Military career
After graduating from college, Bergman was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1969 under the Platoon Leaders Course program for aviation (PLC-Air) and entered active duty. Due to the need for pilots during the Vietnam War, Bergman did not attend The Basic School (TBS) at MCB Quantico, Virginia and was sent directly to flight training at NAS Pensacola and NAS Whiting Field, Florida, he was designated as a Naval Aviator.
He then flew CH-46 helicopters with HMM-261 at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina, and with HMM-164 at MCAS Futenma in Okinawa, Japan, and the Republic of Vietnam. Later assigned shore duty as a flight instructor, he flew T-28s with Training Squadron Six (VT-6) at NAS Whiting Field, Florida. He left active duty in 1975 and flew UH-1 helicopters with the Rhode Island Army National Guard, at the former NAS Quonset Point in Quonset Point, Rhode Island.
After a 1978 civilian employment transfer to Chicago, Bergman transferred from the Rhode Island Army 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 of VMGR-452 at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York. From 1992 to 1994 he commanded Mobilization Station, Chicago.
In 1995, he was a special staff officer at Marine Corps Reserve Support Command at Overland Park, Kansas. In 1996, he became chief of staff/deputy commander of I Marine Expeditionary Force Augmentation Command Element, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. In 1997, he transferred to the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing Headquarters in New Orleans, Louisiana to serve as assistant chief of staff/G-1. Promoted to brigadier general, he became deputy commanding general of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing.
Transferred in June 1998 to Headquarters, Marine Forces Europe, Stuttgart, Germany, Bergman 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, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, until assuming command of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, New Orleans, Louisiana in August 2000.
In September 2002, Bergman 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 of Reserve Affairs, Quantico, Virginia. He began his final assignment, command of the 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.
