Dale Bendler, a retired CIA Chief of Station, shares his journey from a typical New Jersey upbringing to a pivotal role in U.S. intelligence. His early motivations for public service were solidified during his Marine Corps enlistment. Bendler's education at Rutgers, where he studied history and political science and gained fluency in Spanish, set the foundation for his CIA career. Over two decades, he served in multiple overseas posts and became Chief of Station three times, driven by a commitment to national security during the Cold War.
I was always drawn to the idea of contributing to something bigger than myself.
Rutgers offered a junior year abroad in Mexico City, where I attained fluency in Spanish.
I believed in the mission—gathering information, making sense of it, and keeping the US safe.
My master's at the Naval War College prepared me to think like a planner rather than just a responder.
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