Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey M. Cretz is the Commander, 166th Operations Group, New Castle County Airport, New Castle, Delaware. He leads a group that comprises four distinct squadrons, including an airlift squadron that operates C-130H3 Hercules aircraft, an operations support squadron, an aeromedical evacuation squadron, and a cyberspace operations squadron, totaling approximately 300 airmen. He is also a C-130H Instructor and Evaluator Navigator.
In 2003, Lt Col Cretz was commissioned into the Air Force after graduating from Officer Training School. He completed Joint Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training in February 2005, and since then has held a variety of operational, staff, and command positions. He is a 2003 graduate of James Madison University, a 2008 graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and a 2015 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to being selected for group command, he was the Commander of the 166th Operations Support Squadron and Director of Operations for the 142d Airlift Squadron.
He has deployed six times to the Central Command Area of Responsibility and has accumulated more than 960 combat and combat support hours flying electronic attack, tactical airland, tactical airdrop, and aeromedical evacuation missions in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, OPERATION NEW DAWN, JOINT TASK FORCE–HORN OF AFRICA, OPERATION FREEDOM’S SENTINEL, OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE, and OPERATION ALLIES REFUGE. While deployed, he was the EC-130H liaison officer to a joint special operations task force, an assistant director of operations and a commander of an expeditionary airlift squadron. Lt Col Cretz was also activated as part of the Director of Mobility Forces team to augment the 601st Air Operations Center in response to Hurricane Dorian in 2019 and the COVID-19 global pandemic in 2020. In 2022, he was also selected for the Director of Mobility Forces team for Exercise COMBINED COMMAND POST TRAINING 22-1 at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea. In the fall of 2023, he was designated as the Commander of the 142d Expeditionary Airlift Squadron during Exercise COPE TAUFAN 23 in Malaysia, a bilateral exercise between the United States Air Force and the Royal Malaysian Air Force. Lt Col Cretz was designated as a Joint Qualified Officer (Level III) in 2023.
EDUCATION
2003 – Bachelor of Science degree in Media Arts & Design (cum laude honors), James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
2004 – Air and Space Basic Course (in residence), Maxwell Air Force Base, AL
2008 – Master of Aeronautical Science degree in Aeronautical Science (with distinction), Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL
2009 – Squadron Officer School (by correspondence), Maxwell AFB, AL
2010 – International Junior Officer Leadership Development Course, Randolph AFB, TX
2010 – Squadron Officer School (in residence), Maxwell AFB, AL
2013 – Air Command and Staff College (by correspondence), Maxwell AFB, AL
2014 – Air National Guard Intermediate Development Course, Joint Base Andrews, MD
2014 – Contingency Wartime Planning Course, Maxwell AFB, AL
2015 – North Atlantic Treaty Organization Reserve Forces Integration Course, Oberammergau, Germany
2015 – Master of Business Administration degree, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
2017 – Aircraft Mishap Investigation Course, Kirtland AFB, NM
2018 – Air Reserve Component Chief of Safety Course, Travis AFB, CA
2018 – C-130H Instructor Navigator Training, Little Rock AFB, AR
2019 – Air War College (by correspondence), Maxwell AFB, AL
2019 – Safety & Accident Investigation Board President Course, JB Andrews, MD
2019 – Reserve Component National Security Course, Fort McNair, DC
2019 – Director of Mobility Forces Course (by audit), Hurlburt Field, FL
2022 – ANG Squadron Commander’s Course, JB Andrews, MD
2022 – Joint and Combined Warfighting School-Hybrid (Joint Professional Military Education II), Norfolk, VA
2023 – Leader Development Course, Maxwell AFB, AL
2023 – Mobility Commander Tactics Course, St. Joseph, MO
2024 – Air National Guard Contemporary Base Issues Course, Jacksonville, FL
2024 – Commanders’ Legal Orientation Course, JB Andrews, MD
2024 – Crew Resource Management Facilitator Training, Little Rock AFB, AR
2024 – NATO Senior Reserve Officers Course, Oberammergau, Germany
2025 – ANG Commander Leadership Course, JB Andrews, MD
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 2003 – October 2003, Officer Trainee, Officer Training School, 24th Training Squadron, Maxwell AFB, AL
2. November 2003 – April 2005, Student, Joint Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training, 562nd Flying Training Squadron, Randolph AFB, TX
3. April 2005 – June 2005, Student, C-130E Navigator Initial Qualification Training, 154th Training Squadron, Little Rock AFB, AR
4. July 2005 – March 2006, Student, EC-130H Initial Navigator Training, 755th Operations Support Squadron and later 42nd Electronic Combat Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ
5. March 2006 – September 2007, Executive Officer/EC-130H Navigator, 41st Electronic Combat Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ
6. September 2007 – November 2011, Assistant Chief of Squadron Training/C-130H Navigator, 95th Airlift Squadron, Pope AFB, NC
7. July 2008 – September 2008, Deputy Executive Assistant, Directorate for Manpower and Personnel, the Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va
8. October 2008 – January 2010, Action Officer/AIRCard Component Program Manager, Air Force Operations Group, Operations, Plans, and Requirements Directorate, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va
9. January 2010 – April 2010, Student, C-130E Navigator Mission Qualification Training, 62nd Airlift Squadron, Little Rock AFB, AR
10. May 2010 – August 2010, Action Officer, Air Force Operations Group, Operations, Plans, and Requirements Directorate, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va
11. November 2011 – September 2013, C-130H Navigator, 166th Operations Support Squadron, 166th Airlift Wing, New Castle County Airport, DE
12. September 2013 – May 2016, Tactical Airlift Scheduler, C-130 Functional Area Manager, and Tactical Airlift Acting Branch Chief, Operations Directorate, Air National Guard Readiness Center, Joint Base Andrews, MD
13. May 2016 – September 2017, Assistant Executive Officer to the Director, Air National Guard, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va
14. September 2017 – October 2019, Chief of Safety, 166th Airlift Wing, New Castle County Airport, DE (June – September 2018, Assistant Director of Operations, 779th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, 385th Air Expeditionary Group, Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait)
15. October 2019 – March 2021, Chief, Standardization and Evaluations, 166th Operations Group, New Castle County Airport, DE 16. May 2020 – June 2021, Deputy J3 for Air, Joint Staff, Delaware National Guard, New Castle County Airport, DE
17. July 2020 – November 2022, Director of Operations, 142d Airlift Squadron, New Castle County Airport, DE (September – November 2021, Commander, 779th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, 407th Air Expeditionary Group, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait)
18. November 2022 – Present, Commander, 166th Operations Support Squadron, New Castle County Airport, DE (September 2023 – October 2023, Commander, 142d Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Royal Malaysian Air Force Base Subang, Malaysia)
19. September 2025 – Present, Commander, 166th Operations Group, New Castle County Airport, DE
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 2007 – July 2007, EC-130H Liaison Officer & J3 Information Operations & Electronic Warfare Officer, Task Force 373, Bagram AB, Afghanistan, as a first lieutenant
2. July 2008 – September 2008, Deputy Executive Assistant, Directorate for Manpower and Personnel, the Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va, as a captain
3. May 2020 – June 2021, Deputy J3 for Air, Joint Staff, Delaware National Guard, New Castle County Airport, DE, as a lieutenant colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Master Navigator
Flight hours: 3,200+, including 963 combat/combat support hours
Aircraft flown: T-43, T-1, C-130E/H, EC-130H
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal
Army Achievement Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2009 Company Grade Officer of the Quarter, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans, and Requirements (AF A3/5), Headquarters U.S. Air Force
2023 Lieutenant General Clarence E. Atkinson, Jr., Award for Unit Excellence, Delaware Air National Guard
2025 Lieutenant General Clarence E. Atkinson, Jr., Award for Unit Excellence, Delaware Air National Guard
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant October 31, 2003
First Lieutenant October 31, 2005
Captain October 31, 2007
Major September 25, 2012
Lieutenant Colonel January 15, 2019
(Current as of December 2025)