On 8 November 2009, Lieutenant General John W. Bergman, USMC (Ret.) was the third Guest of Honor in the history of the Wine Country Marine Corps Birthday Ball. He was the first active duty General officer and the first Naval Aviator to be our Guest of Honor. The following is a short biography of his distinguished career:
General Bergman is the former Commander, Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces North. His distinguished career has spanned the last four decades.
A Naval Aviator and decorated combat veteran, he flew CH-46 helicopters during the Vietnam war. As a pilot, he has flown both helicopters (CH-46 Sea Knight, UH-1 Huey) and fixed wing aircraft (T-28 Trojan, KC-130 Hercules).
General Bergman was commissioned a Second Lieutenant (via the PLC Program) in the Marine Corps Reserve after his college gradation in 1969 from Gustavus Adolphus College. He flew CH-46 helicopters with HMM-261 at Marine Corps Air Station, New River, North Carolina and with HMM-164 in Okinawa, Japan and the Republic of Vietnam.
Assigned as a flight instructor, he flew the T-28 with VT-6, Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Florida. He left active duty in 1975 and flew UH-1 helicopters with the Rhode Island National Guard, Quonset Point, Rhode Island.
Following a 1978 civilian employment transfer to Chicago, Illinois, he served in several 4th Marine Aircraft Wing units at NAS Glenview, Illinois. (HML-776, flying the UH-1; VMGR-234, flying the KC-130; and Mobilization Training Unit IL-1).
He was selected to stand up the second KC-130 squadron in 4th MAW and, in 1988, became the first Commanding Officer, VMGR-452, Stewart ANGB, Newburgh, New York. From 1992-1994 he commanded Mobilization Station, Chicago (the largest of the 47 Marine Corps Mobilization Stations).
During 1995, he served as a Special Staff Officer at Marine Corps Reserve Support Command, Overland Park, Kansas. In 1996, he became Chief of Staff/Deputy Commander, I Marine Expeditionary Force Augmentation Command Element, Camp Pendleton, California. In late 1997, he transferred to 4th Marine Aircraft Wing Headquarters, New Orleans, Louisiana to serve as Assistant Chief of Staff/G-1. Promoted to Brigadier General, he became Deputy Commander, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing.
Transferred in June 1998 to Headquarters, Marine Forces Europe, Stuttgart, Germany, he served as Deputy Commander. Recalled to active duty from April to July 1999, he was dual-hatted as EUCOM, Deputy J-3A. He then commanded II Marine Expeditionary Force Augmentation Command Element, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina until assuming command of 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, New Orleans, Louisiana in August 2000.
In September 2002, he assumed command of the 4th Force Service Support Group, New Orleans, Louisiana. He, also, served as Chairman of the Secretary of the Navy's Marine Corps Reserve Policy Board from 2001 to 2003.
Returning to active duty in October 2003, he served as Director, Reserve Affairs, Quantico, Virginia.
On 10 June 2005, he assumed command of Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces North.
Lieutenant General Bergman's personal decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Single Mission Air Medal with Combat "V", Air Medal with numeral "1" and the OSD badge.
General Bergman earned his undergraduate degree from Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota. He also earned an MBA degree from the University of West Florida at Pensacola. His formal military education includes Naval Aviation Flight Training, Amphibious Warfare School, Command & Staff College, Landing Force Staff Planning (MEB & ACE), Reserve Component National Security, Naval War College Strategy & Policy, Syracuse University National Security Seminar, Combined Forces Air Component Command, LOGTECH, and CAPSTONE.
