Bob Krist
Encyclopedia
Robert J. “Bob” Krist (born March 29, 1957) is a Nebraska
state senator from Omaha, Nebraska
, United States, in the Nebraska Legislature
.
. After his Air Force career, he and wife Peggy chose Omaha as their permanent home. They have been married since 1980 and are the parents of two adult children. He also has one grandson.
in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1975. He attended the University of St. Thomas
in Saint Paul, Minnesota
, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology
in 1979. He obtained a Master of Arts
degree in business administration and human relations from Webster University
in St. Louis, Missouri
in 1982.
from 1979 to 2000 and retired as a lieutenant colonel
. He flew more than 100 combat sorties. Still an active pilot, Krist has flown more than thirty different fixed and rotary wing aircraft
, logging more than 12,500 hours airborne.
During his 21 years in the Air Force, Krist held key leadership positions directing critical missions including the high visibility Looking Glass mission at Offutt Air Force Base
in Bellevue, Nebraska
. Krist scheduled operations and flew missions on the Looking Glass EC-135
aircraft, which was the Airborne Command Post
for Strategic Air Command
. At the time of his retirement he had flown all models of the RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft
.
Among other operations, Krist served in both Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. His first Command was an operational squadron flying combat reconnaissance sorties over Southwest Asia. In 1997, he was appointed as Chief of Plans and Programs for the 55th Wing
at Offutt AFB where Krist coordinated Wartime Plans and Logistics Movements of over 4,000 personnel and billions of dollars of resources in one of the largest Wings in the United States Air Force. In 1998, he was chosen as an Active Duty Air Force Advisor to then-Nebraska Governor Ben Nelson
and the Adjutant General of Nebraska.
During his career Krist served as the Commander of two Combat Flying Squadrons and the Operations Officer in three others. His operational assignment locations included Keflavík, Iceland
; Crete, Greece
; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia
; Shemya, Alaska
; Aviano, Italy
; Frankfurt, Germany; Budapest, Hungary
; Diego Garcia, British Indian Occupied Territories
; Mildenhall, United Kingdom
; Istres
, France; Okinawa, Japan
; and Tokyo, Japan
.
Krist is a recipient of the Air Force Air Medal
, Meritorious Service Medal
, Air Force Commendation Medal, and Aerial Achievement Medal
among other honors.
on September 11, 2009, to replace Senator Mike Friend
. Krist represents the 10th Legislative District, an area encompassing some of the northwest portion of Omaha
. His committee assignments in the Legislature include the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, the General Affairs Committee, and the Urban Affairs Committee.
Nebraska Right to Life endorsed Krist in the 2010 election.
Krist has been an active member in the local chapter of the Air Force Association
. Krist also is a member of the 55th Wing Association.
Northwest Division Aviation Program. He has served as a pilot since 2000 and the Chief Pilot since 2002. The Division Aircraft is based at Offutt Air Force Base in the Omaha District and services the Kansas City
, Omaha, Portland (OR)
, Seattle, and Walla Walla (WA) Districts.
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
state senator from Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, United States, in the Nebraska Legislature
Nebraska Legislature
The Nebraska Legislature is the supreme legislative body of the State of Nebraska, in the Great Plains region of the United States. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in the City of Lincoln, Lancaster County....
.
Personal life
Krist was born in Omaha, NebraskaOmaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
. After his Air Force career, he and wife Peggy chose Omaha as their permanent home. They have been married since 1980 and are the parents of two adult children. He also has one grandson.
Education
Krist graduated with honors from Creighton Preparatory SchoolCreighton Preparatory School
Creighton Preparatory School , is a private, Jesuit college prep school founded in 1878 for young men. Centrally located in Omaha, Nebraska at 7400 Western Avenue, Prep is the largest Catholic high school in the state of Nebraska, USA with an enrollment of 1,038 young men...
in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1975. He attended the University of St. Thomas
University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)
The University of St. Thomas is a private, Catholic, liberal arts, and archdiocesan university located in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States...
in Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
in 1979. He obtained a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree in business administration and human relations from Webster University
Webster University
Webster University is an American non-profit private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Webster University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools...
in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
in 1982.
Military career
Krist served in the United States Air ForceUnited States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
from 1979 to 2000 and retired as a lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
. He flew more than 100 combat sorties. Still an active pilot, Krist has flown more than thirty different fixed and rotary wing aircraft
Rotorcraft
A rotorcraft or rotary wing aircraft is a heavier-than-air flying machine that uses lift generated by wings, called rotor blades, that revolve around a mast. Several rotor blades mounted to a single mast are referred to as a rotor. The International Civil Aviation Organization defines a rotorcraft...
, logging more than 12,500 hours airborne.
During his 21 years in the Air Force, Krist held key leadership positions directing critical missions including the high visibility Looking Glass mission at Offutt Air Force Base
Offutt Air Force Base
Offutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation near Omaha, and lies adjacent to Bellevue in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U.S...
in Bellevue, Nebraska
Bellevue, Nebraska
Bellevue is a city in Sarpy County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 50,137 at the 2010 census. Eight miles south of Omaha, Bellevue is part of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area. Originally settled in the 1830s, It was the first state capitol. Bellevue was incorporated in...
. Krist scheduled operations and flew missions on the Looking Glass EC-135
Boeing EC-135
The Boeing EC-135 was a command & control version of the C-135 Stratolifter. Modified for the "Looking Glass" program, during the Cold War EC-135 were airborne 24 hours a day to serve as flying command platforms for the military in the event of nuclear war...
aircraft, which was the Airborne Command Post
Looking Glass (airplane)
Looking Glass is the code name for an airborne command center currently operated by the U.S. Navy. It provides command and control of U.S. nuclear forces in the event that ground-based command centers are destroyed or otherwise rendered inoperable.The Looking Glass was initiated by the U.S...
for Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
. At the time of his retirement he had flown all models of the RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft
Surveillance aircraft
A surveillance aircraft is an aircraft used for surveillance — collecting information over time. They are operated by military forces and other government agencies in roles such as intelligence gathering, battlefield surveillance, airspace surveillance, observation , border patrol and fishery...
.
Among other operations, Krist served in both Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. His first Command was an operational squadron flying combat reconnaissance sorties over Southwest Asia. In 1997, he was appointed as Chief of Plans and Programs for the 55th Wing
55th Wing
The 55th Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command. The unit is stationed at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska....
at Offutt AFB where Krist coordinated Wartime Plans and Logistics Movements of over 4,000 personnel and billions of dollars of resources in one of the largest Wings in the United States Air Force. In 1998, he was chosen as an Active Duty Air Force Advisor to then-Nebraska Governor Ben Nelson
Ben Nelson
Earl Benjamin "Ben" Nelson is the senior U.S. Senator from Nebraska. He is a member of the Democratic Party and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000....
and the Adjutant General of Nebraska.
During his career Krist served as the Commander of two Combat Flying Squadrons and the Operations Officer in three others. His operational assignment locations included Keflavík, Iceland
Keflavík
Keflavík is a town in the Reykjanes region in southwest Iceland. In 2009 its population was of 8,169.In 1995 it merged with Njarðvík and Hafnir to form a municipality called Reykjanesbær with a population of 13,971 .- History :...
; Crete, Greece
Souda Bay
Souda Bay is a bay and natural harbour on the northwest coast of the Greek island of Crete. The bay is about 15 km long and only two to four km wide, and a deep natural harbour. It is formed between the Akrotiri peninsula and Cape Drapano, and runs west to east...
; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia
Al Kharj
Al-Kharj is a city and governorate in central Saudi Arabia. The population of the governorate as a whole was 623,394 according to the 2004 census, 75,716 of whom were non-Saudis. The city is located at around ....
; Shemya, Alaska
Shemya
Shemya or Simiya is a small island in the Near Islands group of the Semichi Islands chain in the Aleutian Islands archipelago southwest of Alaska, at . It has a land area of 5.903 sq mi , and is about 1,200 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska.The Russian vessel Saint Peter and Paul wrecked at...
; Aviano, Italy
Aviano
Aviano is a town and comune of province of Pordenone at the foot of the Dolomites mountain range in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, northern Italy.-History:...
; Frankfurt, Germany; Budapest, Hungary
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
; Diego Garcia, British Indian Occupied Territories
Diego Garcia
Diego Garcia is a tropical, footprint-shaped coral atoll located south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean at 7 degrees, 26 minutes south latitude. It is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory [BIOT] and is positioned at 72°23' east longitude....
; Mildenhall, United Kingdom
RAF Mildenhall
RAF Mildenhall is a Royal Air Force station located at Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Despite its status as an RAF station, it primarily supports United States Air Force operations and is currently the home of the 100th Air Refueling Wing...
; Istres
Istres
Istres is a commune in southern France, some 60 km northwest of Marseille. It is in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, of which it is a subprefecture...
, France; Okinawa, Japan
Okinawa Prefecture
is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...
; and Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
.
Krist is a recipient of the Air Force Air Medal
Air Medal
The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...
, Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal (United States)
The Meritorious Service Medal is a military decoration presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States subsequent to January 16, 1969...
, Air Force Commendation Medal, and Aerial Achievement Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal
The Aerial Achievement Medal is a decoration of the United States Air Force which was first created in 1988. The decoration is intended to recognize the contributions of aircrew members who would, otherwise, not be qualified for the award of the Air Medal....
among other honors.
State legislature
Krist was appointed to the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature by Governor Dave HeinemanDave Heineman
David Eugene "Dave" Heineman is the 39th and current Governor of Nebraska. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:...
on September 11, 2009, to replace Senator Mike Friend
Mike Friend (Nebraska)
Michael "Mike" Friend is a former Nebraska state senator from Omaha, Nebraska in the Nebraska Legislature and the first Director of Nebraska's Office of Violence Prevention. He presently serves as Nebraska's Director of Americans For Prosperity....
. Krist represents the 10th Legislative District, an area encompassing some of the northwest portion of Omaha
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
. His committee assignments in the Legislature include the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, the General Affairs Committee, and the Urban Affairs Committee.
Nebraska Right to Life endorsed Krist in the 2010 election.
Public service
Krist was a member of the board of directors for the Madonna School for Students of Exceptional Needs in Omaha, Nebraska, from 1992 to 2008. He served as board president from 2005 to 2008.Krist has been an active member in the local chapter of the Air Force Association
Air Force Association
The Air Force Association is an independent, 501 non-profit, civilian education organization, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia...
. Krist also is a member of the 55th Wing Association.
Occupation
Krist is currently the Contract Manager for the United States Army Corps of EngineersUnited States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
Northwest Division Aviation Program. He has served as a pilot since 2000 and the Chief Pilot since 2002. The Division Aircraft is based at Offutt Air Force Base in the Omaha District and services the Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, Omaha, Portland (OR)
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Seattle, and Walla Walla (WA) Districts.
See also
- Senator Bob Krist for Northwest Omaha
- Nebraska LegislatureNebraska LegislatureThe Nebraska Legislature is the supreme legislative body of the State of Nebraska, in the Great Plains region of the United States. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in the City of Lincoln, Lancaster County....
- Omaha, NebraskaOmaha, NebraskaOmaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
- 55th Wing55th WingThe 55th Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command. The unit is stationed at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska....
External links
- State Senator Bob Krist Nebraska Legislature website
- Photos of Governor Heineman announcing Bob Krist’s appointment official state website
- "Krist appointed as new state senator" Unicameral Update Nebraska Legislature website
- "Omaha gets new senator" Omaha World-HeraldOmaha World-HeraldThe Omaha World-Herald, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is the primary daily newspaper of Nebraska, as well as portions of southwest Iowa. For decades it circulated daily throughout Nebraska, and in parts of Kansas, South Dakota, Missouri, Colorado and Wyoming. In 2008, distribution was reduced to the...
- "New senator has military past" Omaha World-HeraldOmaha World-HeraldThe Omaha World-Herald, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is the primary daily newspaper of Nebraska, as well as portions of southwest Iowa. For decades it circulated daily throughout Nebraska, and in parts of Kansas, South Dakota, Missouri, Colorado and Wyoming. In 2008, distribution was reduced to the...
- "Governor names Krist to fill legislative seat" Lincoln Journal-Star
- "Krist sworn in" Unicameral Update Nebraska Legislature website
- "Special session to cut budget begins" ' Fremont Tribune
- "Sen. Krist ready to soar to new heights" Unicameral Update Nebraska Legislature website
- "Bill: Cancer study will use Nebraska vets" Lincoln Journal-Star
- "Nebraska budget bills advance in the Legislature" Lincoln Journal-Star