About

Congressman Jim Bridenstine is a Navy pilot and combat veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, and lives with his wife Michelle and their three children Walker (6), Sarah (4), and Grant (9 mos.) in Tulsa, OK.

 

Bridenstine graduated from Rice University with degrees in economics, business and psychology. After college, he joined the Navy and became a pilot, flying combat missions off the USS Abraham Lincoln in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, Operation Southern Watch in Iraq, and Operation Shock and Awe in Iraq. Later, he transitioned to the F-18 Hornet fighter at the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center, the parent command to TOPGUN, where he flew “Red Air” and was also an instructor.

 

After leaving active duty, Bridenstine earned an MBA from Cornell University and returned to Tulsa to be the Executive Director of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum & Planetarium. He was recently promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve where he flies the E-2C Hawkeye, a surveillance and operations command aircraft, in Central and South America in support of America's war on drugs.

 

Eagle Scout

Air Medal

Navy Commendation Medal with Combat “V”

Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal x 2

National Defense Service Medal

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

Iraq Campaign Medal

Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal

Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon

Expert Pistol Medal

Battle Efficiency Ribbon