Meet Will Breazeale

Will is a Major (Promotable) in the U.S. Army Reserve where he serves on the staff of a Major General as an Operations Planner. For the past three decades Will has been demonstrating his love of country as a proud member of the United States Armed Forces. A veteran of foreign wars, Will boldly served three tours of duty in the Middle East. His theatre featured battle in both Iraq Wars as well as Kuwait. While in Iraq, Will was awarded the prestigious Bronze Star Medal.

Highlights of Will’s lengthy combat experience in defense of his country include:

• 2006-2007, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Northern Iraq: Displaying the leadership qualities that make him an ideal Congressional Representative, Will boldly lived with and trained Iraqi Army Infantry and support units during combat operations, better preparing them to take control of their country's defenses. He was one of 100 U.S. soldiers living on an Iraqi Army Base of 7,000 Iraqis just west of Mosul in Northern Iraq with operations stretching to the Syrian Border. He also served as a .50 Caliber gunner during combat patrols while supporting Iraqi Army units and was awarded the Bronze Star for saving millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars as a result of a system he pushed through the Iraq Ministry of Defense in Baghdad.

• 2004-2005, Operation Enduring Freedom, Camp Arifjan Kuwait: In perhaps Will's most security sensitive position as the Chief of Protocol, Will worked for a Three Star General to ensure all high-level elected officials, military officers, and government leaders were protected and received informational briefings. Will also saw that these important coalition members had efficient travel and lodging around Kuwait during combat operations, coordinating with the U.S. Secret Service on many occasions. He met with many senior leaders on this assignment. He was concerned with the lack of knowledge of military operations by most elected officials. After further research, he was shocked to see that only 20% of members of Congress have EVER served in the military. He was offended witnessing U.S. Sens Barbara Boxer and Harry Reid treat senior Army leadership with complete disrespect and contempt by walking out of a General Officer briefing in Kuwait because they wanted to hear about failures of the war, not successes. Both these experiences inspired Will to run for Congress at the first chance possible.

• 1991-Operation Desert Storm, Saudi Arabia and Iraq: Serving as a Stinger and Vulcan Air Defense Officer in the 24th Infantry Will provided an U.S. Army Armor Battalion protection from all enemy air threats while attacking Iraq during combat operations.

• 1993-Operation Bright Star, Cairo Egypt: Once again rejoining his brothers in the 24th Infantry, Will boldly enlisted as the highest ranking Air Defense Officer in country to advise and coordinate joint military exercises with the Egyptian Army.

During his illustrious military career, Will has received the following awards and commendations:

• Bronze Star Medal
• Joint Service Commendation Medal
• Army Commendation Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster
• Joint Service Achievement Medal
• National Defense Service Medal
• Southwest Asia Service Medal with Bronze Service Star
• Iraq Campaign Medal
• Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
• Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
• Armed Forces Reserve Medalwith “M” device (2nd Award)
• Army Service Ribbon
• Overseas Service Ribbon
• Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)
• Kuwait Liberation Medal (Government of Kuwait)
• South Carolina National Guard Membership Ribbon
• Parachutist Badge

Will is an entrenched part of his local community. Some of his local ties include:

• Member, Port City Community Church, Wilmington, NC
• Member, American Legion Post, Carolina Beach, NC
• Member, Bladen County Ministerial Association, Elizabethtown, NC
• Member, Evangelical Theological Society, Southeastern Region, Lynchburg, VA
• Member, Angel Flight Network, Southeastern North Carolina. (Will volunteers his time, money and flying skills to fly critically ill patients from Southeastern North Carolina to destinations all over the Eastern United States for medical treatment And testing.)
• Life Member, Veteran of Foreign Wars Post, Wilmington, NC
• Member, Disabled American Veterans Post, Wilmington, NC
• Member, Airline Pilots Association, Atlanta, GA
• Member, National Rifle Association

Upon his latest return home from battle, Will has continued to serve the safety of the American people domestically. Each day Will takes to the friendly skies as a dedicated Boeing 737 pilot for Airtran Airways. Logging hundreds of thousands of miles in flight each year, Will relishes the responsibility of caring for the lives of each one of his passengers.