Chief Master Sgt. Eric L. Rideaux is the Command Chief Master Sergeant of the 165th Airlift Wing, Garden City, Georgia. As the command chief, he is the senior non-commissioned officer responsible for the 1,400-person organization, which supports Air Mobility Command’s worldwide airlift mission. Additionally, he is responsible for advising the commander on mission effectiveness, professional development, military readiness, training, utilization and the health, morale and welfare of personnel from the 165th AW and three geographically separated units including the 224th Joint Communications Support Squadron, 117th Air Control Squadron and the 165th Air Support Operations Squadron.
Chief Rideaux began his career in 1999 when he attended Basic Military Training (BMT). After BMT, Chief Rideaux was assigned to Hurlburt Field Air Force Base, Florida, where he attended technical training at the Tactical Air Control Party Apprentice Course. Upon graduation, he completed his pipeline training by attending the United States Air Force Combat Survival Training Course at Fairchild AFB, Washington. His first duty station was Fort Stewart, Georgia, where he supported the 3rd Infantry Division as a Battalion Tactical Air Command and Control Specialist as well as an Enlisted Terminal Attack Controller. In 2005, Chief Rideaux cross-trained into the firefighter career field and was stationed at Eglin AFB, Florida. He served as a station captain as well as the primary trainer for fitness, first responder, and vehicle certifications. In 2008, he relocated to Fort Hood, Texas, where he served as the 9th Air Support Operations Squadron (ASOS) chief of standards and evaluations and 3rd Air Support Operations Group chief joint terminal attack controller (JTAC) instructor. In 2016, Chief Rideaux was stationed at Shaw AFB, South Carolina, where he served as a Ninth Air Force’s standards and evaluations JTAC program manager.
He also served as the primary Air Combat Command Inspector General augmentee for the TACP career field. Chief Rideaux has served multiple tours in a deployed environment. In 2009, he deployed to Qayarra West, Iraq, where he served as the Enlisted Battalion Air Liaison Officer and directed Armed Overwatch and Reconnaisance missions in support of 1st Cavalry Division. In 2011, he served as the sole JTAC for an entire Army Brigade as well as flew 200 hours on the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) aircraft. In 2014, he deployed to Paktiya Province and Kabul Afghanistan where he supported 3rd Cavalry Regiment, Combined Joint Special Operations Forces Task Force and Special Operations Joint Task Force-Afghanistan. During this deployment, he neutralized seven high value individuals (HVIs) and disrupted countless Taliban attacks. In 2018, he transitioned to the Air National Guard. Prior to assuming his current position, he was the 165th ASOS senior enlisted leader.