Lieutenant Colonel William E. Bentley is the Commander of Air Force ROTC Detachment 420 and Professor of Aerospace Studies at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Lt Col Bentley leads a team of cadre who recruit, educate, and train cadets from among four Duluth-area universities and colleges to be leaders in the United States Air Force and Space Force.
Lieutenant Colonel Bentley is a native of Arkansas and entered the Air Force in 2008 as a graduate of Louisiana Tech University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering. His career includes four base-level civil engineer assignments working in programs and operations flights at Grand Forks AFB, ND, the Deputy Flight Chief in the programs flight at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, Operations Flight Commander at RAF Lakenheath, UK, and most recently, Commander of the 319th Civil Engineer Squadron at Grand Forks AFB, ND.
Lieutenant Colonel Bentley also did one specialty assignment at 819 RED HORSE squadron, where he was a project engineer and the Engineer Flight Commander. He has deployed as a tactical engineer in support of Joint Special Operations Task Force Philippines in 2009, an operations manager at the 379th Civil Engineer Squadron in 2010, a liaison officer and master planner with the 777th and 577th Expeditionary Prime BEEF Squadrons within Afghanistan in 2013, and most recently as the Commander of the 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron within Jordan in 2004. Lieutenant Colonel Bentley also completed a Joint Tour with the Office of Defense Cooperation-Turkiye, where he served as both the Agreements and Operations Division Chief and the Joint Engineer.
EDUCATION
2007 Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA
2008 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2013 Squadron Officer School, via correspondence, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2014 Squadron Officer School, in residence, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2018 Master of Graduate Engineering Management, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
2020 Air Command and Staff College, via correspondence, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2025 Air War College, via correspondence, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
ASSIGNMENTS
1. February 2008 - May 2011, Programmer and Operations Support Chief, 319th Civil Engineer Squadron, Grand Forks AFB, ND
2. June 2011 - August 2013, Deputy Flight Commander, Programs Flight, 355th Civil Engineer Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ
3. September 2016 - April 2018, Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
4. May 2018 - May 2021, Operations Flight Commander, 48th Civil Engineer Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, UK
5. May 2021 - May 2023, Director of AOD & Joint Engineer, Office of Defense Cooperation, Ankara, Turkiye
6. June 2023 - June 2026, Commander, 319th Civil Engineer Squadron, Grand Forks AFB, ND
7. June 2026 – Present, Commander, Air Force ROTC Detachment 420, University of Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Army Commendation Medal
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant - August 14, 2007
First Lieutenant - November 14, 2009
Captain - November 14, 2011
Major - September 1, 2017
Lieutenant Colonel - December 1, 2021
