Lieutenant Colonel Kristine E. "Doc" Poblete, Ed.D.
Lt Col Kristine E. Poblete is the Commander of Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) Detachment 485 and Professor of Aerospace Studies at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey. She is responsible for educating and training cadets from 11 collegiate-level schools to commission as second lieutenants in the United States Air and Space Forces.
Lt Col Poblete commissioned from Washington State University in May 2007 as a Nuclear and Missiles Operations Officer. She has served in a variety of leadership roles across the nuclear enterprise and at the Major Command, Air Staff, Secretariat, and Joint Staff levels. Previous assignments include Assistant Director of Operations for the 576th Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Flight Test Squadron at Vandenberg Space Force Base, and Deputy Director of the Commander’s Action Group and Legislative Liaison for Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command. At the Pentagon, she served as Chief of Strategic Communication for the Secretary of the Air Force Office of Public Affairs and Executive Officer to the Air Force Director of Staff. She deployed to Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, as Director of Host Nation Coordination in support of Operation INHERENT RESOLVE.
Prior to her current assignment, Lt Col Poblete was the Assistant Deputy Director for Operations Team Two and Presidential Strike Advisor at the National Military Command Center, Joint Staff Pentagon in Washington, D.C.
EDUCATION
- 2007 Bachelor of Arts in Communication, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
- 2007 Air and Space Basic Course, Air University, Maxwell AFB, AL
- 2008 ICBM REACT-A Operations Training, Air Education and Training Command, Vandenberg SFB, CA
- 2010 ICBM Center for Excellence Instructor Course, 20th Air Force, F.E. Warren AFB, WY
- 2013 Squadron Officer School, Air University, Maxwell AFB, AL
- 2013 Master of Science in Leadership Studies, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA
- 2015 Advanced Nuclear Concepts Course, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Albuquerque, NM
- 2017 Doctor of Education, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
- 2019 Air Command and Staff College (correspondence), Air University, Maxwell AFB, AL
- 2024 Squadron Leadership Course, Air Education and Training Command, Randolph AFB, TX
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
- Defense Meritorious Service Medal
- Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
- Air Force Commendation Medal
- Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
- Air Force Recognition Award
- Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
- Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
- Nuclear Defense Operations Medal with N Device and oak leaf cluster
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
- 2008 Academic Achievement Award, ICBM Initial Qualification Training
- 2018 Air Force Nuclear and Missile Operations Field Grade Officer of the Year
- 2019 Air Force Diversity and Inclusion Award
- 2020 Brigadier General Wilma Vaught Visionary Leadership Award
- 2023 Certified Presidential Strike Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
PUBLICATIONS
“Knowledge, Motivation, and Organization Influences on Persisting Leadership Demographics in a Military Organization: Perspectives on Diversity and Inclusion from Minority Female Officers,” ProQuest LLC, 2018 (dissertation presented in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education at the University of Southern California)