Colonel Robert D. Bentley was commissioned an Infantry Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School, 18 November 1942, class number 104. His first duty assignment was as Rifle Platoon Leader, 16th Training Regiment, Camp Roberts, California. | His subsequent duty assignments include: Basic Airborne Training - Physical Training Instructor, The Parachute School, Fort Benning, Georgia; Rifle/MG Platoon Leader, 513 Pcht Inf Regiment, 17th Abn Div, European Theater of Operations; POW, Germany; Instructor, Physical Training, Pcht School, Fort Benning, Georgia; Instructor, Jump Training, Pcht Schl, Fort Benning, Georgia; Aide-de-Camp, Pcht Schl, Fort Benning, Georgia; Aerial Delivery Instructor, 11th Abn Div, Japan; Club/Billeting Officer - Civil affairs/Milt Govt, 7th Inf Div, Japan; Company Commander, Battalion Staff Officer (511 AIR), 11th Abn Div, Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Asst Regimental S3 (503d AIR), 11th Abn Div, Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Regimental/Div Staff Off - Co Cmdr/Div G3 Air, 40th Inf Div, 7th Inf Div, Korea; Div G3 Air, 7th Inf Div, Korea; Battalion S3, Battalion Executive Officer, (325 AIR), 82d Abn Div, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; OIC Special Project - Battalion Commander, Battalion Commander/Regimental Adjutant, 82d Abn Div, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Test Officer, ROTAD, 101st Abn Div, Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Instructor, Company Tactics, The Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia; Instructor, Company Tactics, Committee Chairman, Command & Staff Dept, USAIS, Fort Benning, Georgia; ROTC Duty, Asst Prof of Milt Sci, Professor of Mil Sci,  St Lawrence University, Canton, New York; Operations Readiness Officer, OIC Special Study Group, NATO, Headquarters NATO, Headquarters (LANDSOUTEAST - Turkey); Svc Br Chief, ODCSPER, Headquarters, USCONARC, Fort Monroe, Virginia. | Colonel Bentley's awards and decorations include: Bronze Star Medal w/Oak Leaf Cluster; ACR w/Oak Leaf Cluster; CIB w/star, ROK PUC.