Major General Robert T. Herbert, a distinguished servant of the public for more than four decades, died unexpectedly on Friday, September 24. Bob, as he was known to all, devoted his entire career to public service as a U.S. Army and Nevada Army National Guard aviator, and as a longtime advisor to Senator Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader. In both his military and legislative roles, Bob was instrumental in advancing innumerable projects and programs to benefit the citizens of Nevada and the nation.

Senator Reid said that “Bob was a loyal and passionate friend whose legacy in the state of Nevada and the country will not be forgotten.” The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce noted that Bob “defined service to his country.” The Nevada Guard recognized Bob as “one of the most influential soldiers in advancing policy and initiatives in the Nevada Army and Air Guard over the course of the past 30 years.”

As a teenager, Bob was fixated on flying and he joined the Army immediately after high school in 1975 on the promise of attending flight school. After earning his wings, he spent the next 42 years on active and reserve duty, beginning his career flying patrols along the East-West German border during the Cold War. He joined the Nevada Army National Guard as a test pilot in 1982 and advanced to became Director of Aviation and Deputy Commander of the Nevada Army Guard. He subsequently was a special assistant to the Chief of the National Guard and became the Nevada Army Guard’s lone major general before retiring in 2018.

Bob was renowned as a leader in the aviation community and was an expert in national transportation policy. He accrued more than 7,000 flight hours as a commercial and military pilot on both fixed and rotary-wing aircraft. While he served as the Director of Aviation for the Nevada Guard 1995-2001, he managed the operations and maintenance of 27 aircraft. 

While flying missions for the Nevada Guard, Bob met Senator Harry Reid and began a lifelong friendship with the Senator. He joined Senator Reid’s staff in 2001, which was particularly fortuitous for Bob as he met his future wife Karen Wayland when she served as a Congressional Fellow in the same office. Bob served in a variety of roles for Senator Reid, including as Regional Director for Southern Nevada and later as the Senior Policy Advisor and Director of Appropriations from 2004 until Senator Reid’s retirement in 2017. In addition to his extensive work on community issues, Bob also became a recognized expert on key national affairs, including for transportation, defense, Veterans, and homeland security matters.

After his retirement from the Army Guard, Bob joined the Porter Group, where he continued to champion the interests of his beloved home state of Nevada.

Bob’s accomplishments and commitment to the public interest have been widely recognized. In addition to numerous military awards, he received commendations from the State of Nevada, including the Nevada Medal of Merit. More recently, in the spring of 2021, the city of Yerington, Nevada, named its new town hall (a former Nevada National Guard armory) as the Maj. Gen. Robert T. Herbert Administrative Building.

Bob was a devoted friend and mentor to many military and congressional colleagues and took great pride in helping others achieve their full potential. His attention to detail was legendary (and sometimes exasperating to his friends and family), but it reflected a keen, focused intelligence and exacting discipline that was the foundation of his many successes.

Outside of his commitment to the common good, Bob had a variety of interests, including his passion for motorcycles, restoring old cars and playing vintage vinyl records on his antique stereo equipment. Fortunately for his friends and family, he was also passionate about wine and was eager to share his latest favorite over dinner or on the porch with a good cigar. He was, without doubt, a true servant of the public, a good friend and a devoted companion to Karen.

Bob is survived by his wife, Karen, his parents Bob and Rosemarie, his sister Connie, brother Mark and a gaggle of nieces and nephews.