He graduated from Huron High School in 1967 and attended the University of South Dakota.

[4] Bindenagel was appointed chargé d'affaires to Germany by Bill Clinton, on June 17, 1996, to replace Charles E. Redman.

While serving as chargé d'affaires, Bindenagel attended the unveiling of the Berlin Wall Monument in Chicago.

As Ambassador, he helped secure 6 Billion USD in payments from Germany, Austria, and France for Holocaust survivors.

[6] From 2014 to 2019, Bindenagel served as the Henry Kissinger Professor for Security and Governance at the University of Bonn.