Lieutenant General Andrew A. Croft is the Military Deputy Commander, United States Southern Command, Doral, Florida. U.S. Southern Command is responsible for all Department of Defense security cooperation in the 45 nations and territories of Central and South America and the Caribbean Sea, an area of 16 million square miles. Southern Command deters aggression, defeats threats, rapidly responds to crises, and builds regional capacity, working with our allies, partner nations, and U.S. government (USG) team members to enhance security and defend the U.S. homeland and our national interests.

General Croft received his commission through ROTC at the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1988. Following pilot training at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, he served in six flying assignments in the F-15C and flew in support of operations Southern Watch and Northern Watch. He is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School and served as commander of the 12th Air Forces (Air Forces Southern) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, A.Z. and commander of 49th Wing at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M. He is a command pilot with more than 3,200 flying hours.

EDUCATION

1988 Bachelor of Arts, history, University of California, Los Angeles

1994 Master of Business Administration in aviation, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Fla. 1996 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

1997 USAF Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis AFB, Nev.

2003 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

2003 Master’s degree in military operational art and science, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2008 Master’s degree in national security strategy, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.

ASSIGNMENTS

1.       May 1989 – May 1990, student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus AFB, Miss.

2.       June 1990 – September 1990, student, Lead-in Fighter Training, Holloman AFB, N.M.

3.       September 1990 – February 1991, student, F-15C Replacement Training Unit, Tyndall AFB, Fla.

4.       March 1991 – March 1995, Instructor Pilot/Mission Commander, 27th Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.

5.       March 1995 – December 1997, F-15C Instructor Pilot/Academic Instructor, 2nd Fighter Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Fla.

6.       January 1998 – July 2000, Weapons Officer, 67th Fighter Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan

7.       July 2000 – July 2001, Advanced Programs Manager, Air Warfare Center, Nellis AFB, Nev.

8.       July 2001 – July 2003, Instructor and Operations Officer, F-15C Division, USAF Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.

9.       July 2003 – July 2004, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

10.     August 2004 – June 2005, Chief, Eglin Command Post and F-15C Instructor, 33rd Fighter Wing, Eglin AFB, Fla.

11.     July 2005 – July 2007, Commander, 433d Weapons Squadron, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.

12.     July 2007 – June 2008, student, Naval War College, Newport R.I.

13.     July 2008 – July 2009, Executive Officer, Allied Air Component Command Headquarters, Izmir, Turkey

14.     July 2009 – July 2010, Strategic Planner, Directorate for Strategic Plans and Policy, Joint Staff, Pentagon

15.     July 2010 – June 2012, Commander, 12th Operations Group, Randolph AFB, Texas

16.     June 2012 – June 2014, Commander, 49th Wing, Holloman AFB, N.M.

17.     June 2014 – June 2015, Vice Director of Operations, Headquarters North American Aerospace Defense Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.

18.     June 2015 – April 2017, Director, Plans Programs, Requirements and Assessments, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, JB San Antonio-Randolph, Texas

19.     April 2017 – July 2018, Deputy Commanding General – Air, Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command– Operation Inherent Resolve and Deputy Director, Joint Air Component Coordination Element, Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, Baghdad, Iraq

20.     August 2018 – August 2020, Commander, 12th Air Force, Air Combat Command, and Commander, Air Forces Southern, U.S. Southern Command, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.

21.     August 2020 – January 2021, Special Assistant to the Commander, Air Combatant Command, Langley AFB, Va

22.     January 2021 – Present, Military Deputy Commander, Headquarters U.S. Southern Command, Miami, Fla.

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS

1.       July 2008 – July 2009, Executive Officer, Allied Air Component Command Headquarters Izmir, Turkey, as a lieutenant colonel

2.       July 2009 – July 2010, Strategic Planner, Directorate for Strategic Plans and Policy, Joint Staff, Washington D.C., as a colonel

3.       June 2014 – June 2015, Vice Director of Operations, Headquarters North American Aerospace Defense Command, Peterson AFB, Colo., as a colonel

4.       April 2017 – July 2018, Deputy Commanding General – Air, Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command – Operation Inherent Resolve, Baghdad, Iraq, as a brigadier general

5.       August 2018 – August 2020, Commander, Air Forces Southern, U.S. Southern Command, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., as a major general

6.       January 2021 – Present, Military Deputy Commander, Headquarters U.S. Southern Command, Miami, Fla.

FLIGHT INFORMATION

Rating: command pilot

Flight hours: More than 3,100

Aircraft flown: A-10, MQ-1B, T-6A, F-15C, F-22, T-37B and T-38A.

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Defense Superior Service Medal

Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster

Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters Air Medal with oak leaf cluster

Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters Joint Service Commendation Medal

Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster

EFFECTIVE DATE OF PROMOTION

Second Lieutenant January 10, 1989

First Lieutenant January 10, 1991

Captain January 10, 1993

Major June 1, 2000

Lieutenant Colonel April 1, 2004

Colonel August 1, 2009

Brigadier General June 10, 2015

Major General August 3, 2018

Lieutenant General December 28, 2020