Colonel Jeffrey M. Cretz is the Commander, 166th Operations Group, New Castle County Airport, New Castle, Delaware. He leads a group of four 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 more than 300 airmen trained to execute national- and state-level taskings. He is also a C-130H Instructor and Evaluator Navigator.
In 2003, Colonel Cretz was commissioned into the Air Force after graduating from Officer Training School. Since then, he 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. Immediately prior to being selected for group command, he was the Commander of the 166th Operations Support Squadron.
He has deployed six times to the Central Command Area of Responsibility and has accumulated more than 960 combat and combat support hours in the EC-130H and C-130H flying electronic attack, tactical airland, tactical airdrop, and aeromedical evacuation missions in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM, NEW DAWN, FREEDOM’S SENTINEL, INHERENT RESOLVE, and 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 a C-130H expeditionary airlift squadron.
Colonel Cretz has been activated to serve on three Director of Mobility Forces teams in support of both real-world humanitarian relief missions and international exercises. In the fall of 2023, he was appointed 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. In 2023, Colonel Cretz was designated as a Joint Qualified Officer (Level III).
EDUCATION
2003 – Bachelor of Science degree in Media Arts and Design (cum laude honors), James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va.
2004 – Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2008 – Master of Aeronautical Science degree (with distinction), Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla.
2009 – Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2010 – International Junior Officer Leadership Development Course, Randolph AFB, Texas
2010 – Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2013 – Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence 2014 – Air National Guard Intermediate Development Course, Joint Base Andrews, Md. 2014 – Contingency Wartime Planning Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2015 – North Atlantic Treaty Organization Reserve Forces Integration Course, Oberammergau, Germany
2015 – Master of Business Administration degree, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 2017 – Aircraft Mishap Investigation Course, Kirtland AFB, N.M. 2018 – Air Reserve Component Chief of Safety Course, Travis AFB, Calif. 2018 – C-130H Instructor Navigator Training, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
2019 – Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence 2019 – Safety & Accident Investigation Board President Course, JB Andrews, Md. 2019 – Reserve Component National Security Course, Fort McNair, D.C.
2019 – Director of Mobility Forces Course (by audit), Hurlburt Field, Fla.
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, Ala. 2024 – NATO Senior Reserve Officers Course, Oberammergau, Germany 2025 – ANG Commander Leadership Course, JB Andrews, Md.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. November 2003 – July 2005, Student, Joint Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training, 562nd Flying Training Squadron, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas
2. July 2005 – September 2007, Executive Officer/EC-130H Navigator, 41st Electronic Combat Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
3. September 2007 – November 2011, Assistant Chief of Training/C-130H Navigator, 95th Airlift Squadron, Pope AFB, N.C.
4. July 2008 – September 2008, Deputy Executive Assistant, Directorate for Manpower and Personnel, the Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
5. October 2008 – August 2010, Readiness Analyst/AIRCard Component Program Manager, Air Force Operations Group, Operations, Plans, and Requirements Directorate, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
6. November 2011 – September 2013, C-130H Navigator, 166th Operations Support Squadron, New Castle County Airport, Del. 7. 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. 8. May 2016 – September 2017, Assistant Executive Officer to the Director of the Air National Guard, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. 9. September 2017 – October 2019, Chief of Safety, 166th Airlift Wing, New Castle County Airport, Del. (June – September 2018, Assistant Director of Operations, 779th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait)
10. October 2019 – March 2021, Chief, Standardization and Evaluations, 166th Operations Group, New Castle County Airport, Del.
11. July 2020 – November 2022, Director of Operations, 142d Airlift Squadron, New Castle County Airport, Del. (September – November 2021, Commander, 779th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait)
12. November 2022 – January 2026, Commander, 166th Operations Support Squadron, New Castle County Airport, Del. (September – October 2023, Commander, 142d Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Royal Malaysian AFB Subang, Malaysia)
13. September 2025 – Present, Commander, 166th Operations Group, New Castle County Airport, Del.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 2007 – July 2007, EC-130H Liaison Officer/J3 Information Operations and Electronic Warfare Officer, Bagram Air Base, 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, Del., as a lieutenant colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Master Navigator
Flight hours: 3,200+, including 963 combat/combat support hours
Aircraft flown: C-130E/H, EC-130H, T-1, T-43
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Achievement Medal
Army Achievement Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2006 Safety Award of Distinction, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing 2009 Company Grade Officer of the Quarter, Operations, Plans, and Requirements Directorate, Headquarters U.S. Air Force
2023 Lieutenant General Clarence E. Atkinson, Jr., Award for Unit Excellence, Delaware ANG
2025 Lieutenant General Clarence E. Atkinson, Jr., Award for Unit Excellence, Delaware ANG
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
Colonel November 24, 2025
(Current as of January 2026)