BRIGADIER GENERAL CHRISTOPHER M. BLOMQUIST
Brig. Gen. Blomquist serves as the Air National Guard (ANG) Assistant to the 11th Air Force (AF) Commander. In this Dual Hat role, he serves as the Deputy Combined Forces Air Component Commander in the Alaskan Command region for North American Aerospace Defense Command to provide 24/7 Air Control Alert Forces. He supports federal and state authorities during civil emergencies, search and rescue operations, and counternarcotics interdictions.
General Blomquist is the full-time Chief of Staff for the Minnesota ANG. In this position, he serves as the principal advisor to the Adjutant General on a broad range of matters concerning the ANG to include all Air Force Missions, operations, logistics, information systems, manpower and personnel, public affairs, recruiting and retention, civil engineering, medical, state emergency response, diversity, family, and employer support. General Blomquist is a command pilot with more than 3,600 total military flying hours, 3,330 hours in the F-16 of which 369 hours are in combat and 2290 hours as an Instructor Pilot in the F-16ADF, F-16C and F-16CM.
General Blomquist entered the Minnesota ANG in May 1992 as an avionics technician. He earned his degree in 1994 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lt in 1996. General Blomquist was assigned as the Chief Instructor Pilot in 2001 and became the 148th Fighter Wing’s first graduate from U.S. Air Force Weapons School in 2004. In 2011, he assumed command of the 179th Fighter Squadron during an aircraft conversion to the F-16 Block 50 Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD). In 2012, General Blomquist commanded the Wing’s first aviation combat deployment to Afghanistan; the first fully integrated and combined Air Reserve Component and active-duty fighter squadron combat deployment. General Blomquist served as the Air Directorate Field Advisory Council (ADFAC) Vice Chair as well as Chair, F-16 and F-35 Weapons System Council until his promotion. Prior to his current assignment, he was the Wing Commander,148th Fighter Wing, Duluth, Minnesota.
EDUCATION
1994 Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.
2002 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
2005 Joint Air Commander School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2007 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2012 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2014 Squadron Commander Development Course, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
2015 Commanders Development Course
2016 Master of Business Administration, College of Saint Scholastica, Duluth, Minn.
2023 Senior Leader Orientation Course, JB Andrews, Md.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1996 - August 1997, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2. September 1997 - November 1997, Intro to Fighter Fundamentals (IFF), Columbus AFB, Miss.
3. December 1997 - September 1998, F-16 Pilot Training, Luke AFB, Ariz.
4. September 1998 - October 2001, 179th Fighter Squadron F-16 Pilot, 148 FW, Duluth ANGB, Minn.
5. October 2001 - June 2004, F-16 Chief of Weapons & Tactics (W&T), Instructor Pilot, 148 FW, Duluth ANGB, Minn.
6. July 2004 - December 2004, USAF Weapons School Course, Nellis AFB, Nev.
7. December 2004 - August 2005, 332 EFS Chief of W&T, Balad Air Base, Iraq)
8. August 2005 - December 2006, F-16 Chief of W&T Fighter Enhancement Program Manager, 148 FW, Duluth ANGB, Minn.
9. January 2007 - February 2009, 332nd EFS Chief of W&T, Balad AB, Iraq)
10. February 2009 - October 2010, F-16 Chief of W&T, Flight Commander, Instructor Pilot, 148 FW, Duluth ANGB, Minn.
11. October 2010 - August 2011, Operations Support Flight Commander, 148 FW, Duluth ANGB, Minn.
12. August 2011 - October 2012, 179th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron Commander, 451st AEW, Kandahar, Afghanistan)
13. October 2012 - August 2015, 179th Fighter Squadron Commander, 148 FW, Duluth ANGB, Minn.
14. August 2015 - February 2016, Deputy Operations Group Commander, 148 FW, Duluth ANGB, Minn.
15. February 2016 - December 2017, Vice Wing Commander, 148 FW, Duluth ANGB, Minn.
16. December 2017 - May 2021, Wing Commander, 148 FW, Duluth ANGB, Minn.
17. September 2022 - Present, Chief of Staff, Joint Force Headquarters, Minnesota Air National Guard, St Paul, Minn.; dual-hatted, May 2024 - Present, ANG Assistant to the Director, A-5/8, Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), Hawaii; dual-hatted, November 2022 - April 2024, Air National Guard Assistant to the Commander, 11th Air Force, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 3,250, combat 369
Aircraft flown: T-3, T-37, T-38, AT-38, F-16ADF, F-16C and F-16CM
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Commendation Medal
Air and Space Achievement Medal
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS & AFFLIATIONS
National Guard Association of the United States
National Guard Association of Minnesota
Starbase Minnesota – Duluth Board Member
Duluth Air Show – Board Member
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1997 Commanders Trophy, Distinguished Graduate, Top Stick and Flying Excellence Awards, ENJJPT
1997 Top Gun Award, IFF
2000 148th Fighter Wing Pilot of the Year
2016 Graduate Management Certification in Change Leadership
PUBLICATIONS
“Organic Organization Development: Performing an Internal Intervention,” ProQuest LLC, January 2017
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 23, 1996
First Lieutenant May 23, 1998
Captain May 23, 2000
Major May 24, 2004
Lieutenant Colonel May 29, 2008
Colonel March 18, 2016
Brigadier General Sept. 10, 2022
(Current as of September 2024)
