, the
military police of the U.S. Air Force, at the
United States Air Force Academy in 2006 Bidlack graduated in 1980 and was commissioned as a
second lieutenant. Bidlack was posted with the
LGM-30 Minuteman program at
F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming, serving first in operations and then as a nuclear-missile and weapons-systems commander and instructor. In 1988, he was assigned to the
United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Bidlack taught at the Academy for 15 years in the
Political Science Department, with posts of Instructor, Associate Professor, Course Director, and Division Chief. His subject areas included the
U.S. government and
national security;
international relations; national security policy; the
U.S. judicial system; the
Supreme Court; the presidency; the
U.S. Congress;
environmental politics; and
environmental security. Bidlack has particular expertise in
public policy, the presidency, the
Constitution, and the
Founding Fathers. From 2001-2003 Bidlack served as Deputy Director of the Air Force Institute for National Security Studies. Bidlack also served as an augmentee to the
Air Force Security Forces military police officer at the Academy, volunteering on a temporary basis when the Security Forces needed additional personnel to guard the gates. After extensive training, Bidlack was awarded the Security Forces badge, and certified for solo patrol. He ultimately patrolled for over 2000 hours during his final two years of active duty, and was awarded an
Air Force Achievement Medal for his SF duty, and was commended in particular for his work as a first responder to major traffic accidents on I-25. Bidlack was also certified by the Colorado State Patrol for DUI detection techniques. He retired in September 2006 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Following his retirement from the Air Force, the Academy asked Bidlack to return as a civilian professor for the 2007-08 academic year and then again for the 2009-2010 academic year. In 1997 and 1999, Bidlack served rotations in the
Clinton administration. As Director of Global Environmental Policy on the staff of the
National Security Council, Bidlack's primary duties were to assist the senior Director in drafting speeches and writing background papers for
President Bill Clinton and
Vice President Al Gore. He also conducted research for the
National Security Advisor. In 2001, Bidlack served in the
Bush administration in the
Department of State as Deputy Director of Security Programs and Military Advisor. His service there included work with classified
nuclear weapons security in the
post-Soviet states. Bidlack was in
the Pentagon on the morning of the
September 11 attacks and participated in rescue and recovery efforts. He held
Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI)
security clearance during his posts in the Clinton and Bush administrations. ==2008 congressional candidacy==