Col (Dr.) Jennifer R. Bein is the 81st Medical Group Service Commander and MTF Director, Keesler Medical Center, Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi and is co-lead for the Biloxi DoD/VA joint venture center of excellence initiatives. As Commander, she is responsible for the direct delivery care at Keesler Medical Center and its clinics while coordinating the health care for all Joint Service warfighters, military retirees and their family members along the gulf coast. She ensures all Keesler Medics are ready for combat missions and humanitarian medical responses.
Col. Bein directs five graduate medical education programs, eight enlisted training programs, and a clinical research laboratory. She leads almost 1,700 healthcare professionals and manages a local budget of more than $100 million. She also is the federal coordinator for the Gulf Coast National Disaster Medical System. She is originally from North Carolina. She earned her Bachelor’s and Master's degrees in Chemistry, then pursued Dentistry at Boston University earning her DMD in 2004. Upon completion of dental school, she completed a General Practice Residency program in 2005 and entered private practice. She received a direct accession commission in the USAF Dental Corps in January 2006.
EDUCATION
1998 Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
2000 Master of Science in Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
2004 Doctor of Dental Medicine, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
2005 General Practice Residency, Lincoln Medical Center, Bronx, New York
2008 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence
2012 Air Command and Staff School, by correspondence
2018 Air War College, by correspondence
2023 National War College in residence, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, District of Columbia
ASSIGNMENTS OR CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1.February 2006-February 2009, General Dentist, Geilenkirchen NATO AB, Geilenkirchen, Germany
2.February 2009-February 2012, Dental Support Flight Commander, Hurlburt Field, Florida
3.July 2012-July 2015, Clinical Dentistry Flight Commander/Deputy Squadron Commander, Tinker AFB,
Oklahoma
4.July 2015-November 2017, Chief of Dental Services, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
5.November 2017-July 2018, Commander, 15th Medical Support Squadron, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
6.July 2018-July 2020, Commander, 381st Training Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio, Fort Sam Houston, Texas
7.July 2019-July 2020, Deputy Commander, 59th Training Group, Joint Base San Antonio, Fort Sam Houston, Texas
8.July 2020-July 2022, Chief of Medical Modernization and Senior Dentist, Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
9.July 2022-June 2023, Student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, District of Columbia
10.July 2023-July 2025, Commander, 355th Medical Group, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona
11.July 2025-Present, Service Commander/DHA MTF Director, 81st Medical Group, Keesler AFB, Mississippi
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Air Force Legion of Merit
Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Meritorious Unit Award with one device
Humanitarian Service Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2011 Air Force Special Operations Command Clinical Dentist of the Year
PUBLICATIONS
“Formation of Tantalum “Tuck-in” Complexes by Activation of Methyl C−H Bonds in Pentamethylcyclopentadiene Groups by Carbazole Ligation”; Patrick N. Riley, Jennifer R. Parker, Phillip E. Fanwick, and Ian P. Rothwell; Organometallics 1999 18 (18), 3579-3583.
“Synthesis and structure of niobium and tantalum compounds containing 2,6-diphenyl-3,5-di-tert-butylphenoxide ligation”, Jonathan S. Vilardo, Michelle M. Salberg, Jennifer R. Parker, Phillip E. Fanwick, and Ian P. Rothwell; Inorganica Chimica Acta 2000 299 (2) 135-141.
“Structure, Bonding and Reactivity of Tantalum Amides Containing o-Naphthyl- and o-Indenylphenoxide Ligation”, Matthew G Thorn, Jennifer R. Parker, Phillip E. Fanwick, and Ian P. Rothwell; Organometallics 2003 22 (23) 4658-4664.
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Captain January 6, 2006
Major September 26, 2008
Lieutenant Colonel September 26, 2014
Colonel September 27, 2020