Jack Bergman

Early life and education

Bergman was born on February 2, 1947 in Shakopee, Minnesota and received his undergraduate degree from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1969. He subsequently earned an M.B.A. degree from the University of West Florida. His formal military education includes Naval Aviation Flight Training, Amphibious Warfare School, Marine Corps Command & Staff College, Landing Force Staff Planning (Marine Expeditionary Brigade [MEB] and Air Command Element [ACE]), Reserve Component National Security and Naval War College Strategy & Policy, Syracuse University National Security Seminar, Combined Forces Air Component Command, LOGTECH, and CAPSTONE.

Military career

Bergman was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1969 under the Platoon Leader School program after his college graduation.

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, NAS 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 interservice transferred from the Rhode Island National Guard back to the Marine Corps Reserve, where 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 Air National Guard Base (ANGB), Newburgh, New York. From 1992 to 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.

He began his final assignment, command of Marine Forces Reserve/Marine Forces North, on June 10, 2005. He relinquished that command in October 2009, and retired from active duty in December of that year.

2016 U.S. House campaign

Bergman won the Republican primary in Michigan's 1st congressional district in August 2016. He defeated Democratic nominee Lon Johnson and Libertarian nominee Diane Bostow in the November 2016 general election. Bergman, who will succeed retiring Republican Representative Dan Benishek, won 55% of the vote to Johnson's 40% and Bostow's 4%.

Current Committee Assignments

United States House Committee on the Budget
United States House Committee on Natural Resources
United States House Committee on Veterans' Affairs

Awards and decorations

Bergman's military awards include: