Col Andrew L. Roddan is the Commander, 374th Airlift Wing and the Installation Commander, Yokota Air Base (AB), Japan. As the installation host, the 374th Airlift Wing supports the headquarters for U.S. Forces Japan, Fifth Air Force, the Japan Air Self Defense Force Air Defense Command, HQ, United Nations Command-Rear, 58 tenant organizations and over 11,000 U.S. and Japanese base personnel. Col Roddan is responsible for eighteen squadrons in the Department of Defense’s only tactical airlift wing in the Pacific theater with Airmen stationed in Japan, Singapore, and Australia. He is the Senior Airfield Authority for Yokota’s runway and the largest U.S. controlled airspace outside of the U.S. with 75,000 operations per year. As the Western Pacific airlift hub, Yokota AB provides mission-ready forces and base operating support to guarantee U.S. forward presence and crisis response with a $224 million operating budget supporting $12 billion of infrastructure.
Col Roddan is a 1997 graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Fla and received his commission through Detachment 157, AFROTC. He then graduated from Undergraduate Pilot Training before attending C-130E Initial Qualification Training at Little Rock AFB, Ark. He flew operational assignments at Pope AFB, N.C. and Ramstein AB, Germany as a C-130E aircraft commander, instructor pilot, and evaluator pilot and at Dyess AFB, Texas, Little Rock AFB, Ark and Yokota AB, Japan, as a C-130J aircraft commander and instructor pilot. He has flown worldwide missions including supporting operations in Central and South America, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Darfur, Georgia, Afghanistan, Guam, Micronesia, Borneo, and the Philippines.
Col Roddan has commanded an Operations Support Squadron, an Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, and an Operations Group. He is a graduate of the United States Naval Postgraduate School of National Security Affairs, the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, and the United States Army War College. He has served previous staff tours at Headquarters, United States Air Forces Europe (USAFE), United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), and United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM). Col Roddan is a command pilot with over 4,100 hours in the C-130E and C-130J. He is married and has two daughters. Prior to his current assignment, Colonel Roddan was the Commander, 19th Operations Group, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
EDUCATION
1997 Bachelor of Science in Aviation Computer Science, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla. 2004 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2005 Master of Arts in International Relations, Webster University, St Louis, Mo. 2008 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2010 Master of Arts in Security Studies (Stabilization and Reconstruction), United States Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
2011 Master of Philosophy in Military Strategy, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2012 Joint Humanitarian Operations Course, United States Agency for International Development, Scott AFB, Ill.
2013 Interagency Logistics Course, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Fredericksburg, Md
2013 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2018 Master of Arts in Strategic Studies, United States Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa. 2019 Leading Strategically, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2020 USAF Director of Mobility Forces Course, Hurlburt Field, Fla
ASSIGNMENTS
1. February 1998-June 1998, Special Assistant to the Commander, AFROTC Detachment 157, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla.
2. July 1998-February 1999, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, 14th Flying Training Wing, Columbus AFB, Miss.
3. February 1999-September 1999, student, undergraduate pilot training, VT-31, Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas
4. October 1999-March 2000, C-130E initial qualification training, 314th Airlift Wing, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
5. March 2000-September 2004, C-130E Pilot, Aircraft Commander, Instructor Pilot, and Chief of Scheduling, 41st Airlift Squadron, Pope AFB, N.C.
6. September 2004-August 2006, C-130E Instructor Pilot, Chief of Training, and Operations Group Executive Officer, 37th Airlift Squadron and 86th Operations Group, Ramstein AB, Germany
7. August 2006-June 2008, C-130E Evaluator Pilot, Deputy Chief, USAFE Commander’s Action Group, Ramstein AB, Germany
8. June 2008-June 2009, Deputy Chief, Operations and Training Branch and Mobility Air Forces Program Element Monitor, HQ USAFE Directorate of Operations, Ramstein AB, Germany
9. June 2009-June 2010, Intermediate Developmental Education Student, United States Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
10. June 2010-June 2011, Advanced Studies Group Student, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
11. June 2011-August 2014, Chief, Global Plans Branch, Chief of Strategic Planning, and Executive Officer to the Director, HQ USTRANSCOM Directorate of Strategy, Policy, and Logistics, Scott AFB, Ill.
12. August 2014-June 2015, Chief of Safety, 317th Airlift Group, Dyess AFB, Texas
13. June 2015-June 2017, Commander, 317th Operations Support Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas (January 2017-May 2017, Commander, 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan)
14. July 2017-June 2018, Senior Developmental Education Student, United States Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
15. June 2018-May 2019, Chief, Conventional Support to Nuclear Operations, HQ USSTRATCOM Nuclear Planning Division, Offutt AFB, Neb.
16. June 2019-July 2020, USTRANSCOM Liaison Officer to HQ USSTRATCOM, Offutt AFB, Neb.
17. July 2020-June 2022, Commander, 19th Operations Group, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
18. June 2022-Present, Commander, 374th Airlift Wing, Yokota AB, Japan
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2011-August 2014, Chief, Global Plans Branch, Chief of Strategic Planning, and Executive Officer to the Director, HQ USTRANSCOM Directorate of Strategy, Policy, and Logistics, Scott AFB, Ill., as a major and lieutenant colonel
2. June 2018-May 2019, Chief, Conventional Support to Nuclear Operations, HQ USSTRATCOM, Offutt AFB, Neb., as a lieutenant colonel and colonel
3. May 2019-July 2020, USTRANSCOM Liaison Officer to HQ USSTRATCOM, Offutt AFB, Neb., as a colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 4,100
Aircraft flown: T-37, C-12, C-130E, C-130J, UH-1
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Defense Cooperation Medal (Japan Self Defense Force)
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant January 11, 1998
First Lieutenant January 11, 2000
Captain January 11, 2002
Major July 1, 2007
Lieutenant Colonel December 1, 2012
Colonel April 1, 2019
(CURRENT AS OF MAY 2024)