Lt. Col. Hal Bidlack, USAF (Ret.),
Hal Bidlack was born in Michigan in 1958 and resided there until his graduation from
the University of Michigan in 1980. Beginning in 1981, he served for more than 25 years
as an officer in the United States Air Force, retiring in September, 2006, as a Lt. Colonel.
He now lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
- Undergraduate & Graduate studies, University of Michigan.
- Ph.D. in Political Science/American Government.
- Home: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Hal received undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Michigan; his
doctorate is in Political Science, with a focus on American National Government and
Environmental Security issues. His degrees are: B.A. in Political Science and Minor in
Economics (1980); MA in Political Science (1987); Ph.D. (1996).
- Military Police Officer, U.S. Air Force Security Forces.
- Commander, Deputy Commander, and Instructor, Minuteman III ICBM weapons system.
- Deputy Director, U.S. Air Force Institute for National Security Studies.
- Director of Global Environmental Affairs, the National Security Council (White House). Military Security Clearance: TS/SCI.
- Action Officer, Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (Pentagon).
- Deputy Director of Security Programs and Military Advisor, Office of the Coordinator of U.S. Assistance to the Former Soviet States.
- Senior Mentor, Air Force Academy.
- Chief, Core Course Division, Air Force Academy.
- Chief, Comparative Politics and Foreign Area Studies Division, Air Force Academy.
- Director of Educational Technology, Air Force Academy.
- Director of Personnel, Air Force Academy.
- Executive Officer to the Dean, Air Force Academy.
- Meritorious Service Medal with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters.
- Air Force Commendation Medal with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster.
- Combat Readiness Medal.
- National Defense Service Medal with 1 Bronze Star.
- Humanitarian Service Medal.
- Air Force Achievement Medal.
- Force Protection Badge.
- Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
Hal served in the Political Science Department at the Air Force Academy, where he
taught thousands of cadets — who often wrote in course evaluations that “the Colonel
is the best teacher I ever had.” In the Fall of 2007, the Academy invited Hal to return to
the faculty as a civilian. He is an expert on the Presidency, the U.S. Constitution, and the
Founding Fathers. He is a recognized national authority on Alexander Hamilton.
Before arriving at the Academy in 1988, Hal was a weapons-systems officer and
instructor in the Minuteman nuclear missile program in Wyoming. He is also a former USAF Police Officer.
Hal is a man of family values and strong principles — he and his wife, Martha, raised
three great children in Colorado. They are now in law school and college. Sadly, after a long battle,
cancer took Martha from her family four years ago.
Hal served twice in the Clinton White House with the National Security Council as
Director of Global Environmental Policy. He served in the Bush Administration State
Department as Deputy Director of Security Programs — work that dealt with issues
including classified nuclear-weapons security in the former Soviet States. It was this
duty that put him in the Pentagon on the horrific morning of September 11th, 2001.
In Colorado Springs, Hal was active as a coach in community youth football and
baseball programs. He is a fitness buff, whose chief hobby is road cycling. His son is
currently a law student; his older daughter is a college senior in Colorado; his younger
daughter is a college freshman in Colorado.
Hal exemplifies real family values. He says, "I believe the role of the government is to protect the rights of all
Americans, to remain fiscally responsible, to protect the right to privacy, to protect the economic health of the
country, and to work tirelessly to ensure all citizens are safe and secure in their homes and communities."
Hal states, "I'm committed to being part of the change this nation both yearns for and vitally needs.
The mismanagement and arrogance of recent years have made this nation less secure, less safe, less respected, and
less fiscally responsible. The future is bright, if our leaders act responsibly and with vision." It is time for
honor, character, and integrity to again be the hallmarks of our government. It is time for Lt. Col. Hal Bidlack to
serve our district and our nation.
- Presenter, International Conference for Critical Thinking, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006.
- Alexander Hamilton performances and presentations throughout U.S., 1996-2008.
- “The Impact of Global Climate Change on National and International Security,”
Department of Defense Policy Paper, 1998.
- “Interagency Cooperation on Environmental Security: The White House
Perspective,” U.S. Air Force Institute for National Security Issues Policy Paper,
1998.
- “The Wakeup Call,” The Windstar Journal, 1989.
- Global Warming and National Security – Presentation to the Colorado/Wyoming
Political Science Association, 1997.
- Global Warming and National Security – Presentation to Colorado Council on
International Organizations, 1997.
- USAF Institute for National Security Studies – Program Chair, Environmental
Policy Panel, 1997.
- Tragedy of Space Shuttle Columbia Announcement
In 2003, the tragic loss of Space Shuttle Columbia occurred moments before Hal
took the stage for a speech to those gathered at The Amazing Meeting (now known as The International Conference for Critical Thinking)
near Fort Lauderdale. It fell to Hal to make the distressing announcement to the audience.
Hal’s impromptu brief speech generated a reaction resulting in laudatory
Internet buzz for weeks afterward.
Transcript of Hal’s announcement:
... I have been looking forward to meeting Dr. Shermer for a long time and
unfortunately, that's spoiled. I want you to listen carefully to what I'm going to
tell you. The space shuttle Columbia was lost a few minutes ago. At 200,000 feet
over Texas, NASA lost contact and images from the ground show the shuttle
breaking up and impact is reported north of Dallas.
Now listen to me. I'm a career military officer. This is a tragedy. But these people
were doing exactly what they wanted to do, in exactly the place they wanted to be.
When Dave Scott set foot on the moon on Apollo XV he said, "Man's
fundamental nature is to explore, and this is exploration at its greatest." Gus
Grissom gave an interview a week before his death in the Apollo I fire, and he
said, "If there's an accident, for God's sake, don't let it stop the program." This is
a tragedy, but the astronauts understood, and that's what we do in the military.
We're going to take a break. We've got TVs in the lobby, and of course you can go
up to your rooms if you wish. And in an hour we're going to continue this
conference, because I believe that it would be an insult to their memory to deny
this audience the information that we want to give it. We can mourn, and we
shall, but with dignity and grace, and remember that the space program is an
amazing thing.
I know astronauts. They were where they wanted to be.
Since 1996, Hal has appeared before audiences — on radio and in live
performances — portraying Alexander Hamilton in one-man period stage
performances. He has made presentations throughout the country, has been
called the nation’s premier Alexander Hamilton scholar, and is critically
acclaimed as the nation’s leading Hamilton theatrical performer.
His audiences have included: Congressional Families’ Night, Smithsonian
Institution; Kennedy Center; National Defense Industrial Association; National
Museum of U.S. History; American Foreign Service Officers Association; Virginia
District Court Clerks; Parker Colorado Public Schools; Fremont Colorado County
Government; Mid-Atlantic Association for Court Management; State Library of
Ohio; and others.
As Hamilton, Hal’s performances are spontaneous, unscripted presentations.
Each is followed by audience questions on any subject from any time period,
answered in character as Hamilton. His appearances have also included debates
with “Thomas Jefferson,” nationally televised by C-SPAN. Hal’s study of the U.S.
Constitution and the Founding Fathers led to his particular interest in the life
and times of Alexander Hamilton.
