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 and Chair of the Department of Aerospace Studies at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. She commands an elite cadre team and leads a multi-campus program commissioning cadets from 11 collegiate institutions into the United States Air and Space Forces. Under her leadership, Detachment 485 earned the Jeanne M. Holm Center Team of the Year Award for the first time in unit history, for exceptional performance in officer development.
Commissioned in 2007 as a Nuclear and Missiles Operations Officer, Lt Col Poblete has served in leadership roles across the major command, Air Staff, Secretariat, and Joint Staff levels. Lt Col Poblete notably served as Air Force Global Strike Command’s Legislative Liaison, directing Congressional engagements and co-authoring two Nuclear Force posture statements in defense of Air Force long-range precision strike forces. On Pentagon staff, she was Chief of Strategic Communication for the Nuclear Enterprise to the Secretary of the Air Force, then Executive Officer to the Air Force Director of Staff. Lt Col Poblete deployed to Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, as Director of Host Nation Coordination in support of Operation INHERENT RESOLVE and the Office of Defense Partnership, U.S. Embassy-Abu Dhabi.
Prior to her current assignment, she served on the Joint Staff as Assistant Deputy Director for Ops Team 2, Nuclear and Homeland Defense Operations, and Presidential Strike Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the National Military Command Center.
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
- 2026 Air War College (correspondence), Air University, Maxwell AFB, AL
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
- 2020 Brigadier General Wilma Vaught Visionary Leadership Award
- 2023 Certified Presidential Strike Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
- 2025 Headquarters Air Force ROTC Team of the Year
- 2025 Jeanne M. Holm Center Team of the Year
