Brig Gen Kristen D. Thompson is the Commander of the NATO Early Warning and Control Force, E-3A Component at Geilenkirchen AB, Germany. She leads a team of international military and civilian members, representing 17 NATO nations providing Airborne Early Warning, Command and Control, and Battle Management capability for the Alliance.
General Thompson earned her commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2001. She attended Undergraduate Pilot Training at Laughlin AFB, Texas, and then went on to fly the E-3 AWACS at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. General Thompson has been assigned to the Office of the Secretary of Defense where she was the Military Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. In this capacity, she assisted the Under Secretary in directing all strategic policy and planning for the Department of Defense. She has served in a variety of positions, including speechwriter in the Secretary of the Air Force Executive Action Group where she prepared all strategic communication for the Secretary, Under Secretary, Chief of Staff and Vice Chief of Staff, Legislative Fellow in the House of Representatives, and Executive Officer to the Combined Forces Air Component Commander at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Additionally, she was the Commander of the 380th Expeditionary Operations Group, Al Dhafra AB, United Arab Emirates, where she ran the busiest, most dynamic airfield in the U.S. Air Force, consisting of 11 platforms which covered all five Air Force core mission sets across a 2.1 million square mile AOR.
She was the former Commander of the 55th Wing, Offutt AFB, Nebraska, where she was responsible for organizing, training and equipping six groups and 30 squadrons executing worldwide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; electronic attack; and nuclear command, control and communications support. Prior to her current position, she served as the Air Force Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in NYC, New York.
General Thompson has flown and deployed in support of Operations NOBLE EAGLE, IRAQI FREEDOM, NEW DAWN, UNIFIED PROTECTOR, ENDURING FREEDOM, AFGHAN ASSIST, INHERENT RESOLVE, SPARTAN SHIELD, FREEDOM SENTINEL and OCTAVE QUARTZ.
General Thompson is a command pilot with more than 3,800 flying hours, including more than 700 combat hours in the U.S. and NATO E-3 AWACS and RC-135 aircraft.
EDUCATION
2001 Bachelor of Science, Biology, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2006 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2006 Master of Arts, Psychology-Human Relations, University of Oklahoma, Okla.
2011 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2012 Air Force Intern Program and Government Affairs Institute Fellow-Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
2012 RAND Corporation Legislative Fellowship, Washington, D.C.
2013 Air War College, by correspondence
2018 National War College, Ft. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2024 Air Force Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, NYC, New York
ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 2001 - March 2003, Student Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin AFB, Texas
2. March 2003 - January 2004, E-3 Pilot Training, 966th Airborne Air Control Squadron, Tinker AFB, Okla.
3. January 2004 - September 2006, E-3 Aircraft Commander, 965th Airborne Air Control Squadron, Tinker AFB, Okla.
4. September 2006 - October 2007, Flight Commander, 965th Airborne Air Control Squadron, Tinker AFB, Okla.
5. October 2007 - February 2009, Wing Executive Officer & Instructor Pilot, 552nd Air Control Wing, Tinker AFB, Okla.
6. February 2009 - Dec 2009, Chief of Safety, 965th Airborne Air Control Squadron, Tinker AFB, Okla.
7. January 2010 - March 2010, Pilot, NATO Airborne Early Warning, Geilenkirchen Air Base, Germany
8. March 2010 - November 2011, Chief, Commander’s Action Group, NATO AEW, Geilenkirchen AB, Germany
9. November 2011 - June 2012, CFACC/Commander, United States Air Forces Central Executive Officer, deployed to Al Udeid AB, Qatar
10. July 2012 - December 2013, Air Force Legislative Fellow, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
11. December 2013 - May 2014, Speechwriter SecAF-CSAF Executive Action Group, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
12. November 2014 - June 2015, Director of Operations, 966th Airborne Air Control Squadron, Tinker AFB, Okla.
13. June 2015 - July 2017, Commander, 960th Airborne Air Control Squadron, Tinker AFB, Okla.
14. July 2017 - June 2018, Student, National War College, Ft Lesley McNair, Washington, D.C.
15. June 2018 - May 2020, Military Assistant to Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
16. June 2020 - June 2021, Commander, 380th Expeditionary Operations Group, Al Dhafra AB, UAE
17. June 2021 - June 2023, Commander, 55th Wing, Offutt AFB, Neb.
18. September 2023 - Jun 2024, Air Force Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations, New York City, NY.
19. June 2024 - Present, NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force E-3A Component, Geilenkirchen AB, Germany
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2018 - June 2020, Military Assistant to Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 3,800, including over 700 combat hours
Aircraft: E-3A/B/C/G, E-11A, EC-130H, KC-10A, RQ-4, EQ-4, RC-135V/W
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster
Bronze Star
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 30, 2001
First Lieutenant May 30, 2003
Captain May 30, 2005
Major April 01, 2011
Lieutenant Colonel February 01, 2015
Colonel March 01, 2019
Brigadier General Frocked
(Current as of August 2024)