Competence Centre at Ramstein, holding responsibility for an operational area that included 105 countries across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, covering over 19 million square miles.
As Commander of U.S. and NATO Forces in Europe
On March 28, 2013, U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced Breedlove's nomination as Commander of U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, succeeding Admiral James Stavridis, who had held these positions since 2009. The U.S. Senate confirmed Breedlove's nomination on April 19.
On May 10, Breedlove assumed command of U.S. European Command, receiving the flag from Stavridis in a ceremony at the command's headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, with Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter presiding. Three days later, on May 13, he took command as the 17th Supreme Allied Commander Europe in a ceremony at the command's headquarters in Mons, Belgium, with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen presiding.
On August 2, 2013, Breedlove relinquished command of Allied Air Command, United States Air Forces in Europe, and Air Forces Africa to General Frank Gorenc during a ceremony at Ramstein Air Base.
Personal Life
Philip and his wife, Cindy, have three children: a son, Daniel, and two daughters, Samantha and Rebecca. Breedlove is an avid fan of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team. He enjoys motorcycling and owns a Harley-Davidson Street Glide, riding it only with protective gear and advocating for others to do the same. His favorite meal is fried okra, creamed corn, and sliced red tomatoes.
