DULUTH, Minn. - In May 1982, Joan Jett’s ‘I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll’ was No. 1 on the radio, and Master Sgt. Tom Krob enlisted at the 148th Fighter Wing, Minnesota Air National Guard, as an aircraft fuel systems specialist.
Early in his career, Krob worked on the wing’s F-4 Phantom II aircraft. He was among the Bulldogs who conducted air sovereignty alert duties in Western Europe from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, to support a 1986 mission called Creek Klaxon. Shortly afterward, he transferred to 173rd Fighter Wing, Oregon Air National Guard, for four years, supporting their homeland defense mission. He returned to the 148th in 1990.
In 1996, Krob cross-trained to the aircraft hydraulic systems career field, maintaining fluid-, air- or gas-pressured devices on the wing’s F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft. Hydraulic Systems specialists ensure hydraulic and pneumatic systems work as intended.
“We’re responsible for landing gear maintenance and overhauls, phase maintenance and flight controls,” Krob said.
Throughout the 1990s, Krob supported the Air National Guard’s drug interception mission at Howard Air Force Base, Panama, and Curacao Naval Air Station.
After 9/11, Krob supported another air defense mission, Operation Noble Eagle. Krob traveled to Minneapolis with the 148th Fighter Wing to conduct 24/7 combat air patrols over the Midwest. For the next few years, Krob traveled with the wing to Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, Carswell, Texas and Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, to support NORAD’s Aerospace Control Alert homeland defense mission.
The Global War on Terror created new missions for the Air National Guard. Krob deployed to Balad Air Base, Iraq, in 2005 and 2007 for Operation Iraqi Freedom; Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, in 2012 for Operation Enduring Freedom; Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, in 2016; Ahmed al-Jaber Air Base, Kuwait, in 2018 for Operation Inherent Resolve, and Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudia Arabia, in 2022 for Inherent Resolve and Spartan Shield.
When asked if he has any special memories from these deployments, Krob recalls “getting a call from my supervisor telling me to grab my camera and meet him at work.”
While deployed to Kuwait in May 2018, his air base endured a storm with 91 mph winds that caused industrial sun shelters to collapse and damage seven of the wing’s F-16 aircraft. Krob, a lifelong photographer, captured the devastation the storm caused.
In his off time, Krob can be found at local dirt tracks photographing auto racing or, in the winter, at local arenas shooting girls’ high school hockey. He’s used those creative talents at many temporary duty locations, like Kuwait, to capture imagery of the 148th Fighter Wing in action around the world.
At the end of this week, just shy of his 60th birthday Krob will retire with more than 42 years of service to his state and nation.
“I’ve enjoyed working with personnel from maintenance my whole career. It’s felt more like an experience than a job,” said Krob. “You get out of this career what you put into it.”