MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. -- Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point welcomed a new leader at its helms, bidding farewell to Col. Brendan C. Burks who relinquished command to Timothy R. Drieslein during a change of command ceremony, at the Two Rivers Theater and Event Center, Aug. 15, 2025.
Burks, who led the organization since 2022, left an impressive legacy, leading the organization through an historic and noteworthy evolution.
During his command, the organization won the Commander in Chief’s Award for Installation Excellence in 2024 and was twice named the Marine Corps Air Station of the Year for two consecutive years, in 2024 and 2025. Burks led the installation in major transformation to become a home base for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter squadrons, welcoming the first unit in 2024. He also was at the helm overseeing 409 contract actions totaling $206 million, advancing key initiatives such as a $53 million F-35 simulator facility, a $208 million F-35 maintenance hangar, and a $57.8 million fitness center. Major modernization efforts, including the $1.1 billion F-35 Transition Program and the $600 million Hurricane Florence Recovery Program, led to the repair of 185 buildings and the construction of critical new facilities, including two purpose-built fire stations and a state-of-the-art air traffic control tower.
Beyond infrastructure, Burks fostered a renewed spirit of collaboration with surrounding communities across the installation’s four-county footprint. His commitment to “excellence in the basics” inspired a hands-on leadership approach, emphasizing installation beautification and operational readiness.
Reflecting on his time in command, Burks said, “It’s an honor and a privilege to put on this uniform and come into work with men and women who want to be here ... when you find that, you don’t work a day in your life.” Addressing Maj. Gen. Swan, commanding general of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, he added, “I can tell you, General, that America’s Air Station is at the top of its game ... and I know Tim is going to take it to the next level.”
Following his tour as Cherry Point’s commanding officer, Burks will serve as Director of Safety for 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Drieslein comes to the command directly from a joint assignment at the Pentagon as the Global Integration Division chief, in the Strategy, Plans, and Policy Directorate. He has completed specialized pilot training for the KC-130, and multiple deployments, and held various aviation, and staff and command and joint assignments, including assignments as squadron commanding officer, air training instructor, maintenance officer and quality assurance officer. The assignment marks a return to MCAS Cherry Point, having previous assignments at Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Training Squadron (VMGRT) 253, and Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 252, serving also as the unit’s commander from May 2020 to January 2022.
Commissioned in 1942, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point is the world’s largest Marine Corps Air Station. It, including its outlying fields and ranges, occupies more than 29,000 acres of land in Eastern North Carolina and controls more than 9,000 square miles of airspace. MCAS Cherry Point provides a 24-
hour airfield, year-round in the support of more than 130,000 annual flight operations as a primary aerial port of embarkation and debarkation for about 40,000 Marines and Sailors deploying annually on the East Coast. The installation is a true power projection platform for warfighting and readiness within the Carolina Marine Air-Ground Task Force. Through its operation and development, the installation contributes approximately $2.64 billion to the state and local economy.
[Editor's note: Drieslein is phonetically pronounced (DREESE-LINE).]
Members of the press should direct inquiries about this matter to MCAS Cherry Point Communication Strategy and Operations at 252-466-4241 or cherrypoint@usmc.mil.