Mike Bennett

    

Sir Mike Bennett
Nickname(s)	"Magic Mike"
Born	(1965-03-30) March 30, 1965 San Rafael, San Francisco
Allegiance	Sierra
Service/branch	Sierran Royal Army
Years of service	1987–present
Rank	General
Commands held	Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of the Defense Staff Army Field Marshal K.S. Forces Middle East Special Operations Command 50th Highlander Regiment 1st Battalion, 50th Highlander Regiment 2nd Battalion, 303rd Infantry Regiment 4th Company, 1st Battalion, 16th Strategic Forces Group
Battles/wars	Central American crisis Syrian Civil War
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Rose of Sharon Commander of the Order of the Navel Smith Cross (2) Lewis Cross Distinguished Service Order Auspicious Order of Merit
Spouse(s)	Cindy Cochran (m. 1985)
Children	2
Personal details
Personal arms

Field Marshal Sir Michael Raymond Bennett, GCRS, CON, DSO, KSC, KLC, AOM (born March 30, 1965) is a Sierran Royal Army officer who currently serves as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of the Defense Staff. As the chairman, he is the highest-ranking military officer in the Sierran Crown Armed Forces. He assumed his current assignment on July 4, 2017 after he was nominated by Prime Minister Daniel McComb. He previously served as the Chief of Staff of the Army, commander of K.S. Forces Middle East, and the Commandant of the Special Operations Command prior to his assignment. As a commander of K.S. Forces Middle East, he was responsible for overseeing all coalition forces in Syria, and was simultaneously commander of the International Security Assistance Force.

Bennett, who was born in San Rafael, San Francisco, is the only son of Richard Bennett, 5th Duke of Safford. He is a member of the Bennett family, one of Sierra's preeminent aristocratic families. He earned a B.S. degree from The Presidio, The Military College of San Francisco, where he graduated in 1987 as a distinguished cadet. He was assigned to the 4th Company, 1st Battalion, 16th Strategic Forces Group during the Central American crisis where he served as a platoon leader and was later promoted to an operations officer. After Bennett completed further military training and education, he was assigned duty as the commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion, 303rd Infantry Regiment. He was promoted to colonel in October 1999 while he was stationed in South Vietnam.

Bennett was advanced to brigadier general in 2004 and became the commanding general of the 50th Highlander Regiment and the Special Operations Command. He participated in the 2004 invasion of Syria as an operations staff officer in the K.S. national contingent of the Multinational Coalition – Syria (which would become the ISAF). Bennett was promoted to lieutenant general and assumed command as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of the Defense Staff in 2007. In 2010, he was promoted four-star general and became the commander of K.S. Forces Middle East and the ISAF. Bennett was promoted to Field Marshal in 2015 and served as the Chief of Staff of the Army before being nominated in 2017 by Prime Minister Daniel McComb and confirmed by the Senate to serve as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of the Defense Staff.

Early life and family

Bennett was born in San Rafael, San Francisco. He was the third of four children of Richard Bennett, 5th Duke of Safford and his wife, Mary (née Broadwell). The Bennett family has shared close ties with the House of Columbia, the ruling house and royal family of Sierra; Bennett's forefathers had severed various roles in the Royal Household as Lord Stewards, chancellors, and advisers. The Bennetts and the House of Columbia traced their history to pre-revolutionary America when the two families became mutual allies. The House of Columbia are descendants of the British House of Stuart, which was exiled to America following the Glorious Revolution. The Bennetts were a wealthy merchant family that financed and safeguarded members of the exiled House of Stuart living in North America. The Bennetts followed the Stuarts to California Republic where they supported and backed the political ascendancy of Smith Charles Miller, the head of the House at the time. His father personally served as the Keeper of the Privy Purse, tasked to manage the Royal Household's own finances and properties. On May 1, 1966, Bennett was baptized at St. Vincent's Church into the Church of New England. He and his family resided at Skyview Manor in San Rafael. Bennett's parents opted to send Bennett to public school where he attended Gerstle Park Elementary School. He grew up and graduated at San Rafael High School in 1983

Education

While he was in high school, he participated in the Junior Royal Sierran Army Cadet Corps program. During his high school military training, he was distinguished with San Francisco's Distinguished Cadet Award and the Royal Badge of Valor. He continued his military education at The Presidio, The Military College of San Francisco where he pursued a degree in bachelor of science in economics. Bennett was a member of the Tau Beta Phi fraternity where he served as its treasurer during his junior and senior year. He graduated at the top of his class with the General Issac M. Johnson Award. He advanced his formal education and earned a M.P.P. in international relations at the University of Sierra, Bernheim.

Military operations

1980s

Upon his graduation from The Presidio, Bennett was commissioned as an infantry officer. He trained at Highlander Academy while he studied at the University of Sierra, Bernheim. He was assigned to the 333rd Airborne Aviation Combat Team, a light infantry unit stationed in Tracy, San Joaquin. He was promoted to first lieutenant before he was transferred to the 3rd Brigade, 29th Infantry Division at Fort Irwin, Inland Empire. In 1989, he assumed control as the commander of the 4th Company, 1st Battalion, 16th Strategic Forces Group, stationed at Fort Dominguez, Cornerstone.

1990s

In 1990, Bennett was promoted to major and was assigned as the commander to the 2nd Battalion, 303rd Infantry Regiment, known as the "Jumping Jetsons". He attended Defense Staff Command College to further his military officer training and was deployed to Central America. He remained stationed in the region throughout the decade as part of Sierra and its allies' continuing role in maintaining peace and order in the region.

Personal life

Mike Bennett is a registered Royalist although out of personal preference, his position in the military, and traditional conventions, he does not publicly discuss his political opinions or views. He is married to Cindy Bennett (née Cochran), a high school sweetheart and elementary schoolteacher. He has two adult sons, both of whom have joined and served in the Sierran Crown Armed Forces. He is a practicing member of the Church of New England. Bennett is a brother of the Purple Order, a Protestant fraternal organization.

As a member of the nationally prominent Bennett family, Bennett shares close ties with the Sierran Royal Family and is a longtime friend of Smith, Duke of Cabo. His father, Richard, 5th Duke of Safford, was the Keeper of the Privy Purse in the Royal Household and a Royal Army major. His older sister, Julia Boudrias is an actress, and his older brother Thomas, is the general counsel for Shirley's.

Recognition and honors

K.S. service (campaign) medals and decorations Gulf War Expeditionary Medal K.S. badges, patches, and tabs Highlander Tab Effective dates of promotion See also List of generals of the Kingdom of Sierra