Capt. Kris De Soto is a native to Ewa Beach, Hawaii. She graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science in 1999, commissioning through NROTC.

After attending Surface Warfare Officer School, she reported to USS Paul F. Foster (DD 964) in January 2000 and served as the Operations Information Division Officer. 

In 2002, De Soto reported to the Nuclear Power Training Command in Charleston, South Carolina. Upon completing the Navy’s Nuclear Power Program, she reported to USS Nimitz (CVN 68) as the Reactor Auxiliaries Division Office in 2003. During this assignment, De Soto qualified as the Propulsion Plant Watch Officer followed by qualifying as the Propulsion Nuclear Engineering Officer. She also deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

From 2004 to 2007, De Soto was assigned to Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMPACFLT) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii as the N31 Current Surface Operations Officer where she planned USNS Mercy's (TAH 19) follow-up deployments to Southeast Asia following the 2004 Tsunami Relief Operations for Operation Unified Assistance.

While stationed at COMPACFLT, De Soto laterally transferred to the Engineering Duty Office (EDO) community, and in 2007 began Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. After earning a Master of Science in Systems Engineering with an emphasis in Net-Centric Systems in 2009, De Soto reported to the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command — now renamed Naval Information Warfare Systems Command — in San Diego where she served as the EUCOM Cyber Defense Project Manager for Code 5.8 (Information Assurance and Cyber Security).

She continued her work in PEO C4I/PMW-130 (Cybersecurity) as the Host Based Security System Execution Manager and was subsequently assigned as the Littoral Combat Ship Integration Platform Manager in PMW-760 (Ship Integration) where she was responsible for C4I planning and modernization efforts for both LCS variants. She then served in PMW/A-170 on the Navy Multiband Terminal program as the Protected Communications Assistant Program Manager. In this role she worked with Air Force Space Command to ensure Navy terminal operability with Advanced Extremely High Frequency Satellites, the replacement for the MILSTAR constellation.

In 2015, De Soto reported to USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) as the Combat Systems Officer where she led Sailors in the overall maintenance, upkeep and administration of the ship’s Command, Control, Computers, Intelligence and Combat Systems Suite during INSURV, a C7F deployment, RIMPAC 2016, and PIA. Following her CSO tour, De Soto reported back to PEO C4I in PMW-160 as the Consolidated Afloat Network and Enterprise Services Development APM, where she led a team of government and industry engineers in the development of future network baselines in support of the Information Warfare Platform.

From 2020 to 2022, De Soto served as the Engineering Duty Officer Head Detailer at Naval Personnel Command (PERS-445) until transitioning into her current position as the Program Manager for the Communications and GPS Navigation Program Office (PMW/A 170) in San Diego. In this role she is responsible for the development and fielding of the Navy’s satellite communications; tactical communications; and positioning, navigation, and timing systems across all Naval platforms.

Her personal awards include the three Meritorious Service Medals, three Navy Commendation Medals and two Navy Achievement Medals.