CLB-11 Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Andrew J. Bergen

Lieutenant Colonel Bergen was raised in Elmwood Park, New Jersey. Upon graduation from Fordham University, Lieutenant Colonel Bergen was commissioned via the Platoon Leaders Course during August of 1993. Following completion of The Basic School, he was designated a Motor Transportation Officer.

Upon graduation from the Motor Transportation Officer’s Course, then Lieutenant Bergen was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines. Arriving in the summer of 1994, he took part in numerous training exercises and deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for Operation SEA SIGNAL. He deployed to Okinawa with the battalion in 1995 and took part in numerous on island training exercises as well as the Korean Integration Training Program and Exercise Foal Eagle in South Korea. Returning to The United States, he again trained his platoon while also serving as the Battalion’s Embarkation Officer and Team Embarkation Officer of the USS Kearsarge for a deployment with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). During the deployment with the MEU he took part in the preparation for a Non Combatant Evacuation Operation (NEO) in Kinshasa, Zaire (GUARDIAN RETRIEVAL) and the NEO (Operation NOBLE OBELISK) in Sierra Leone, as well as numerous training events in the Mediterranean. He was promoted to Captain on 1 October 1997 on the forecastle of the USS Kearsarge.

Upon return to the States, he received the Tarawa Award as the Outstanding Lieutenant in the 2nd Marine Division. Then Captain Bergen reported to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, where he served as a Series and Company Commander with “K” Company as well as the Operations Officer of the 3rd Recruit Training Battalion.

Following completion of the Amphibious Warfare School, Captain Bergen reported the 1st Force Service Support Group and served as the Commanding Officer of “B” Company, 1st Transportation Battalion during June of 2001. He conducted several training exercises with the company prior to transitioning the company to Combat Service Support Company 117 (CSSC-117). CSSC-117 deployed to Kuwait in January of 2003 in preparation for Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. Captain Bergen commanded the company, providing direct combat logistics support to Regimental Combat Team Seven, during the March to Baghdad and throughout stability and support operations in South Central Iraq. He was promoted to Major in Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq, on 1 September, 2003.

Assigned as the Operations Officer of Brigade Service Support Group 1 during the Fall of 2003, he deployed to Kuwait and conducted Landing Force Support Party Operations in support of the reception, staging, onward movement and integration of I MEF forces into Iraq during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM II.

Major Bergen then attended the Norwegian Language Course and the Norwegian Defense Command and Staff College in Oslo, Norway during 2005-2006. Upon graduation, Major Bergen reported to Headquarters Marine Corps (Plans, Policies, and Operations) and served initially as the Maritime Prepositioning Force (MPF) Officer during the summer of 2006. He was advanced to Section Head, POE-60 (Expeditionary Plans and Policies), in 2007. In this capacity, he developed and coordinated the Near Term Recapitalization of the MPF, the MPF Campaign Plan, as well as Marine Corps Prepositioning Program – Norway policies. As the Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies, and Operations representative to the Strategic Equipment Working Group, he coordinated the global sourcing of equipment in support of operations in Afghanistan.

Major Bergen reported to the 1st Marine Division during the summer of 2009 and served as the G-4 Operations Officer. Promoted to his current rank on 1 September, 2009 at the 1st Marine Division Headquarters, he deployed with the Division’s advanced party to Afghanistan in March of 2010 as the Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff, G-4.

He assumed command of Combat Logistics Battalion 11 (CLB-11) on 18 June 2010.

He is a graduate of the Amphibious Warfare School (Non-Resident and Resident), the Marine Corps Command and Staff College (Non-Resident) and the Norwegian Defense Command and Staff College.

His personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal (Gold Star in lieu of Third Award), the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (Gold Star in lieu of Second Award), the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (With Combat Distinguishing Device), and the Combat Action Ribbon.