Captain Richard Pusateri, USN
Captain Pusateri is a native of Latham, New York. He was ordained as a minister of the United Methodist Church and a full member of its Tennessee Annual Conference in 1981. His higher education background includes earning the Bachelor of Arts from Case Western Reserve University, the Master of Science from Syracuse University, the Master of Divinity from Vanderbilt University, the Master of Arts from Salve Regina University, and the Doctorate of Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary. He also graduated with highest distinction from the former intermediate-level Advanced Course of the Naval Chaplains School. Along with theological studies, his areas of academic concentration include American history, American church history, ethics and leadership.
Chaplain Pusateri was recalled to active duty as the Infantry Training School chaplain, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina in 1983. He had been previously commissioned as a Navy chaplain in 1981 and served two years in a USMC reserve billet. Following his service at the Infantry Training School, Chaplain Pusateri served operational tours of duty with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 74 (NMCB 74), Gulfport, Mississippi, deploying to the Western Pacific, Mediterranean and Caribbean; Marine Aircraft Group 13 (MAG-13), Yuma, Arizona, deploying to Saudi Arabia and aviation combat with MAG-13 (Fwd) in Desert Shield/Storm; USS HUNLEY (AS 31), Norfolk, Virginia; USS YELLOWSTONE (AD 41), Norfolk, Virginia; 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division and the 11th MEU, Camp Pendleton, California, deploying to the Western Pacific and Southwest Asia.
Chaplain Pusateri served as Force Chaplain, Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii from 1998 to 2002. During that assignment he had substantial role in USS GREENEVILLE crew and leadership support efforts following that boat’s collision with the Japanese fisheries training vessel, EHIME MARU. He was next assigned as Command Chaplain, U. S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, New York. In 2005 he deployed in Operation Enduring Freedom operations as the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) chaplain headquartered at Camp Lemonier, Djibouti, Africa.
He served as First Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) chaplain, Camp Pendleton, California with additional duties as U.S. Marine Forces, Central Command (MARCENT) chaplain from 2005-2009. He deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom combat operations to Al Anbar province, Iraq as the MNF-West/I MEF (Fwd) chaplain from January 2008 through January 2009.
Chaplain Pusateri reported to his current duties as U.S. Marine Forces Pacific (MARFORPAC) chaplain, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii in April 2009.
His personal awards include the Legion of Merit, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (with two Gold Stars), the Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal (with three Gold Stars), and the Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal.