Lt. Col. Erik Greendyke is the Commander, 40th Helicopter Squadron, Malmstrom AFB, Montana. He leads the helicopter squadron in various missions supporting the 341st Missile Wing providing airborne nuclear security for the United States’ largest Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Complex.
Lt. Col. Greendyke was raised in a military family that was stationed across the globe, but claims Spokane, Washington as home. He received his commission upon graduating from the United States Air Force Academy in 2007 and received his wings upon completion of undergraduate helicopter training in 2009. Since then, he has served in various roles in the missile field, the Air Force’s Survival School, and the Air Force District of Washington as a pilot, instructor pilot, and flight examiner. In 2012, Lt. Col. Greendyke was selected to attend the High-Altitude Army Aviation Training School (HAATS) at Eagle, Colorado where he was trained in austere mountain flying and limited power techniques. He has flown multiple mountainous, night vision goggle, and hoist extraction search and rescue missions where he has accumulated a total of five lives saved. In 2014, Lt. Col. Greendyke led a rescue mission of an injured hiker who was pinned under a two-ton boulder that resulted in the crew winning the Air Force’s Cheney Award for most outstanding rescue of the year.
Prior to his current assignment, Lt. Col. Greendyke was the Director of Operations at the 40th Helicopter Squadron, Malmstrom AFB, Montana.
Lt. Col. Greendyke is married to Melanie Greendyke, a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurse from Pasadena, Texas and they have two sons, Jack Henry and Thomas Phillip.
EDUCATION
2007 Bachelor of Science in Management, USAFA, CO
2008 Undergraduate Pilot Training, NAS Whiting Field, FL
2009 Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training - Helicopter, Ft Rucker, AL
2013 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL.
2015 Masters of Arts in Criminal Justice, American Military University, VA
2019 Masters in Military Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL
2022 USAF Air War College
ASSIGNMENTS
1. Aug 2007 – Jan 2008, Transition Officer, 36th Rescue Flight, Fairchild AFB, WA
2. Jan 2008 – Dec 2008, Undergraduate Pilot Training, NAS Whiting Field, FL
3. Dec 2008 – May 2010, Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training - Helicopter, Ft Rucker, AL
4. May 2010 – Aug 2013, Chief of Standardization/Evaluation, 40th Helicopter Sq, Malmstrom AFB, MT
5. Aug 2013 – Jun 2015, Assistant Operations Officer, 36th Rescue Flight, Fairchild AFB, WA
6. Jul 2015 – Jun 2016, Executive Officer, 336th Training Group, Fairchild AFB, WA
7. Jul 2016 – Oct 2016, Assistant Operations Officer, 36th Rescue Squadron, Fairchild AFB, WA
8. Oct 2016 – May 2017, Assistant Operations Officer, 1st Helicopter Squadron, Joint Base Andrews, MD
9. Apr 2017 – Jul 2018, Deputy Inspector General, 11th Wing, Joint Base Andrews, MD
10. Aug 2018 – Jun 2019, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL
11. Jun 2019 – Mar 2020, Chief of MH-139 Requirements, Directorate of Strategic Plans, Programs and Requirements, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, LA
12. Mar 2020 – Mar 2021, Executive Officer, Directorate of Strategic Plans, Programs and Requirements, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, LA
13. Apr 2021 – Aug 2022, Deputy Director, Commander’s Action Group, Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, LA
14. Aug 2022 – June 2024, Director of Operations, 40th Helicopter Sq, Malmstrom AFB, MT
15. Jun 2024 – Present, Commander, 40th Helicopter Sq, Malmstrom AFB, MT
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Senior Pilot
Flying hours: More than 2600 hours
Aircraft flown: T-34, UH-1H, TH-1, UH-1N
(Current as of June 2024)