Wing commander achieves Viper milestone

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Samantha A. Mathison
  • 301st Fighter Wing
NAVAL AIR STATION FORT WORTH JOINT RESERVE BASE, Texas --  Colonel John Breazeale, 301st Fighter Wing commander, achieved more than 4,000 flying hours here Tuesday in an F-16, which is about 167 days of constant flying.

Breazeale began his flying career in pilot training 26 years ago at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, but didn't begin flying F-16s until 1990.

"My first time in an F-16 was Jan. 2, 1990. It was a backseat ride right before I started F-16 training and I knew that was where I needed to be," he said.

Lt. Col. John Marusa, 301st Operations Group deputy commander and fellow F-16 pilot, flew as the wing commander's wingman.

"He did an outstanding job, like always, as flight lead for our sortie today.  He shacked the target with six inert MK-82 bombs on our first-run attack," he said.

Marusa continued, "There are only a handful of guys who have reached this milestone in the Viper.  Col. Breazeale has had, and continues to have, an awesome career as a fighter pilot and a leader. It takes the whole team within the 301st Fighter Wing, between the operations, maintenance, and support groups, to make a special flight like this happen."

Family and friends were waiting for Breazeale when he landed to celebrate his accomplishment.

Karen Breazeale, his wife and 301 FW key spouse, greeted him with a hug when he climbed out of the F-16.

"The whole family is proud of him -- he's enjoyed every hour. And he will continue to fly until they pry him out of that jet," she said.