Colonel Daniel Thetford

COL Daniel R. Thetford is the Project Manager for the Apache Attack Helicopter Program. He assumed this position in April 2024.

A native of Irving, Texas, he graduated from the University of Dallas in August 2000 and was later commissioned as an Aviation Officer via the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. Upon graduation of flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama in 2002, COL Thetford’s initial assignment was with 3rd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, where he served as both an Attack Platoon Leader and Class III/V Platoon Leader at Camp Humphries, Korea. He later joined 1st Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment at Fort Campbell and deployed to Iraq from 2005-2006 as the Battalion S-4.

In 2006, COL Thetford returned to Fort Rucker for the Aviation Captain’s Career Course. After graduation, COL Thetford moved to Fort Hood, Texas to take command of D Company, 4th Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division – an AH-64D Apache Maintenance Company, with which he would again deploy to Iraq.

Following command, COL Thetford attended the Army Acquisition Basic Course in Huntsville, Alabama in 2010. He would later complete Intermediate Level Education (ILE) in 2011, a Master of Theological Studies (MST) from the University of Dallas in 2012, and the Air War College in 2023.

COL Thetford’s acquisition assignments include the Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) as Current Operations Officer and Executive Officer to the AMRDEC Director; Assistant Product Manager (APdM) for the Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasures (ATIRCM) program; Aviation and Systems Coordinator for the U. S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command (Airborne) [USASOAC (Abn)] G-8; Attack Division Chief, TRADOC Capability Manager for Reconnaissance and Attack (TCM-RA); the UH-60V Product Manager at PEO Aviation, and the Project Lead for the Cargo Helicopters Project Office. He currently serves as the Project Manager for Apache Project Office.

COL Thetford’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Meritorious Unit Award, and the Aviator Badge.