Obituary of Col. Paul D. Behrends, USMC

Memorial Donations may be made in Colonel Behrend's Memory to assist his children's educational futures. 

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Col. Paul . Behrends was a Partner with R&B Strategies, LLC. R&B Strategies is a full-service public affairs firm with decades of government experience in the Legislative and Executive branches of government. R&B focuses on clients in the technology, science and space, public policy and foreign affairs sectors.

 

From 2014 – 2019 Mr. Behrends worked in the House of Representatives initially as Staff Director of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats and then as Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA).

 

From 1990 – 1997 Mr. Behrends worked as Senior Legislative Assistant for International Relations and National Security Affairs for Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and as a shared staff Member with the International Relations Committee (1995-7).  Mr. Behrends participated in overseas policy development and investigative missions for Mr. Rohrabacher and the Committee on International Relations. He concurrently served as Legislative Director of the House Republican Task Force on the Balkan Crisis from 1992-95.

 

Leaving Capitol hill in 1997, he held senior positions with major public policy conculting law firms in Washington, D.C. where he specialized advising clients on issues concerning government contracting, international policy matters and security matters.

Mr. Behrends retired with the rank of Colonel from the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in 2005.  During his career after completing The Basic School and the Infantry Officer’s Course (1981-2) at Quantico, Virginia he was assigned to: Third Battalion, First Marine Regiment, First Marine Division; First Reconnaissance Battalion; Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR); First Battalion of the Tenth Special Forces Group; Third Force Reconnaissance Company, Third Marine Division; and the Plans, Policy and Operations (PP&O) Directorate at Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC).

 

Mr. Behrends is a former Member of the Inter-American Defense Board, has participated in exchange programs with the British Royal Marines, attended 20 formal military schools including Amphibious Warfare School, Command and Staff College, Navy Dive School and Airborne School.

 

During the breakup of former Yugoslavia he served as Deputy Operations Officer (DJ-3) of Joint Task Force Provide Promise (Forward) based in Zagreb, Croatia where he was also assigned to the Disaster Area Response Team (DART) at the U.S. embassy (AMBEMB Zagreb) and was Liaison to the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR). Mr. Behrends has trained with over a dozen foreign militaries, been awarded the German military airborne insignia and the Defense Meritorious Medal among other awards. Mr. Behrends went inside Afghanistan with the Mujahedeen in 1985 and observed the Contras inside Nicaragua in 1987.

 

Mr. Behrends is an alumnus of the American-Swiss Foundation Young Leader Program and the French Foreign Ministry of Foreign Affair’s Future Leaders Invitation Program.  He also participated in numerous election observation missions, including as a member of the International Republican institute’s delegation monitoring the 1993 election in Cambodia, the 2004 Afghan Presidential election, and the Organization of American States sponsored him as an observer to the 2009 Salvadoran Presidential elections.

 

Mr. Behrends holds a Master’s degree from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at the Johns Hopkins University. He also attended Harvard University’s Senior Managers in Government Program and received his undergraduate degree from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. He also attended the University of Salamanca (Spain), Jagiellonian university in Warsaw (Poland), and the University of the Americas in Puebla, Mexico.

He was proceeded in death by father Paul E. Behrends. Col. Behrends is survived by J. Stefanie, and their children Paul D., Grace M. M., Josef S., & Maria K.  He leaves to cherish his memory mother Kathryn L. Behrends (nee Meiners) and beloved siblings Carol Frese (Greg), Steve (Deb), Judy Witt (Dexter) and Joan Van Pelt (Rick).  Paul was the cherished uncle of many nieces and nephews (Kate, Michael Behrends, Kevin Behrends and Daniel).

 

 

Tribute from Dr. Waller : https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10224721326887556&id=1443253058&sfnsn=mo