Col. Michael Bennett is the Deputy Commander, 908th Airlift Wing, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. He leads the Air Force's MH-139 Formal Training Unit. In addition, he insures the war-fighting capability of the 908th's Aeromedical Evacuation and Agile Combat Support units to support National Command Authority taskings.
Col. Bennett enlisted in the Army National Guard in March 1996 and graduated from Fort Knox’s school of Mounted Warfare as a Cavalry Scout in November 1996. He earned his commission in the Army National Guard in 2000 then graduated from Ohio University in 2001 while in his first command as a Stinger Missile Platoon Leader. In 2002, Col. Bennett cross-commissioned and attended Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training. Since then, he has led missions on each the C-141, C-5, and C-17 in combat operations around the globe. Col. Bennett has commanded at the platoon, flight, squadron, and group levels and has served in a myriad of roles to include flight safety, instrument instructor, and operation planner. In 2010-2011, he deployed to the 601st Air Operations Center as a fighter planner in their Combat Plans Division, providing OPERATION NOBEL EAGLE air support for presidential movements, the last space shuttle launches, Super Bowl, and the State of the Union Address. During his latest deployment, he served as the deputy commander of the 387th Air Expeditionary Group Kuwait/Iraq, leading over 700 airmen supporting Tactical Air Control Party, JET/IA, and Combat Weather operations, as well as supplying BOS-I to bases in Iraq and Cargo City, Kuwait International Airport. Col. Bennett’s previous position was the Deputy Commander, 445th Mission Support Group, 445 Airlift Wing, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, where he led his group through a deployment supporting OPERATIONS ALLIES REFUGE and INHERENT RESOLVE. He is a command pilot with more than 4,100 military flying hours. In his civilian capacity, he has amassed over 2,400 flying hours, type ratings on DC-9, B-73, -75 and -76, and is currently a Captain at a major, global airline.
EDUCATION
1996 Cavalry Scout One Station Unit Training, United States Army, 5-15 CAV, Ft. Knox, Ky.
2000 Officer Candidate School, United States Army, 147th Regional Training Institute, Ohio
2001 Bachelor of Science, Aviation, Ohio University, Athens
2003 Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.
2005 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2011 Master of Aeronautical Science, Aviation Aerospace Safety Systems, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Worldwide Campus, Fla.
2014 Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2015 Leadership Today and Tomorrow, Arlington, Va.
2016 Endorsement, U.S. Air Force Steady-State Campaign Support Planning, Angelo State University, San Angelo, Texas
2020 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2021 Logistics Readiness Officer Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2022 Squadron Commander’s Course, Robins AFB, Ga.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. March 1996 – March 1999, Cavalry Scout, A Troop 2/107 Armored Cav, Lebanon, Ohio
2. March 1999 – August 2000, Officer Candidate, 147th Regional Training Institute, Columbus, Ohio
3. August 2000 – January 2002, Platoon Leader, 3rd Platoon B Battery 2/174th ADA (Avenger), McConnelsville, Ohio
4. February 2002 – March 2003, Student, 14th Flying Training Wing, Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.
5. March 2003 – March 2006, C-141 Aircraft Commander and Squadron Chief of Flight Safety, 356th Airlift Squadron, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
6. March 2006 – April 2011, C-5 Aircraft Commander and Wing Operations Plans Officer, 445th Operations Support Squadron, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
7. May 2011 – April 2013, C-17 Aircraft Commander and Assistant Flight Commander, 89th Airlift Squadron, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio (September 2010 – September 2011, Fighter Planner, 601st Air and Space Operations Center, Tyndall AFB, Fla.)
8. April 2013 - April 2017, C-17 Aircraft Commander, Flight Commander and Chief of Wing Plans, 300th Airlift Squadron, Charleston AFB, S.C.
9. April 2017 – May 2020, Deputy Chief of Operations Division, Force Generation Center, Robins AFB, Ga.
10. June 2020 – March 2022, Commander, 87th Aerial Port Squadron, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio (January 2022 -July 2022, Deputy Commander, 387th Air Expeditionary Group, Kuwait and Iraq)
11. April 2022 – July 2023, Deputy Commander, 445th Mission Support Group, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
12. August 2023 – Present, Deputy Commander, 908th Airlift Wing, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Army Commendation Medal
Air and Space Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Unit Award
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award
Combat Readiness Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal with four service stars
Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal with one service star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal with one service star
Air and Space Campaign Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with silver hourglass and seven “M” devices
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 7,000
Aircraft flown: T-37B, T-1A, C-141C, C-5A/B, C-17A, MD-88/90, B-717, B-737, B-757, B-767
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
American Legion
Veterans of Foreign Wars
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Aug. 27, 2000
First Lieutenant Aug. 27, 2002
Captain Aug. 27, 2004
Major June 9, 2010
Lieutenant Colonel June 9, 2017
Colonel July 1, 2023
(Current as of October 2023)