COL Benjamin H. Klimkowski is a Cyberwarfare Officer and most recently served as Chief, Cyber and Electromagnetic Activities (CEMA), U.S. Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF).

COL Klimkowski was born and raised in Wantagh, NY. He graduated from the United States Military Academy (USMA) in 2004 and was commissioned as an Infantry Officer. COL Klimkowski later became a Functional Area 24 (Telecommunications Engineer) prior to the establishment of the Cyber Branch.

COL Klimkowski’s first assignments included service with 3-325 Airborne Infantry Regiment and 2-508 Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, NC. While serving with the All American Division, COL Klimkowski served as a Platoon Leader, Company Executive Officer, Battle Captain, and Battalion Operations Officer. He deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. After designation as a Functional Area 24 (FA24) Officer, he was assigned to the Army Global Network Operations and Security Center (AGNOSC) at Fort Belvoir, where he was a Watch Officer later: Deputy Chief of Current Operations and participated in the transition to Army Cyber Command (ARCYBER). At ARCYBER, he was also a Computer Network Operations (CNO) Planner forward at Fort Meade. Afterwards, he was an Assistant Professor at USMA and taught Computer Science. In 2017, COL Klimkowski joined the US Army Cyber Protection Brigade (CPB). At the CPB, he served as the 200 Cyber Protection Team (CPT) Leader, Operations Officer for the 2d Cyber Battalion, and 03 National CPT Lead (Cyber National Mission Force). He subsequently commanded the 11th Cyber Battalion (formerly known as the 915th Cyber Warfare Battalion) and was selected in FY26 to command the 780th Military Intelligence Brigade (Cyber).

COL Klimkowski is a graduate of the Air Assault Course, Infantry Officer Basic Course, Basic Airborne Course, Ranger Course, Reconnaissance and Surveillance Leaders’ Course (RSLC), Infantry Mortar Leader Course, Telecommunications Systems Engineering Course, Signal Captains Career Course, CNO Planner course, Command and General Staff College, and Joint Advanced Cyberspace Warfare Course. He was the US Army War College Fellow to the National Security Agency for Academic Year 2024. He holds a Master of Science (MS) degree in Computer Science from the University of Maryland (UMD), a MS in Telecommunications from the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU Boulder), and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from USMA.

COL Klimkowski’s military awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters (3OLC), Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal (3OLC), Ranger Tab, and the Master Combat Infantryman Badge.

COL Klimkowski is married to his wife Jacqueline, and they have five lively children—three daughters, and two sons. His wife is a native of North Carolina and is a Nursing Educator (formerly at DDEAMC, USC-Aiken and Augusta University).

COL Klimkowski is passionate about improving the state of the Cyber Branch and helping mature the way the Army fights in the cyberspace domain. His research interests are related to computing systems and artificial intelligence, to include security, network traffic analysis, machine learning and data mining. He spends his free time powerlifting, running, reading, and raising Team Klimkowski.