Bob Carlsen was born in 1947 in New Jersey. After completing his bachelor's degree, Bob entered Officer Training School with the U.S. Air Force at Lackland AFB, Texas, in November 1969, and was commissioned a 2d Lt on February 16, 1970. He then entered Undergraduate Pilot Training at Reese AFB, Texas, and was awarded his pilot wings in February 1971. Lt Carlsen next attended A-1 Skyraider Combat Crew Training at Hurlburt Field, Florida, and then deployed to Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai AFB, Thailand, in July 1971. He flew combat as an A-1 pilot where he performed close air support, infiltration/exfiltration, strike, and search and rescue in North Vietnam, South Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos until his return to the United States in December 1972. He extended his 12 month tour by an additional 6 months. Lt Carlsen attended T-38 Talon Pilot Instructor Training at Randolph AFB, Texas, from January to March 1973, and then served as a T-38 Instructor Pilot at Sheppard AFB, Texas, where he trained both U.S. Air Force and German Air Force pilots. During this assignment, Captain Carlsen attended the Flight Safety School at USC and served as the 80th Fighter Wing T-38 Safety Officer. His next assignment was as an A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot and A-10 Flight Safety Officer with the 57th Tactical Training Wing at Nellis AFB, Nevada, from July 1977 until he left active duty and went into the Air Force Reserve on May 15, 1979. He remained inactive in the Reserve for 6 years, and then served as an Air Force Academy Liaison Officer in Kentucky until he retired from the Air Force Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel in March 1998. During his time in the reserves and after he retired, Bob flew as a Cessna 402 and 404 Captain with Scenic Airlines from 1979 to 1982, as a VC-7 and VC-8 First Officer for Royal American Airways, as a G-1 First Officer and Boeing 727 First Officer and Captain with Orion Air from 1983 to 1988, as a Boeing 727, 757, and 767 Captain with UPS from 1988 to 2007, and finally as a DC-8 Flight Engineer with UPS from 2007 until he retired in July 2008.

His 3rd Silver Star Citation reads:

First Lieutenant Robert B. Carlsen distinguished himself by gallantry in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force as an A-1 Tactical Pilot in Southeast Asia from 26 April 1972 to 27 April 1972. During this period, Lieutenant Carlsen volunteered to escort rescue helicopters to an extremely hostile, heavily populated industrial center of North Vietnam in an attempt to recover an American aircrew member downed by ground fire. Despite particularly adverse weather conditions which forced him to fly within range of active, sophisticated air defense positions and heavy concentrations of antiaircraft artillery, Lieutenant Carlsen, with complete disregard for personal safety, deliberately and repeatedly exposed his slow-moving aircraft to aid immeasurably in directing and protecting the vulnerable rescue helicopters during the successful recovery. By his gallantry and devotion to duty, Lieutenant Carlsen has reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.