Executive Officer
Cmdr. Andrew W. Gillis
A native of Gainesville, Virginia, Cmdr. Andrew “Waldo” Gillis joined the Navy in 2000 as an Avionics Electronics Technician. After serving six years in the enlisted ranks, in 2005 he was selected for commission via Seaman-to-Admiral 21 (STA-21). He graduated from Old Dominion University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. After commissioning, he reported to Naval Air Station (NAS), Pensacola, Florida, where he completed Naval Flight Officer (NFO) training at VT-4. Then he reported to Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 120 for initial E-2C Hawkeye aircraft training, earning his "Wings of Gold" in October 2012.
Gillis reported to the "Bear Aces" of VAW-124, Naval Station, Norfolk, Virginia, in December 2012. He deployed in 2014 with Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 aboard USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77) in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Inherent Resolve where he earned two Air Medals and was selected as the Hawkeye Naval Flight Officer of the Year for 2015. As a “Bear Ace”, he was nominated and graduated as a TOPGUN Air Intercept Controller.
In 2015, he reported to the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center (NSAWC), NAS Fallon, Nevada and was assigned to Carrier Airborne Early Warning Weapons School (CAEWWS). "Waldo” was the Standardization Officer and a subject matter expert in modern tactical command and control.
He reported to the "Seahawks" of VAW-126, Naval Station, Norfolk, Virginia in 2018, where he served as the Training Officer. His third deployment in 2018 was with CVW-1 aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 78). During this tour, Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 8 sailed north executing the first North Atlantic deployment since 1986 and receiving the honor of becoming ‘Blue Noses’ after crossing the Arctic Circle.
Selected for Aviation Department Head, he reported to the VAW-121 ,"Bluetails", in April 2020. He deployed with CVW-7 aboard USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77). While in the Mediterranean Sea, he was forward deployed to Poland in response to the Ukrainian Crisis.
Gillis returned to the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center now rebranded as the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center (NAWDC) in NAS Fallon, Nevada, assigned to CAEWWS as the Deputy Department Head.
In 2023, Gillis was selected as the Prospective Executive Officer (PXO) of the "Bear Aces" of VAW-124, Naval Station, Norfolk, Virginia.
Commander Gillis has logged over 1,800 flight hours in both the E-2C and E-2D. He is authorized to wear various personal, unit, and campaign awards, all a testament to the incredible Officers and Sailors with whom he has served. Commander Gillis and his wife, Sarah, are the proud parents of two daughters, Ruby and June.