31 years. B-52 combat missions. Legion of Merit. USSTRATCOM. And now, one more mission: fighting for District 20 families in Lincoln.
When people ask me why I’m running for the Nebraska Legislature, I tell them the same thing I told my squadron before every mission: because the mission matters, and I’m qualified to lead it.
I spent 31 years in the United States Air Force. I flew B-52H bombers in combat — aircraft that carry the most devastating conventional weapons in the American arsenal. Thankfully, I was fortunate to attend the USAF Weapons School (which accepts fewer than 1% of Air Force aviators) and learn from the best of the best. Later, I served as a Squadron Commander, a Vice Wing Commander, and was Chief, Current Nuclear Operations (a USAF active-duty Key Nuclear Billet that I served in as a Reservist) at United States Strategic Command right here in the Omaha metro area and in leadership at Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command.
Along the way, I was awarded the Legion of Merit, Air Medal, and the Combat Action Medal with Gold Star. I don’t share these to boast — I share them because they represent a lifetime of proven leadership under the most demanding conditions imaginable.
But here’s what my military career really taught me: discipline, accountability, and the absolute refusal to accept “good enough” when the stakes are high. In the cockpit at 35,000 feet, there’s no room for excuses. There is no room for finger-pointing. There is only the mission, the plan, and the execution…and accountability…with focus on results.
That’s exactly what Nebraska’s State Legislature needs. Right now, our state ranks #4 in total taxation; our income tax rate still trails Iowa and South Dakota. Moreover, our small businesses drown in regulation amid an already challenging economic environment—rising costs, high mandatory minimum wage, paid time off, etc. The good news: these aren’t unsolvable problems — they are precisely leadership failures. To be sure, leadership is exactly what I’ve spent my entire career delivering.
While serving in the Air Force Reserve, I also spent 15 years in the defense industry — at Rockwell Collins and BAE Systems managing portfolios up to $500 million. Thankfully, while on active duty I had the opportunity for the USAF to pay my tuition for an MBA from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. I became a certified LEAN Champion, because I believe that efficiency isn’t just a business principle — it’s a moral obligation when you’re spending other people’s money. I will lead in Lincoln in this manner: accountable, with honor, LEAN, and transparent.
I’m running because District 20 deserves a representative who has been tested — not by focus groups and party meetings, but by combat, by billion-dollar decisions, and by the weight of command. This mission is a vector from God and I intend to complete it.
Know a veteran or military family in District 20? Share this story. Chris Anderson is one of us.
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