CDR Andrew A. Wade, USN
A native of Florida, CDR Wade began his military career with service in the Marine Corps and Marine Reserve from 1982 to 1988. After his discharge from the Marines, he served as a missionary in Brazil and Japan, and as a chaplain to the Raleigh, North Carolina Police Department. He was commissioned as a Lieutenant (junior grade) in the United States Navy Chaplain Corps in February of 1994 and subsequently attended the Naval Chaplains School in Newport, Rhode Island.
Upon graduation from the Chaplains School Chaplain Wade received his first assignment to the Marine Corps Base at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. While there he served as battalion chaplain to the Infantry Training Battalion at the School of Infantry (East) and later as the chapel pastor at the Base Protestant Chapel. Chaplain Wade then remained at Camp Lejeune to serve with the Second Marine Division beginning in November of 1997. He was first assigned to the Second Battalion, Sixth Marines. He participated in the Unit Deployment Program to Okinawa, Korea, and Camp Fuji, Japan and completed both the US and Korean Mountain Warfare Training Schools. He concluded his tour with Second Marine Division as battalion chaplain to the Second Tank Battalion.
Chaplain Wade departed North Carolina for Yokosuka, Japan when assigned as ship's chaplain aboard USS CHANCELLORSVILLE (CG-62) in June of 2000. The ship participated in exercises throughout the Western Pacific.
Chaplain Wade's leadership in places like Korea, Japan, Australia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Guam and Saipan, helped earn the ship the Navy's Project Good Neighbor Flagship Award for community relations along with three consecutive Battle Efficiency Awards. In December of 2002 he was then transferred back to the United States to serve as the group chaplain for Marine Air Control Group Twenty-eight (MACG-28), Second Marine Aircraft Wing. When combat began in Iraq, his work with an interdisciplinary team of professionals at Cherry Point was instrumental in the development of one of the Marine Corps' first warrior transition programs.
In December of 2004, Chaplain Wade was assigned to the Naval Chaplains School as the Information Systems Officer for the Chaplain Corps. While developing innovative ways to leverage technology to support the work of chaplains, he also served as adjunct faculty for counseling and pastoral care. His tour was cut short at the Chaplains School when he was selected for an Individual Augmentee (IA) assignment in September of 2007. As an IA, Chaplain Wade served as the Joint Operations Chaplain, Multi-National Corps-Iraq in Baghdad. During this time he was recognized for his ground-breaking humanitarian work with US Civil Affairs Teams and Iraqi Special Forces in the communities surrounding Camp Victory. He was also instrumental in establishing a Scout Troop and Scout Camp facility for local boys and girls outside of Baghdad.
Chaplain Wade reported in May of 2008 as the Regimental Chaplain to the Seventh Marine Regiment in Twentynine Palms, California. The Regiment deployed to Afghanistan as Regimental Combat Team Seven (RCT-7) and conducted operations COBRA'S ANGER, MOSHTARAK, and multiple smaller operations in conjunction with the Afghan National Army that returned control of Naw Zad, Marjah and Safar Bazaar to the government of Afghanistan. Chaplain Wade reported to his present post as Deputy Force Chaplain, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific in May of 2011.
CDR Wade's decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, three Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, Joint Service Achievement Medal, three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, the Korea Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan & Iraq Campaign Medals, five Sea Service Deployment Ribbons and two Overseas Service Ribbons. He holds the Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of Social and Behavioral Science at the University of South Florida, the Master of Divinity Degree with Biblical Languages from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and the Master of Arts in Behavioral Medicine from Northcentral University.