General B. B. Bell was born in Oak Ridge, Tennessee on 9 April 1947 and was commissioned upon graduation from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where he received his undergraduate degree in Business Administration. His military education includes the Armor Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Command and General Staff College, and the National War College. He received a Master of Science in Systems Management from the University of Southern California. From 1969 to 1972 General Bell spent his initial assignment in the Army with the 3d Squadron, 14th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Germany.

General Bell's command positions include the 2nd Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 24th Infantry Division (Mech) from 1985 to 1987 at Fort Stewart, Georgia; and the 24th ID’s 2nd Brigade from 1991 through 1993, also at Ft. Stewart. From June 1995 through August 1996, he served as the Assistant Division Commander, 1st Infantry Division (Mech) in Bamberg, Germany. He commanded the US Army Armor Center and Ft. Knox from July 1999 thru August 2001, and the Army’s III Corps, headquartered at Fort Hood, Texas from August 2001 to November 2002.

General Bell's staff positions include service as an ROTC Instructor at Texas Tech University; Force Plans Analyst for the Army DCSOPS; and Joint Staff Officer responsible for the Unified Command Plan in the J5, Joint Chiefs of Staff. Additionally, he was a tank battalion S3 in Korea and the Chief of Staff of 3rd Infantry Division in Germany. From August 1996 to July 1999 he served as Chief of Staff of V Corps, and as DCSOPS and subsequently Chief of Staff, United States Army, Europe and 7th Army.

In 1994 General Bell served as a Senior Military Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City, and has since been selected as a serving member on the Council. General Bell deployed as USCINCCENT's Executive Officer in Desert Shield and Desert Storm; and later served as Chief of Staff, USAREUR Forward Headquarters, Taszar, Hungary during Operation Joint Endeavor in the Balkans.

In December 2002 General Bell assumed command of United States Army, Europe and in March 2004 he also assumed command of NATO's Joint Command, Centre. Both headquarters are located in Heidelberg, Germany.

His awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Army Commendation Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters.

General Bell is married to the former Kathleen Fields of Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Bells have one son, Buck, who lives with his wife, Jennifer, in Florida.