Monday, July 2, 2018

Seattle native promoted to Navy admiral and named chaplain of U.S. Marine Corps

Commandant of the Marine Corps promotes Captain Gregory N. Todd to Rear Adm. (lower half), Chaplain Corps, U.S. Navy. Chaplain Todd assumed his duty as the 20th Chaplain of the United
States Marine Corps and Deputy Chief of Navy Chaplains on June 21, 2018.

Chaplain Todd, a Seattle native, was commissioned in the U.S. Navy Reserve in 1986 and served in the Marine Corps Reserve while he pastored congregations in Illinois. In 1994 he superseded to active duty and served as base chaplain Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, and then reported to USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), deploying to the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific for counter-narcotics operations. In his first U.S. Coast Guard tour, he was assigned to U.S. Coast Guard Activities New York. While there he was the first Navy chaplain to respond at “Ground Zero” following the attacks on the World Trade Center and hosted the Coast Guard Chaplain Emergency Response Team to provide ministry to emergency workers and civilians.

Chaplain Todd next reported to the 2D Force Service Support Group (FSSG), Camp Lejeune, NC and deployed with Forward Battalion, 2D FSSG to Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He served as chaplain with 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit and deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, and established the religious program at Forward Operating Base Ripley in the Oruzgan Province.

He reported to his next assignment as Officer-in-Charge of the Marine Corps Chaplain and Religious Program Specialist Expeditionary Skills Training, Camp Johnson before being detailed as command chaplain on USS Kearsarge (LHD 3). Following his sea tour, Chaplain Todd assumed duty as command chaplain for the 2D Marine Logistics Group and then was detailed as force chaplain,
II Marine Expeditionary Force. 
 
Most recently, Todd was selected as the 10th Chaplain of the Coast Guard. There he supervised religious ministry support for the more than 88,000 Coast Guard personnel and developed the Coast Guard Auxiliary Clergy Support Program, linking volunteer religious ministry professionals with Navy chaplains in support of Coast Guard members and their families.

His personal awards include the Legion of Merit Medal with two gold stars, the Meritorious Service Medal with four gold stars, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with three gold stars, the Coast Guard Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with three gold stars, and the Department of Transportation 9/11 Medal.