New vice chief of staff takes office

WASHINGTON — Gen. Philip M. Breedlove took over as vice chief of staff of the Air Force Jan. 14, succeeding Gen. Carrol H. “Howie” Chandler, who held the position since August 2009.

General Breedlove most recently served as the Air Force deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and requirements, a position he held since August 2009.
The vice chief of staff assists the chief of staff with organizing, training and equipping 680,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian forces serving in the U.S. and overseas. General Breedlove also presides over the Air Staff and serves as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Requirements Oversight Council and Deputy Advisory Working Group.

General Breedlove holds two master’s degrees, one from Arizona State University and one from the National War College, and a bachelor’s degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Among his many assignments, General Breedlove served as the 3rd Air Force commander at Ramstein.

The general is a command pilot with more than 3,500 flying hours, primarily in the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

He has received numerous awards, including the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal and the Legion of Merit with three oak leaf
clusters.