Photo By Cpl. Willow Marshall | U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Charles Ferguson, the chaplain for Headquarters Battalion, 1st...... read more read more
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U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Charles Ferguson assumed the responsibilities as the battalion chaplain for Headquarters Battalion, First Marine Division in 2021. A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, Ferguson joined the Navy with the hopes of eventually applying to NASA and becoming an astronaut.
“In the Navy I wanted to be a pilot, but I didn’t have the eyesight for it," said Ferguson. "With my astronaut dream still in mind, I wanted to join the most technical field I could, which turned out to be the submarine force.”
Unfortunately, the eyesight that prevented Ferguson from becoming a pilot also disqualified him from becoming an astronaut. While his astronaut dreams never came to fruition, Ferguson is very proud to have followed that dream as far it would take him, and he is grateful for the opportunity to have served in the submarine force.
“I still can’t believe that they let me drive a submarine, in the middle of the night, in the middle of the ocean, with no supervision when I was 25 years old,” recalled Ferguson. “Looking back on it, that kind of responsibility and leadership... you just can’t put a price on it.”
Ferguson served as a division officer on board the USS Louisville (SSN 724); an instructor at nuclear power school, a course which all hopeful submarine officers must pass before going on their first tour; and as the weapons systems officer on board the USS Buffalo (SSN 715).
“As a submarine officer I learned a lot about taking care of people,” said Ferguson. “Everyone you work with is different, and in order to have the best impact, you need to tailor your leadership style to those differences.”
That passion for taking care of his sailors is what ultimately pushed Ferguson to become a chaplain.
“I knew early on during my time on the Buffalo that I wanted to be a Chaplain," explained Ferguson. "I realized that what I enjoyed the most about being in the Navy was working with and helping sailors. I wanted to continue to have those relationships as my career progressed.”
After graduating seminary at Duke University, Ferguson reported to 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, out of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, where he spent more than two years and also deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
His subsequent tours took him to San Diego, Singapore and Maryland before he eventually reported to HQ Bn., 1st MARDIV.
While Ferguson has served as a chaplain in almost every capacity across the Navy and Marine Corps, both nationally and internationally, he emphasized that leadership and relationships are the most important part of any role.
“I think the essence of leadership can be boiled down to knowing how to care for people," said Ferguson. "By giving people the space to be themselves, they will succeed as individuals and best contribute to mission accomplishment.”
| Date Taken: | 06.12.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 06.14.2023 14:43 |
| Story ID: | 447065 |
| Location: | CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 332 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Faces of the Blue Diamond: Lt. Cmdr. Charles Ferguson, by 1LT Samuel DeRobertis, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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