Colonel Kristen A. Nemish is currently serving as the Commander, 91st Operations Group, Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. She commands a group of three missile squadrons and an operations support squadron, providing nuclear combat capability to the Commander, United States Strategic Command, in support of national objectives. She is responsible for the safe, secure, and reliable operations of 150 Minuteman III ICBMs operated from 15 remote missile alert facilities in support of missile field activities dispersed over 8,500 square miles.
In 1998, Colonel Nemish was commissioned through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps following her graduation from Ohio Northern University. After Undergraduate Space and Missile Training and ICBM Initial Qualification Training at Vandenberg AFB, Colonel Nemish held several operations positions within the 341st Missile Wing, Malmstrom AFB, MT including Combat Crew Evaluator and culminating in her appointment as a Wing Emergency War Order Planner. Colonel Nemish was selected for instructor duty next at the 392d Training Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, CA, where she served as an initial skills instructor, curriculum developer, and ultimately as the Flight Commander, Student Operations Flight. Following her instructor assignment, she continued instructor duty as Flight Commander, 33d Student Squadron, Maxwell AFB, AL. She served as a Strike Advisor, Commander USSTRATCOM’s personal advisor on the nation’s nuclear war plan, the Chief of Current Nuclear Operations, and the Director of Operations for the 625th Strategic Operations Squadron, Offutt AFB, NE. Additionally she served as the Commander of the 10th Missile Squadron, Malmstrom AFB, MT, Chief Senior Leader Management, Air Force Global Strike Command, and the Senior Executive Officer to the Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale, AFB, LA. In her last assignment, she was the Senior Air Force Fellow, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM.
EDUCATION
1998 Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Ohio Northern University, OH
1999 ICBM Initial Qualification Training, Vandenberg AFB, CA
2004 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL
2007 Master's degree in Human Resource Management, Troy University, AL
2010 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL
2010 Master’s degree in Military Operational Art and Science, Air University, Maxwell AFB, AL
2016 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, AL (Correspondence)
2018 Senior Developmental Education Fellow, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
ASSIGNMENTS
1. Jan 1999 – November 1999, student, Undergraduate Space & Missile Training, ICBM Initial Qualification Training, Vandenberg AFB, CA
2. November 1999 – January 2003, Missile Crew Commander, Evaluator, 341st Missile Wing, Malmstrom AFB, MT
3. January 2003 – July 2004, ICBM Wing Emergency War Order Plans, 341st Operations Support Squadron, Malmstrom AFB, MT
4. July 2004 – July 2008, Instructor/Flight Commander, 392d Training Squadron,
Vandenberg AFB, CA
5. July 2008 – August 2009, Flight Commander, 33d Student Squadron, Maxwell AFB, AL
6. August 2009 – July 2010, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL
7. July 2010 – September 2012, Strike Advisor/Strike Advisor Instructor, US Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, NE
8. September 2012 – August 2013, Chief Current Nuclear Operations, US Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, N
9. August 2013 – March 2014, Director of Operations, 625th Strategic Operations Squadron,
Offutt AFB, NE
10. March 2014 – June 2016, Commander, 10th Missile Squadron, Malmstrom AFB, MT
11. June 2016 – May 2017, Chief, Senior Leader Management Division, Barksdale AFB, LA
12. May 2017- August 2018, Senior Executive Officer to the Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, LA
13. August 2018-June 2019, Senior Air Force Fellow, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
14. June 2019-June 2020, Deputy Inspector General, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, LA
15. June 2020 – present, Commander, 91stOperations Group, Minot AFB, ND
BADGES
Master Missile Operations Badge
Senior Space Operations Wings
Air Education and Training Command Instructor Badge
AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with silver oak leaf cluster Air Force Commendation Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with 2 bronze oak leaf clusters
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with one silver oak leaf cluster and one bronze oak leaf cluster
Combat Readiness Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with ‘N’ Device with one bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Force Longevity Service Award with 4 bronze oak leaf clusters
Air Force Training Ribbon
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant December 16, 1998 First Lieutenant December 16, 2000 Captain December 2002 Major, July 1, 2008
Lieutenant Colonel November 1, 2013
Colonel December 1, 2019
(Current as of June 2020)