Michael P. Vriesenga

Capt Michael P. Vriesenga is force employment curriculum manager at Squadron Officer School, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base (AFB), Alabama.

Captain Vriesenga was born on 4 November 1957, in Laredo, Texas, and graduated from Northeast High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 1975. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in history from Florida Atlantic University in 1980 and a master of arts degree in history from California State University at Sacramento in 1990. He was commissioned through OTS in 1982 and completed Squadron Officer School in 1989.

After completing navigator training, advanced navigator training, Survival School, and C-130 upgrade training, he was assigned to Little Rock AFB, Arkansas, as a C-130 navigator. Later, he volunteered to return to Mather AFB, California, as a DOD instructor navigator. While there, he created and produced the 50th anniversary edition of The Navigator magazine.

In 1990, he was assigned to the Squadron Officer School as a flight commander. After a year as a flight commander, he transferred to the Aerospace Division as the aerospace doctrine phase manager.

Captain Vriesenga is a senior navigator with over 2,000 flying and simulator hours. His military decorations and awards include the Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, National Defense Service Medal, Air Force Longevity Service Award, Marksmanship Ribbon, and Air Force Training Ribbon . He was promoted to captain in November of 1986. Captain Vriesenga is married to the former Vickie Lee Evans of Cincinnati, Ohio. They have one child: Patrick.

[from pages xiii-xiv of From the Line in the Sand, 1994]