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Three nominated to make three stars

A former Thunderbird pilot, one of the first pilots to fly the prototype version of the F-22A Raptor and a pilot who commanded three fighter wings are tagged for promotion for lieutenant general.

Nominated this week were Maj. Gen. Dana Atkins, Maj. Gen. Philip Breedlove and Maj. Gen. Mark Shackelford. Their promotion can’t move forward until the Senate approves their third stars.

Atkins now serves as a special assistant to the commander of Pacific Air Forces. Past assignments include flying as the Thunderbird’s left wingman from 1987-89 and serving during the Kosovo war in 1999 as special assistant to NATO commander Gen. Wesley Clark.

Breedlove, now assigned as vice director for strategic plans and policy on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon, is set to become commander of the 3rd Air Force, headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. A career F-16 pilot, Breedlove commanded three F-16s wings and served as senior military assistant to Secretary of the Air Force James Roche in 2001 and 2002.

Shackelford, a test pilot for much of his flying career, currently works at Air Force headquarters as the director of Global Power Programs for the assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition.

During 1989 and 1990, Shackelford was the project test pilot for the YF-22, the jet that evolved into the F-22.