User:Slugger O'Toole/benda

Commander John A. Benda is the captain and commanding officer of the USS Constitution. As such, he is the "face of the US Navy in Boston." He is the second commanding officer of the Constitution from Dedham, Massachusetts, following the first, Samuel Nicholson.

Early life and education
Benda was born in Roslindale, Boston and moved to Dedham, Massachusetts when he was five years old with his parents, John and Brenda. He attended the Riverdale School, Dedham Middle School, and was graduated from Dedham High School in 1997 where he played baseball and track and was captain of the football and wrestling teams. He was voted by his classmates as Most Athletic and Best All Around. Benda has a younger brother, Kenny, and a younger sister, Katie.

After high school, Benda attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) on a Reserve Officers' Training Corps scholarship where he studied mechanical engineering, joined a fraternity, and played football. At WPI, he was named the Freedom Football Conference rookie of the week. He was graduated in 2001. Upon graduation, he was commissioned an ensign in the United States Navy. His father and both grandfathers had previously served in the military. He then earned a master's of science in leadership at the University of San Diego. He earned a second master's at the Naval War College in 2012.

Military career
After being commissioned, Benda was sent to the Naval War College for six months of surface warfare school. He then served upon the USS Ashland as the communications officer. In early 2003, he was deployed as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. As officer of the deck, he oversaw Marines shuttling back and forth to the beaches of Kuwait.

Benda was then assigned to Amphibious Squadron 7 in San Diego as Assistant Ops Planner. While on his way back to the Persian Gulf, his unit was instead redirected to provide humanitarian relief following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Benda planned the relief mission. For his service in this mission, Benda was awarded the Humanitarian Service Medal. He was also awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.

While on shore duty, Benda was instead reassigned to the USNS GySgt. Fred W. Stockham where he supported special operations units in the Philippines for five months. After earning a master's degree at the University of San Deigo, Benda was assigned to the USS Gary. As the operations officer on the Gary, he did counter-drug operations on the Pacific coasts of South America and Mexico for two years.

Benda then served as the N-3 for the USS Boxer where he spent eight months at sea. During this time, his ship conducted ten multi-lateral exercises with Jordan, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain. They also conducted a variety of operations, including raids, assaults, humanitarian disaster relief, and search-and-seizure missions.

After earning his second master's degree, Benda became an instructor at the surface warfare officer school where he taught expeditionary warfare. Benda then returned to San Diego where he had his first engineering tour. As that assignment ended, a position opened on the USS Constitution and Benda was given orders to serve as its executive officer and second in command. In 2019, it was announced that he would be the next commanding officer of the Constitution. He took command of the Constitution on February 29, 2020. His term as commander is for two years.

Personal life
Benda met his wife, Susan, who is originally from Westwood, Massachusetts while attending graduate school at the Naval War College. The couple married in 2012 and now lives in Holliston, Massachusetts. He has a step-daughter and a daughter.

As a lover of history,  Benda spoke at the Dedham Historical Society about Dedham's connection to the Constitution, including its first captain, Samuel Nicholson, and the Avery Oak. He has also welcomed aboard the schoolchildren of Dedham, members of the Dedham Retired Men's Club, and the Fairbanks House for tours of the Constitution. He also gives lectures about the history of the Constitution  and speaks at schools. In 2019, he was awarded the Outstanding Alumni award from Dedham High School. That same year, he was the Grand Marshall of the Holliston Memorial Day Parade.