MAJOR GENERAL KEITH D. KRIES Maj. Gen. Keith Kries is the mobilization assistant to the Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command organizes, trains, equips and maintains all U.S. intercontinental ballistic missile and bomber forces. The Command's mission is to provide strategic deterrence, global strike and combat support. The command's nine wings control the nation's entire inventory of Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles, B-1, B-2 and B-52 bomber aircraft. General Kries earned his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1979. After pilot training, he was assigned to Norton AFB, Calif., rising to instructor and flight examiner status while flying the C-141. He served on active duty until joining the Air Force Reserve in 1986. He has served in various positions, including commander of an airlift squadron, vice commander of an airlift wing and vice commander of a numbered air force. The general flew numerous special operations missions, including the deployment of special operations forces into Grenada. His Air Force experience includes combat support missions during operations Desert Storm, Allied Force and Iraqi Freedom. Prior to assuming his current duties, General Kries served as the Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, 8th Air Force (Air Forces Strategic), Barksdale AFB, and Joint Functional Component Commander for Global Strike, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Nebraska. The general is a command pilot with more than 6,000 flying hours. EDUCATION 1979 Bachelor of Science, Aviation Science, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. 1983 Master of Science, Aviation Science, Embry-Riddle University, Daytona Beach, Fla. 1983 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 1986 Master’s, business administration, Embry-Riddle University, Daytona Beach, Fla. 1994 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2001 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2004 Reserve Component National Security Course, Washington, D.C. 2005 Director of Mobility Forces Course, Scott AFB, Ill. 2007 National Security Decision-Making Course, Naval War College, Newport, R.I. 2009 Combined Force Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2009 Joint Force Maritime Component Commander Course, Naval War College, Newport, R.I. 2010 Air Force Enterprise Leadership, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, N.C. 2010 Nuc 100 - AF Nuclear Management Fundamentals Course, Kirtland AFB, N.M. 2012 Nuc 200 - Nuclear Fundamentals Concepts Course, Kirtland AFB, N.M. 2013 Nuc 300 - Advanced Nuclear Concepts Course, Kirtland AFB, N.M. 2014 Nuc 400 - Senior Leader Nuclear Management Course, Kirtland AFB, N.M. ASSIGNMENTS 1. October 1979 - November 1980, Student, undergraduate pilot training, Columbus AFB, Miss. 2. November 1980 - September 1984, C-141 Aircraft Commander and Instructor Pilot, 14th Military Airlift Squadron, Norton AFB, Calif. 3. October 1984 - October 1986, C-141 Flight Examiner Pilot, 63rd Military Airlift Wing, Norton AFB, Calif. 4. October 1986 - September 1994, C-141 Instructor Pilot, 730th Military Airlift Squadron, Norton AFB and March AFB, Calif. 5. September 1994 - November 1999, Flight Commander, assistant operations officer, 89th and 356th Airlift Squadrons, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 6. December 1999 - April 2002, Commander, 356th Airlift Squadron, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 7. April 2002 - August 2005, Vice Commander, 445th Airlift Wing, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 8. August 2005 - July 2008, Vice Commander, 4th Air Force, March Air Reserve Base, Calif. (September 2005 - January 2006, Deputy Director, U.S. Central Command Deployment and Distribution Operations Center, Southwest Asia) 9. August 2008 - May 2010, Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations (J3), U.S. Forces Korea and United Nations Command, Yongsan Army Garrison, South Korea 10. June 2010 – September 2014, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, 8th Air Force, (Air Forces Strategic), Barksdale AFB, La., and Commander, Joint Functional Component Command for Global Strike, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb. 11. October 2014 – present, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, La. SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS 1. August 2005 - January 2006, Deputy Director, Deployment and Distribution Operations Center, U.S. Central Command, Southwest Asia, as a colonel 2. August 2008 - May 2010, Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations (J3), U.S. Forces Korea and United Nations Command, Yongsan Army Garrison, South Korea, as a brigadier general 3. June 2010 - September 2014, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, 8th Air Force, Barksdale AFB, La., and Commander, Joint Functional Component Command for Global Strike, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb., as a brigadier general and major general FLIGHT INFORMATION Ratings: command pilot Flight hours: more than 6,000 Aircraft flown: C-141A/B/C, KC-10, B-2, DC-9, MD-80, A-319/320/321, B-757, B-767 and MD-11 MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster Defense Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters Air Medal Aerial Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster Combat Readiness Medal with 10 oak leaf clusters National Defense Service Medal with bronze star Antarctica Service Medal Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Southwest Asia Service Medal with three bronze stars Kosovo Campaign Medal with bronze star Korea Defense Service Medal Armed Forces Service Medal Humanitarian Service Medal with two service stars Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border and oak leaf cluster Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) Kuwait Liberation Medal (government of Kuwait) EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION Second Lieutenant May 30, 1979 First Lieutenant May 30, 1981 Captain May 30, 1983 Major May 30, 1992 Lieutenant Colonel Sept. 18, 1998 Colonel April 1, 2002 Brigadier General June 13, 2008 Major General Jan. 1, 2013 (Current as of December 2015)