Philip M. Breedlove
Philip Mark Breedlove (born September 21, 1955)[1] is a retired four-star general in the United States Air Force who served as the commander of U.S. European Command, as well as the 17th Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) of NATO Allied Command Operations, from May 2013 until May 4, 2016. He previously served as the commander of U.S. Air Forces Europe,[2] which he concurrently served as commander of U.S. Air Forces Africa, commander of Air Component Command, Ramstein,[3] and director of Joint Air Power Competence Center. He previously served as the 36th vice chief of staff of the United States Air Force from January 14, 2011, to July 27, 2012. On 10 May 2013, in a ceremony in Stuttgart, Germany, Breedlove took over the command of USEUCOM.[4] Three days later, on May 13, 2013, he assumed command as SACEUR.[5]
Philip M. Breedlove
United States of America
1977–2016
- U.S. European Command
- Supreme Allied Commander Europe
- U.S. Air Forces Africa
- U.S. Air Forces in Europe
- Joint Air Power Competence Center
- Air Component Command, Ramstein
- 8th Fighter Wing
- 31st Fighter Wing
- 56th Tactical Training Wing
- 3rd Air Force
- 27th Operations Group
- 80th Fighter Squadron
On 11 March 2016, NATO's Atlantic Council designated US Army General Curtis Scaparrotti as Breedlove's successor.[6]
Biography[edit]
Early life[edit]
Breedlove was born in 1955 at Atlanta[7] and raised in Forest Park, Georgia. He received his commission after graduating from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1977 where he was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha.[8]
Early career (1978-1990)[edit]
Breedlove chose a career in the USAF as soon as he graduated from college. From March 1978 and going on for the next year, he was a student, undergraduate pilot training, at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona. From March until August of the next year, he was in pilot instructor training at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. From August 1979 to January 1983, he became a T-37 Tweet instructor pilot, evaluation flight examiner and runway supervisory unit controller at Williams. He then became an F-16 Fighting Falcon student pilot at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida until September 1983. After that, he transferred to Torrejon Air Base, Spain, from September 1983 to January 1985, where he was the F-16 aircraft commander and instructor pilot for the 614th Tactical Fighter Squadron.[9]
Breedlove became an air liaison officer from January 1985 to March 1987 with the 602nd Air Support Operations Group, Kitzingen Army Airfield, West Germany. He later transferred to the 526th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, West Germany, from March 1987 to January 1988. Eventually, he was Chief of Flight Safety, 316th Air Division, at Ramstein, until August 1988. For the next two years, he became first an F-16 flight commander, then assistant operations officer of the 512th Tactical Fighter Squadron, also at Ramstein. From August 1990 to July 1991, he was a student at the Air Command and Staff College located at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. Also in that year, he earned his Master of Science degree in aeronautical technology from Arizona State University.
In the General Staff (1991–2013)[edit]
Beginning in July 1991 and going to May 1993, he was the Chief of Air Operations, United Nations Command and Republic of Korea/United States Combined Forces Command, Yongsan Army Garrison, South Korea.[9]
Starting in May 1993, Breedlove was the commander of the 80th Fighter Squadron at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea. This position lasted until July 1994, when he became a student at the National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington D.C. In June 1995, he became the operations officer, United States Pacific Command Division, Joint Staff, The Pentagon, Washington D.C., where he stayed until June. That next month, he became commander of the 27th Operations Group, Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. In June 1999 and going to that next May, he was the executive officer to the Commander, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. For the next year, he was the commander of the 8th Fighter Wing, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea. Beginning in June 2001 and lasting for the next year, he was the senior military assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters United States Air Force, Washington D.C.[9] In 2001–2002, he attended MIT Seminar XXI.[10]
Awards[edit]
Breedlove received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement presented by Awards Council member General Joseph W. Ralston, USAF, in 2014.[27][28]
On May 1, 2015, Breedlove was presented with the Atlantic Council's Distinguished Military Leadership Award.