Colonel Benninghoff is a native of Hammond, Indiana, and was commissioned through the Platoon Leaders Course (Jr/Sr) in June 2001. Having been designated a logistics officer at The Basic School (TBS), Second Lieutenant Benninghoff received orders to Headquarters Battalion, 2d Marine Division where he served as the platoon commander for 1st Platoon, Truck Company while awaiting Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) training. From August to November 2002, he attended Logistics Officers Course (LOC) at Camp Johnson, North Carolina.
In November 2002, Second Lieutenant Benninghoff returned to Truck Company and deployed with his platoon in January 2003 in support of 2d Marine Regiment, Task Force Tarawa during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), subsequently attaching to 3rd Battalion, 2d Marine Regiment for the assault into Iraq. From February to October 2004, First Lieutenant Benninghoff served as both the Motor Transport Officer for 2nd Battalion, 2d Marine Regiment and platoon commander for 1st Platoon, Truck Company during their deployment for OIF II. Upon returning to Truck Company, he assumed command of Truck Company (Rear) from January to August 2005.
From August 2005 to April 2007, Captain Benninghoff served as the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort assistant S-4 Officer. In May 2006, he deployed as the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) for an Army Movement Control Team (MCT) in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, coordinating transportation support for 1-32 IN (USA) and other US and coalition forces within Regional Command East. Upon returning to Beaufort, Captain Benninghoff received orders to Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 31 where he served as the logistics officer and operations officer from 2007-2009.
Following graduation from Expeditionary Warfare School in June 2010, Major Benninghoff became the S-4 officer for Marine Corps Training and Advisory Group (MCTAG) / Marine Corps Security Cooperation Group (MCSCG), at Fort Story, Virginia.
After completing Command and Staff College in July 2014, Major Benninghoff became the operations officer for 2d Transportation Support Battalion (TSB). In March 2015, he deployed as the Build Partnership Capacity Sustainment Lead in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. Following this deployment and a second year with 2d TSB, he transitioned to Combat Logistics Regiment 2 and served as the regimental operations officer until July 2017. Lieutenant Colonel Benninghoff was then assigned to HQMC, I&L, LPO-2 as the Prepositioning Programs Officer before taking command of Marine Wing Support Squadron 372 in May 2018. Following graduation from the Eisenhower School in 2021, Lieutenant Colonel Benninghoff served a year in the Joint Staff J-5 and a year as the Deputy Executive Assistant to the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In July 2023, Colonel Benninghoff moved to New Orleans to serve as the Chief of Staff of 4th Marine Logistics Group.
Colonel Benninghoff holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Northwestern University, a Master of Business Administration from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, a Master of Military Studies from Marine Corps University, and a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy from the Eisenhower School. Colonel Benninghoff is a graduate of Expeditionary Warfare School, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, and the Eisenhower School.
Colonel Benninghoff’s personal decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Danish Defense Medal for Exceptionally Meritorious International Service, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and Combat Action Ribbon.