COLONEL RETIRES AS A RESPECTED COMBAT LEADER…. AND ‘SUPER GEEK’

Photo By Lt. Col. Bradford Leighton | Illinois Army National Guard Col. Ron Bonesz of Normal, Illinois, retired in November with more than 28 years of honorable service. During a distinguished career he led Soldiers on three combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, twice as a commander. He was the Illinois Army National Guard’s top personnel officer effectively confronting multiple transitions and issues including major deployments and a global pandemic. He’s been a Military Police officer, served in aviation, operations, logistics, and in the Joint Staff as Security Cooperation Officer. He earned two Bronze Stars and a Legion of Merit. And he's also a "super geek" who went from playing Dungeon and Dragons as a kid to a lifelong love of science fiction and fantasy. (Courtesy photo.)  

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES

05.23.2024

Story by Lt. Col. Bradford Leighton 

Joint Force Headquarters - Illinois National Guard Public Affairs

Col. Ron Bonesz of Normal, Illinois, retired in November with more than 28 years of honorable service, but many Soldiers didn’t realize there was another side to the colonel.
During a distinguished career he led Soldiers on three combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, twice as a commander. He was the Illinois Army National Guard’s top personnel officer effectively confronting multiple transitions and issues including major deployments and a global pandemic. He’s been a Military Police officer, served in aviation, operations, logistics, and in the Joint Staff as Security Cooperation Officer.
He earned two Bronze Stars and a Legion of Merit.
“He was an effective commander and staff officer – one of the best,” said Maj. Gen. Rodney Boyd, The Adjutant General for Illinois and Commander of the Illinois National Guard. “He was a great problem-solver, using data to get at the root cause of many difficult issues. He was a terrific mentor who helped prepare a new generation of Illinois National Guard leaders.”
And he is a geek – just ask his mom.
Nerdiness is not the first thing his fellow Soldiers think of when they look back on the career of the colonel. Tough combat leader doesn’t exactly fit with the cast of “The Big Bang Theory.”
But, still, who knows someone better than their mother? And mom is insistent…
“He is a geek,” said Billie Nejedly, Bonesz’s mother, as she recalled the future Illinois Army National Guard colonel staying up to 1 a.m. playing Dungeons and Dragons with his friends. “Oh, yes, he still is a geek.”
Perhaps his “JEDI” license plate is a give-away? Or his love of Star Wars, Star Trek, and most-things science fiction? A University of Illinois degree in aeronautical engineering should be an indication, right? He did always show an affection for numbers and analysis…
Col. Lenny Williams, the former Illinois Army National Guard Chief of Staff, even claims that Col. Bonesz developed a reverse extra-sensory perception. “I always knew what Ron was thinking,” Williams said. Whether Bonesz was projecting his thoughts into other people’s brains with that signature slight, bemused, smile; or whether it was just a mind trick, the retired colonel always did have a way of leading people toward his way of thinking.
Just ask his wife.
The future Blair Bonesz had already shot down one potential suitor at The Snuggery in Schaumburg. She knew what she wanted in a partner, but Ron Bonesz did too. The two sized each other up with rapid-fire questioning. Ron could tell that Blair was intelligent – she has a doctorate in psychology – so he led with his bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering.
That got him a couple points – her grandfather, Leonard Brown, was an engineer.
But then came the standard question – “What do you do for a living?”
“Can’t you tell?” He thought the short-cropped haircut was a giveaway.
“I need you to say it.” She knew it was either military or police. Ok, it’s military. That was a “yellow flag” for Blair. As a psychologist, she had only seen the hurt that is associated with military service – the PTSD, the trauma, the domestic violence, the power dynamics.
“Ok, is that a rule?” Ron asked.
It “kind of was,” Blair recalled, but something about this friendly confident guy made her decide to give him a chance. She’s glad she did. Her husband has introduced her to the honor, respect, loyalty, and comradery that also comes with military service.
“He’s a very family-oriented person. We see the best side of him,” Blair said. While his Soldiers would see the firm, efficient and effective leader, his family would see the “warm, funny, loving, nerdy side,” Blair said.
But Bonesz also led the Illinois Army National Guard’s 333rd Military Police Co. to Iraq in 2003 and 2004. From 2006 to 2007 he served as the battalion operations officer for the 33rd Military Police Battalion, also in Iraq. And from 2017 to 2018, he commanded the Bilateral Embedded Staff Team 20 on a co-deployment with the Polish Armed Forces to Afghanistan.
Those Soldiers who worked under Colonel Bonesz for a few years did get a glimpse of the inner-nerd. “Oh yeah – super geek,” said Lt. Col. Justin Wilkerson, who worked for the colonel in various positions since 2008. “Star Trek, Star Wars, you name it.” His wedding ring was styled after J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. His wedding included light sabers.
But at work, it was always professional. “He taught me a lot about organizational management,” Wilkerson said. “He was always super organized and meticulous.”
Master Sgt. (ret.) Tony Hodge deployed with Bonesz with the 33rd MP Battalion and the BEST 20. The two remain close friends. Hodge was Bonesz’ best man when he married Blair. As a leader, Bonesz balanced what was good for the organization with what was good for the person, Hodge said.
“With a lot of officers, it is either one or the other – people are just commodities, or they are only thinking about people and not what is best for the organization,” Hodge said. Bonesz was “a really good blend of both of those. He made strategic moves with both the organization and the individual in mind.”
Bonesz could be impatient, but also extra patient, depending on what the situation required, Wilkerson said. “He would be very straightforward if something was not going right.” But it was never about blame – instead it was about why things were not going well and what could be done to get it back on track.
“He always had everything wired down tight,” Williams, the former Chief of Staff, said. “He made it look easy. He was one of those ‘fire and forget’ officers. If you gave him something, you knew it was going to get done and get done right.”
Williams said Col. Bonesz brought the organization to “a different level as far as personnel management and Soldier care.”
“He was an elite-level staff officer,” Williams added. “He was an excellent Military Police battalion commander, had great organizational skills, and an outstanding work ethic.”
Williams was surprised to learn that Colonel Bonesz is a geek. “That’s the great thing about the Army… it’s a melting pot.”
Bonesz did have a sarcastic sense of humor, Williams added. “He was passionate about the job and about Soldiers. He was a lot of fun to work with.”
Bonesz trusted his subordinates and valued their opinions. “He would ask for my judgement. He wanted me to be his check,” Wilkerson said. “He would challenge you. He’s hard to get to know, but after you know him, he’s an open book.”
Part of what set Bonesz apart from many other senior officers was his understanding when a Soldier made a mistake. “He knew the difference between a problem Soldier and a Soldier who has problems,” Wilkerson said. “Sometimes he would just listen – just be a sounding board. He has a good emotional IQ.”
Hodge said Bonesz was more than willing to expend political capital on a Soldier who made a mistake, but whom he felt could still contribute to the organization. “He may have put himself at risk a bit. It may have cost him personally, but I’ve seen Ron go to bat for Soldiers. He was not afraid to speak up for someone that wasn’t there to speak up for themselves.”
Joe Risteca, one of Bonesz’ closest friends, said that the colonel was “very cerebral” and gets along with everyone. “He won’t let on if you’re annoying him,” Risteca said.
But Bonesz does like to rile up his close friends. “If he’s trash-talking with you, that probably means that you’re good friends,” Risteca said. “He likes to get under your skin a little bit.” For example, Bonesz started to get into football around 2010. While his family are all Chicago Bears fans, Ron became a Green Bay Packers fan.
While his sense of humor might be a bit mischievous at times, his friends said that during serious times, the troubled times that all humans face, there is no greater friend than Ron Bonesz. When Joe, a nonsmoker, had throat cancer, he found that people would distance themselves from him.
“There were some that I thought, really thought, were close friends. Some were people that I knew longer than Ron. There were three to four people that stuck with me. Ron was one of them,” said Risteca, who is now cancer-free. “He was always there for me.”

Box Information:
‘You got this’ – 10 Leadership Lessons After 28 Years of Service:
1. Don’t forget why you decided to become an officer and a leader. There was a reason why you chose this path…whether it was to better the organization, be a more effective leader, or better yourself (or a combination of all the above).
2. Always remember that this isn’t all about you! As a leader, you are just one voice amongst a chorus of Soldiers. Yes, you are a very important voice and the overall conductor of your unit, but everyone has to work as a team for the mission to be successful.
3. You are part of a team! While your assigned mission is absolutely vital so are all the members of your team. Strive to make the organization better, but always keep Soldier care at the forefront of your decisions. Also, make sure you communicate well with your team…effective communication is key to effective leadership.
4. While you are the leader, don’t always believe that your way is the right way. There may not always be time to solicit input and ideas, but if there is, listen to your subordinates and take into account their ideas. This is part of being a team and leads to buy-in of the final decision. Know the difference between knowledge and wisdom!
5. You are not alone! They say that it’s lonely at the top, but that doesn’t mean that you have no one to talk to. Trust your senior enlisted leader, talk with your peers, and find a mentor. These are all excellent sources to discuss your concerns or to be a sounding board.
6. Take chances in future assignments, get out of your comfort zone, and keep learning - especially your professional military education (PME). Often promotion offers come down to the few officers out of the many that have their PME completed. Ensure you are ready when the time comes.
7. You were selected and assigned to the position you are in based on your skills and your potential. Never forget this! Sooner or later, you may experience what a good friend of mine calls ‘imposter syndrome,’ where you feel that others will think that you don’t belong where you are. Ignore this and remember that you were chosen for the job you are in.
8. Stay focused but ensure you also stay balanced! As an officer and leader, you not only have a very difficult assignment, but most likely you also have a family and a civilian career, not to mention needing time for leisurely / recreational activities. Don’t let yourself get pulled in too many directions at the same time, as this will directly affect your effectiveness across the entire spectrum.
9. Have fun! Command is one of the most difficult positions you will ever have…but it is the most enjoyable and rewarding!
10. You got this!! Go out and do great things, be the leader our young Soldiers deserve, leave your legacy, and ‘Make It So!’

• Date Taken: 05.23.2024
• Date Posted: 05.23.2024 17:50
• Story ID: 472150
• Location: SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, US
• Hometown: NORMAL, ILLINOIS, US