Philip Mark Breedlove
General, U.S. Air Force

Philip Mark Breedlove was born on 21 September 1955 and raised in Forest Park, GA. Breedlove received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force after graduating from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1977.

Breedlove has been assigned to numerous operational, command and staff positions, and has completed nine overseas tours, including two remote tours. He has commanded a fighter squadron, an operations group, three fighter wings, and a numbered air force. Additionally, he has served as operations officer in the Pacific Command Division on the Joint Staff; executive officer to the Commander of Headquarters Air Combat Command; the senior military assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force; and Vice Director for Strategic Plans and Policy on the Joint Staff. He also served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, DC.

On 14 January 2011, Breedlove was promoted to the rank of four-star General and began his term as Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force.

In July 2012 Breedlove left his position as Vice Chief of Staff to become commander of the United States Air Forces in Europe.

On 28 March 2013 he was nominated to become the 17th Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) of NATO.

General Breedlove has flown combat missions in Operation Joint Forge/Joint Guardian. He is a Command Pilot with over 3,500 flying hours, primarily in the F-16. He also has flown the T-37 and C-21.

Education

1977 Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
1982 Distinguished graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1991 Distinguished graduate, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1991 Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Technology, Arizona State University
1995 Master's degree in National Security Studies, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, DC.
2002 Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar XXI, Washington, DC.

Assignments

1. March 1978 - March 1979, student, undergraduate pilot training, Williams AFB, AZ.
2. March 1979 - August 1979, pilot instructor training, Randolph AFB, TX.
3. August 1979 - January 1983, T-37 instructor pilot, evaluation flight examiner and runway supervisory unit controller, Williams AFB, AZ.
4. January 1983 - September 1983, F-16 student pilot, MacDill AFB, FL.
5. September 1983 - January 1985, F-16 aircraft commander and instructor pilot, 614th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Torrejon AB, Spain
6. January 1985 - March 1987, air liaison officer, 602nd Air Support Operations Group, Kitzingen AB, West Germany
7. March 1987 - January 1988, F-16 pilot, 526th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Ramstein AB, West Germany
8. January 1988 - August 1988, Chief of Flight Safety, 316th Air Division, Ramstein AB, West Germany
9. August 1988 - August 1990, F-16 flight commander, then assistant operations officer, 512th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Ramstein AB, Germany
10. August 1990 - July 1991, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL.
11. July 1991 - May 1993, Chief of Air Operations, United Nations Command and Republic of Korea/U.S. Combined Forces Command, Yongsan Army Garrison, South Korea
12. May 1993 - July 1994, Commander, 80th Fighter Squadron, Kunsan AB, South Korea
13. July 1994 - June 1995, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, DC.
14. June 1995 - July 1997, operations officer, U.S. Pacific Command Division, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington.
15. July 1997 - June 1999, Commander, 27th Operations Group, Cannon AFB, NM.
16. June 1999 - May 2000, executive officer to the Commander, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, VA.
17. May 2000 - May 2001, Commander, 8th Fighter Wing, Kunsan AB, South Korea
18. June 2001 - June 2002, senior military assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington.
19. June 2002 - June 2004, Commander, 56th Fighter Wing, Luke AFB, AZ.
20. June 2004 - June 2005, Commander, 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano AB, Italy
21. June 2005 - October 2006, Vice Commander, 16th Air Force, Ramstein AB, Germany
22. October 2006 - July 2008, Vice Director for Strategic Plans and Policy, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington.
23. July 2008 - August 2009, Commander, 3rd Air Force, Ramstein AB, Germany
24. August 2009 - January 2011, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington.
25. January 2011 - present, Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, Washington.

Summary of Joint Assignments

1. July 1991 - May 1993, Chief of Air Operations, United Nations Command and Republic of Korea/U.S. Combined Forces Command, Yongsan Army Garrison, South Korea, as a Major
2. June 1995 - July 1997, operations officer, U.S. Pacific Command Division, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, DC, as a Lieutenant Colonel
3. October 2006 - July 2008, Vice Director for Strategic Plans and Policy, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, DC, as a Major General

Promotion Dates

Second Lieutenant: 1 June 1977
First Lieutenant: 10 December 1979
Captain: 10 December 1981
Major: 1 November 1988
Lieutenant Colonel: 1 June 1993
Colonel: 1 January 1998
Brigadier General: 1 October 2003
Major General: 23 June 2006
Lieutenant General: 21 July 2008
General: 14 January 2011

Medals, Awards & Badges

AF Distinguished Service Medal with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit with 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal
AF Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
AF Outstanding Unit Award with 4 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Combat Readiness Medal with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Service Star
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korea Defense Service Medal
AF Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
AF Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon with 4 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
AF Longevity Service Award with Silver and 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
AF Training Ribbon
Inter-American Defense Board Medal with Gold Star
Command Pilot Badge
Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge

(Information current as of May 2013)