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| Information > Biographies > BRIGADIER GENERAL CHRISTOPHER J. BENCE |
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BRIGADIER GENERAL CHRISTOPHER J. BENCE
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Brig. Gen. Christopher J. Bence is the Deputy Director for Operations, Operations Team Two, National Military Command Center, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. He leads one of five teams responsible for worldwide event monitoring, crisis response and strategic watch for the Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In this capacity, General Bence supervises all National Joint Operations and Intelligence Center Operations supporting senior leader decisions and awareness.
General Bence was commissioned in 1986 as a distinguished graduate of the Washington State University ROTC program. He completed undergraduate pilot training and qualified in the KC-135, ultimately serving as aircraft commander and instructor pilot for Strategic Air Command's Elite Command Crew at Offutt AFB, Neb. He also served as a KC-135 instructor and evaluator pilot at the Combat Crew Training School, and was later selected to fly the C-5 Galaxy. General Bence attended the Naval Command and Staff College, the School of Advanced Airpower Studies and the National War College. His staff assignments include Headquarters Air Mobility Command's Plans and Programs Directorate.
General Bence commanded an airlift squadron and was the 19th Air Refueling Group Commander, Robins AFB, Ga., where he led the Air Force's only stand-alone refueling group providing special operations air refueling and airlift capability. He has deployed as the 781st Expeditionary Airlift Squadron Commander and as the Deputy Director of Mobility Forces in the Combined Air Operations Center. General Bence was the Commander, 376th Air Expeditionary Wing, Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, where he led approximately 1,200 military personnel from the U.S., Spain and France, as well as 750 U.S. and host-nation contractor personnel supporting military operations in Afghanistan. Prior to assuming his current assignment, General Bence was the Deputy Director, Operations and Plans Directorate, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill., where he was responsible to the director for planning, coordinating, and monitoring of all air, land, and sea transportation provided by the Department of Defense.
EDUCATION
1986 Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering, Washington State University, Pullman
1992 Squadron Officers School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1993 Master's degree in engineering management, Washington State University, Pullman
1997 Air Command and Staff College, by seminar
1998 Master of Arts degree in national security and strategic studies, Naval Command and Staff College, Newport, R.I.
1999 Master's degree in airpower art and sciences, School of Advanced Airpower Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2000 Air War College, by seminar
2006 Master of Science degree in national security studies, National War College, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2009 USAF Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Darden School of Business, University of Virgina, Charlottesville
ASSIGNMENTS
1. October 1986 - October 1987, student, undergraduate pilot training, Vance AFB, Okla.
2. November 1987 - March 1988, student, KC-135 Combat Crew Training School, Castle AFB, Calif.
3. April 1988 - March 1991, KC-135A pilot, standardization and evaluation pilot, senior standardization and evaluation pilot, and KC-135R aircraft commander, Fairchild AFB, Wash.
4. April 1991 - September 1993, KC-135E aircraft commander and instructor pilot, Strategic Air Command's Command Crew, Offutt AFB, Neb.
5. September 1993 - July 1994, flight commander and KC-135R instructor aircraft commander, 306th Air Refueling Squadron, Altus AFB, Okla.
6. July 1994 - July 1997, KC-135R Combat Crew Training School instructor aircraft commander and examiner aircraft commander, 55th Air Refueling Squadron, and later, wing executive officer, 97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus AFB, Okla.
7. July 1997 - July 1998, student, Naval Command and Staff College, Newport, R.I.
8. July 1998 - July 1999, student, School of Advanced Airpower Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
9. July 1999 - June 2001, Chief, Policy Branch and Deputy Chief Doctrine and Policy Division, Plans and Programs Directorate, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
10. June 2001 - July 2005, Operations Officer and C-5 instructor aircraft commander, 21st Airlift Squadron, then Commander, 22nd Airlift Squadron, and later Deputy Commander, 60th Operations Group, Travis AFB, Calif. (deployed July 2003 - September 2003, Commander, 781st Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Moron AB, Spain)
11. August 2005 - June 2006, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
12. July 2006 - June 2008, Commander, 19th Air Refueling Group, Robins AFB, Ga. (deployed February 2007 - July 2007, Deputy Director of Mobility Forces, Combined Air Operations Center, Southwest Asia)
13. June 2008 - July 2009, Commander, 376th Air Expeditionary Wing, Manas AB, Kyrgyzstan
14. July 2009 - July 2011, Deputy Director, Operations and Plans Directorate, United States Transportation Command,Scott AFB, Ill.
15. July 2011 - present, Deputy Director for Operations, Operations Team Two, National Military Command Center, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. February 2007 - July 2007, Deputy Director of Mobility Forces, Combined Air Operations Center, Southwest Asia, as a colonel
2. July 2009 - July 2011, Deputy Director, Operations and Plans Directorate, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill., as a colonel and brigadier general
3. July 2011 - present, Deputy Director for Operations, Operations Team Two, National Military Command Center, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a brigadier general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Hours Flown: More than 4,500, including over 270 combat and 210 combat support hours
Aircraft Flown: KC-135A/E/R, C-5A/B/C and T-37
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Meritorious Unit Award with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with six oak leaf clusters
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
Combat Readiness Medal with three oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
Southwest Asia Service Medal with bronze star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border and two oak leaf clusters
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Government of Kuwait)
Spanish Aeronautic Merit Cross with White Badge
French National Defense Medal Gold Echelon
OTHER AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
United States Ambassador's Distinguished Service Award
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant July 30, 1986
First Lieutenant July 30, 1988
Captain July 30, 1990
Major Sept. 1, 1997
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 2000
Colonel Feb. 1, 2006
Brigadier General Nov. 17, 2010
(Current as of July 2012)
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