Lt Col Andrew P. Sides presently serves as the Commander of the 166th Operations Group.
Lt Col Andrew P. Sides is the Commander at the 166th Operations Group, 166th Airlift Wing, Delaware Air National Guard, New Castle Delaware. As Commander, he is responsible for four squadrons: the 142d Airlift Squadron, 166th Operations Support Squadron, 166th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, and the 166th Cyberspace Operations Squadron, and the operational readiness of more than 230 personnel. The Airlift Squadron operates 8 C-130H2.5 aircraft with its 16 plus crews.
Lt Col Sides earned his commission in May of 1997 through the Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Delaware in Newark, Del. He has accumulated over 6,000 flying hours, including 1,100 combat hours, during worldwide combat and humanitarian airlift operations, including ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREDOM, and FREEDOM SENTINEL. He has flown missions to support European Command and U.S. Southern Command for resupply, as well as relief and aid missions after Hurricane Katrina. While assigned to the Delaware Air National Guard he also served as Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, Director of Operations for the 142d Airlift Squadron, Commander of Airlift Squadron and most recently Commander of the Operations Support Squadron. He has served abroad as the mission commander for the Polish Aviation Detachment supporting OPERATION ATLANTIC RESOLVE, and as the deployed commander for the 779th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron in Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait.
EDUCATION
1997 Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management, Wilmington College, New Castle, Del.
2010 C-130 Pilot Instructor School, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
2015 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2022 Air War College, by correspondence
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with six oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Achievement Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal with service star
Air and Space Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border and seven oak leaf cluster
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant, May 30, 1997
First Lieutenant, May 30, 1999
Captain, Nov. 29, 2001
Major, Nov. 29, 2008
Lieutenant Colonel, Nov. 29, 2015
(Current as of November 2022)