Sergeant Major Benson is from Hughesville, Missouri and enlisted in the Marine Corps in February of 2000. He attended
recruit training aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, California, where he was meritoriously promoted to Private
First Class upon graduation. He completed of School Of Infantry in Camp Pendleton, California and reported to 1st
Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California and was assigned to 2nd Platoon, Company C as a
Rifleman.
In January 2001, Sergeant Major Benson attended Maritime Special Purpose Force training where he served as a team
leader in Trailer Platoon and worked with 2nd Platoon, 1st Force Recon, attached to the 15th MEU. He landed in
Afghanistan in November 2001 during operation Shock and Awe, and continued through Operation Enduring Freedom.
Upon return he was meritoriously promoted to the rank of Corporal in August, 2002, and took the 1st Squad Leader
position in 1st Platoon, Company C. He then deployed with the 13th MEU, where he was promoted meritoriously to the
rank of Sergeant by winning the MEU board in August 2003. While deployed on the 13th MEU ESG 1, he took part in
Operation Sweeny in Iraq. He returned from deployment in February 2004.
In March, 2004, Sergeant Major Benson volunteered for Combat Replacement Company and was assigned to 2nd
Platoon, Company E, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines Camp Pendleton, California as a Squad Leader and for a while was
assigned to be a sniper team leader for an 8-man sniper team before they suspended sniper operations across the
Battalion. Sergeant Major Benson returned from Ar Ramadi, Iraq in October, 2004.
Sergeant Major Benson ended his service in November 2004 and began working for a Para Military Service in Iraq called
Crescent Security Group. He spent 2 years traveling the Middle East completing missions for the U.S. Army, State
Department; various other defense agencies and Joint Nations. Sergeant Major Benson, along with his team, and their
story was written into a book called, "A Bloody Business" that highlights only a few of their missions. In November of 2006,
he accepted a position with Security Group, Blackwater U.S.A. in Baghdad, Iraq protecting State Department Personnel
and U.S. Dignitaries during their movements. He ended his contract and returned to the United States in December 2007.
In February 2008, Sergeant Major Benson reenlisted in the Marine Corps and received orders to 1st Platoon, Company C,
1st Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California where he deployed on the 13th MEU in 2009 as
a Squad Leader and again in 2011 as a Platoon Sergeant. During this time he attended Infantry Unit Leaders Course and
Infantry Mortar Leaders Course where he earned a secondary MOS as 0341 Mortarmen. He was promoted to the rank of
Staff Sergeant in July of 2011.
Sergeant Major Benson attended Marine Combat Instructors School, Camp Pendleton, California in January 2012 and was
assigned to Infantry Training Battalion, where he held the billets of Instructor, Platoon Commander, and Chief Instructor. In
January 2014 he became an instructor at Infantry Unit Leaders Course and later Chief Instructor. He was promoted to
Gunnery Sergeant in June 2014.
Sergeant Major Benson checked into Lima Company, 3nd Battalion, 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, Camp Lejeune,
North Carolina as the Company Gunnery Sergeant in January 2015 and deployed with SPMAGTF-CR-AF in July. Upon
his return in January 2016, he was assigned as the Company Gunnery Sergeant in Headquarters and Service Company.
In January 2017 Sergeant Major Benson attended Marine Combat Instructor School and reported to Advanced Infantry
Training Battalion, Camp Geiger, North Carolina where he held the billets of Instructor, Chief Instructor and Company First
Sergeant for Advanced Infantry Training Company.
January of 2018 he was selected to the rank of First Sergeant and was given orders to Inspector-Instructor Weapons
Company 2nd Battalion 23rd Marines, 4th Marine Division, at Port Hueneme, California. He was then given orders in
March 2021 to Inspector-Instructor Weapons Company, 3d Battalion 23rd Marines, 4th Marine Division, at Springfield,
Missouri.
Sergeant Major Benson was assigned as the Sergeant Major of the 1st Battalion 1st Marine Regiment 1st Marine Division.
First of Foot, Right of the Line in June 2022.
Sergeant Major Benson's personal decorations include; the Navy and Marine Commendation Medal x 4, Navy and Marine
Corps Achievement Medal X 4, and Combat Action Ribbon.