During Military Appreciation Month each May and all throughout the year, the Benco Dental family honors the brave people who have made the sacrifice to serve their country. Many veterans and active service members work as part of the Benco team, and in this blog, they are spotlighted for contributions they make to protect freedom and liberty.
Meet some of the U.S. Veterans and Service members who are part of the Benco Dental team
Name: Chris Archuleta
Position at Benco: Equipment Specialist
Branch of Service: United States Navy
Years of Service: 1986 – 2006
Inspiration to enlist: “The ability to travel, and career opportunities.”
Points of Pride: “I am very proud to have served in our United States Military. Also, I am proud to be part of the Benco Family.”
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Name: Bob Berglund
Position at Benco: Senior Field Service Technician
Branch of Service: United States Navy
Years of Service: January 1990 – July 1996
Inspiration to enlist: “Working in a sawmill was rough. I had a newborn daughter and I wanted to finish college. A close friend recommended dental.”
Memorable aspects of time in service to the country: “I really enjoyed the camaraderie and friendships that I made. We all joined for similar reasons and left our homes and families behind. We joked that the Navy was the orphanage and we were the orphans. I miss my shipmates.”
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Name: Ken Branson
Position at Benco: District Manager of Equipment Sales – South
Branch of Service: United States Coast Guard
Years of Service: July 1990 – July 1994
Inspiration to enlist: “I was looking for direction and structure and the opportunity to serve my country.”
Point of Pride: “During my time in service I earned the National Defense ribbon, Humanitarian Service award, Good Conduct award, Special Ops award, and received an honorable discharge. My military service prepared me for leadership and has been a great asset to my career.”
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Name: Ed Gigante
Position at Benco: Friendly Benco Rep
Branch of Service: United States Naval Reserve
Years of Service: 1984 – 1992
Inspiration to enlist: “I wanted to serve my country.”
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Name: Mike Griffin
Position at Benco: Field Service Technician
Branch of Service: United States Army
Years of Service: March 1977 – March 1984
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Name: Travis Guion
Position at Benco: Regional Manager and Customer Advocate
Branch of Service: United States Marine Corps
Years of Service: 1991 – 1998
Inspiration to enlist: “I wanted to serve my country and travel the world.”
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Name: Judy Harvey
Position at Benco: Government Customer Experience Specialist II
Branch of Service: United States Navy
Years of Service: December 1992 – October 1998
Inspiration to enlist: “To grow in my career path.”
Life-changing opportunities: “Serving in the military proved to be an invaluable experience. The perspective gained is something I am able to continuously use in everyday life. Working at Benco Dental, the largest privately-owned dental distributor in the United States, is truly an honor as well. Working alongside great people and sharing resources to deliver superior service to the dental industry is a very rewarding experience. I am grateful for both opportunities in my life!”
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Name: Gindy Hanyon
Position at Benco: Returns Handler
Branch of Service: United States Navy
Years of Service: October 1984 – April 1985
Positive changes: “I served in the Navy before Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. When they found out that I was gay, I chose to leave with an Administrative Discharge. However, just two years ago, I received my Honorable Discharge.”
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Name: Bryant Hinrichs
Position at Benco: Master Field Service Technician
Branch of Service: United States Air Force
Years of Service: September 2009 – September 2013
Memorable aspects of time in service to the country: “I was a Crew Chief on the B-1 Bomber. I served in Operation Enduring Freedom at Al-Udeid Air Base 379th EAMXS in 2012 and supported B-1 Bomber combat operations over Afghanistan.”
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Name: Duane Kesler
Position at Benco: Field Service Manager
Branch of Service: United States Navy
Years of Service: July 1994 – July 2001
Inspiration to enlist: “The movie Top Gun.”
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Name: Chad Knuth
Position at Benco: Equipment Specialist
Branch of Service: United States Army
Years of Service: 2006 – 2014
Inspiration to enlist: “To help others and serve my country. My Dad always wanted to serve but never could because he had childhood glaucoma. I served for my Dad as well, since he is my hero. He couldn’t get into the military despite trying to get into every branch. He was a volunteer firefighter for 16 years.”
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Name: Brian Laity
Position at Benco: Equipment Specialist
Branch of Service: United States Marine Corps
Years of Service: December 1991 – December 1995
Inspiration to enlist: “My father and grandfather.”
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Name: Jaime LeBlanc
Position at Benco: Senior Field Service Technician
Branch of Service: United States Navy
Years of Service: November 19, 1984 – November 19, 1989
Inspiration to enlist: “To serve my country and support freedom for the American Citizens.”
Favorite aspect of Benco: “It’s a pleasure working for a company that is family oriented and cares about their employees.”
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Name: Emmanuel Locklear
Position at Benco: Field Service Technician
Branch of Service: United States Army
Years of Service: September 2007 – January 2019
Inspiration to enlist: “To increase my personal and professional skills, while also being able to move and travel.”
Favorite aspect of Benco: “I would say that being in the Blue Ridge region for Benco Dental is a great experience. We have a lot of military veterans from different branches.”
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Name: Randy Ohrt
Position at Benco: Field Service Technician
Branch of Service: United States Navy
Years of Service: November 1977 – November 1995
Inspiration to enlist: “My family has a long history of service to our nation. We have always considered it an honor and privilege to serve this great nation.”
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Name: Chris Setta
Position at Benco: Equipment Logistics Manager
Branch of Service: United States Army Reserves
Years of Service: February 1996 – August 2007
Inspiration to enlist: “The educational benefits the military had.”
Dental path began early: “Ironically, I was a dental technician in the Army.”
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Name: Vinny Sobral
Position at Benco: Field Service Technician
Branch of Service: United States Navy
Years of Service: February 1986 – November 1992
Inspiration to Enlist: “My father was in the Navy. As a kid, my room was decorated with Navy stuff, so I kind of always knew I would join the Navy.”
Memorable aspects of time in service to the country: I was onboard the USS Forestall with HS-15 as the flight deck troubleshooter on the SH-3H helicopter during Desert Storm.
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Name: Will Teague
Position at Benco: Senior Purchaser/ Planner
Branch of Service: United States Army
Years of Service: June 1988 – July 2000
Inspiration to enlist: “I had many family members that served in various branches of the military. It was a big deal in my family to be proud of our country and those who served. I started college upon completing high school, and it just so happened that my route from my home took me across a portion of Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Every day I would see soldiers out doing training, jumping out of airplanes, camouflaged and carrying rucksacks and weapons of various types. I felt a calling deep inside of me to honor my country through service, so I enlisted and became a US Paratrooper.”
Life-changing opportunity: “I believe that my military service made me adaptable and equipped to face any physical or mental challenge in my life. Once a warrior, always a warrior. The rigors of the military challenged me in ways that cannot be put into words, in a way that it doesn’t minimize all other life events. It definitely gives me the ability to live each day courageously and with a spirit of gratitude and humility. Thank you Benco family for accepting me for your team!”
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Name: Doug Yeager
Position at Benco: Friendly Benco Rep
Branch of Service: United States Marine Corps
Years of Service: 1990 – 1994
Inspiration to enlist: “My Father.”
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