Vance instructor pilot runs 30 miles to support local food bank

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Christopher Ornelas Jr.
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs

VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. – For one instructor pilot, turning 30 was not about celebration, it was about giving back to the local community.

Capt. Matthew Breen, an instructor pilot assigned to the 33rd Flying Training Squadron, ran 30 miles on his 30th birthday to raise money for Loaves and Fishes, a local food bank serving more than 750 families each month.

“With the shutdown, Loaves and Fishes was expecting a higher volume than normal,” Breen said. “So, I wanted to step in and see if I could help support in some way.”

While Breen did not set a fundraising goal, support from the base and community poured in immediately. By the end of the run, he had raised $3,000 from more than 75 donors. 

“That blew my expectations out of the water,” Breen said. “I could not be more grateful.”

To make the challenge memorable, he decided to run the entire 30 miles on the base track. That is 120 laps. And while the laps were long, Breen only ran 10 of them alone.

Airmen and civilians from across Vance Air Force Base joined Breen throughout the day. Some ran beside him while others cheered him along from the side of the track. 

“Vance Proud!” Breen exclaimed. “So many people came out to support.”

For Breen, the run was not just about fundraising or fitness. It was about living the Air Force core values in and out of uniform. 

“Service Before Self doesn’t stop when you take off the uniform,” Breen said. “It’s our civic duty to invest in our community and when we do, we all grow stronger together.”

With a permanent change of station coming soon, Breen described leaving the Enid community as bittersweet.

“What I’ll miss most about Vance is the relationship we have with the City of Enid,” said Breen. “To be Vance Proud means to be Enid Proud. For me, community involvement keeps Service Before Self alive beyond the flightline.

“As an instructor pilot, I’m responsible for shaping not just aviators, but leaders. Staying connected to the community reminds me and the students that I train why we serve in the first place,” said Breen.

And his running motto -- “Smile or you’re doing it wrong!”