Colonel Bob Benjamin was born and grew up in Massachusetts. He graduated from Belmont High School in Belmont, Massachusetts in 1978 and from Colby College in Waterville, Maine in 1982. From 1982 to 1990 he was a teacher and coach at King School in Stamford. Since then, he has been a teacher and coach at Brunswick School in Greenwich.
Colonel Benjamin enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve in 1988. Following Basic and Advanced Training, he completed Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1991. He has attended numerous military schools, including the Infantry Officer Basic Course, Transportation Officer Advanced Course, Combined Arms Services Staff School, Command and General Staff College, Reserve Component National Security Course, the Army War College, and the Joint and Combined Warfare School. He holds a Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies from the Army War College as well as a Master’s Degree in Liberal Studies from Wesleyan University.
Colonel Benjamin’s leadership experiences include assignments as commander of the 773rd Transportation Company, commander of the 354th Transportation Battalion, commander of the 167th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, and commander, 655th Regional Support Group, Deputy Commander, 316th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, and Deputy Commander (acting commander) 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command. His wartime experience includes assignments as Deployment Support Team leader, 1179th Deployment Support Brigade (Forward) in Iraq and Kuwait; Plans Officer, 1179th Deployment Support Brigade, Kuwait; Mobility Branch Chief and Distribution Management Chief, 4th Expeditionary Sustainment Command/Joint Sustainment Command-Afghanistan. In addition to his commands, Colonel Benjamin has held a number of key staff positions.
Colonel Benjamin’s awards include the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, the Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, the NATO Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, and the Combat Action Badge.
His unit was awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation for service in Afghanistan in 2011-2012.
Colonel Benjamin and his wife Lynne are long-time Stamford, CT residents. They have four children.
Colonel Benjamin currently serves as the Deputy Commanding Officer of the 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command in Indianapolis, Indiana. In this assignment, he is second in command in exercising Mission Command over 7700 Soldiers in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware.