Courtesy Photo | U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Chad Laughrey, a chaplain at Naval Medical Center San Diego,...... read more read more
Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) Director, U.S. Navy Capt. Elizabeth Adriano, presented U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Chad Laughrey, chaplain at NMCSD, with his board certification from the National Association of Veterans Affairs Chaplains at NMCSD, Feb. 17.
Board certification is a distinguished professional achievement in the field of spiritual care. Board-certified chaplains complete rigorous training in both the classroom and the clinical setting to meet professional standards of clinical chaplaincy. As a board-certified chaplain, Laughrey now enhances NMCSD with his expertise as a member of the pastoral care services department. He serves as the department’s senior clinician and as the pastoral care residency program manager.
“Chaplain Laughrey is the epitome of professional naval chaplaincy, and a vital member of the team here at NMCSD,” said U.S. Navy Cmdr. Joshua Sherwin, fellow chaplain at NMCSD. “His patience and compassion inspire everyone around us, and his pastoral care is unmatched. He is the pastor’s pastor, and positively impacts the mission of our hospital, the Navy, and the Department of War.”
“As the senior clinician and pastoral care residency manager, he is a true shepherd-scholar, skillfully modeling clinical excellence, theological depth, and outstanding spiritual care,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Abraham Jiregna, another of Laughrey’s fellow chaplains at NMCSD. “He consistently embodies the Navy core values and sets the standard for what ‘right’ looks like in both ministry and military service.”
The U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps is a staff corps of commissioned naval officers whose principal mission is to promote the spiritual, religious, moral, and personal well-being of Sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen and their families.They provide religious ministry for their own faith groups, facilitate religious opportunities for all service members, care for all personnel and their families regardless of faith, and advise commanders on morale, ethics, and spiritual well-being. Navy chaplains contribute directly to warfighter readiness by building the spiritual resilience necessary for service members to accomplish their mission with honor.
The Chaplain Corps has had an integral relationship with Navy Medicine dating back to 1775 when surgeons and chaplains were the first two staff corps officers authorized by the Continental Congress. This partnership continues today, as chaplains serve alongside medical providers on ships, in expeditionary medical units, and within military treatment facilities, ensuring a holistic approach to the healing and recovery process by caring for both body and spirit.
NMCSD employs more than 5,000 active-duty military personnel, civilians, and contractors in Southern California to deliver exceptional care afloat and ashore.
| Date Taken: | 02.17.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 02.25.2026 11:59 |
| Story ID: | 558860 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 15 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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