Alan T. Baker
Encyclopedia
Rear Admiral
Alan T. Baker, USN
, born in Santa Ana, CA, 1956, is a retired American Navy officer who served as the 16th Chaplain of the United States Marine Corps
from 2006 to 2009. Chaplain Baker is the first graduate of the United States Naval Academy
and former Surface Warfare Officer to serve as a Chaplain Corps
Flag Officer. He is Directional Leader at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church
, a 4,000-member, multi-campus church in the San Francisco Bay Area.
in 1978 and reported to USS Brooke
for his first sea tour. He returned to the Naval Academy in 1981 as an instructor in the Department of Professional Development. Answering the call to ministry in 1984, Baker transferred to the Naval Reserve while attending seminary.
Graduating from Fuller Theological Seminary
with a Master of Divinity
degree in 1987, Baker was ordained by the Reformed Church in America
and recalled to active duty as a Navy chaplain. His first Chaplain Corps assignment was as a Ship's Chaplain of USS Richmond K. Turner
in which he deployed to the Persian Gulf
supporting Operation Earnest Will
escorts of reflagged Kuwaiti tankers.
Baker reported for service with the United States Marine Corps in 1990. During combat operations to liberate Kuwait in the first Gulf War
, he provided ministry in the field to the Marines and supporting units of Marine Aircraft Group 11.
In 1992, Baker began three years on staff at the Naval Chaplains School as primary instructor and administrator for the Chaplain Basic Course providing initial training to newly commissioned Navy Chaplains. Following a tour as chaplain with the United States Coast Guard
in New York (1995 to 1998), Baker was ordered to the Staff of the Chief of Navy Chaplains in Washington, D.C. where he served as Branch Head of Chaplain Corps Professional Development.
In 1997 Baker received a Doctorate from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
in Massachusetts. He has an additional professional subspecialty in Education and Training Management.
In 2001, he reported as Command Chaplain of USS Harry S. Truman
with additional duties as Carrier Strike Group Chaplain in Operation Enduring Freedom. In 2003, Baker assumed duties as Senior Chaplain Corps detailer at the Bureau of Naval Personnel in Millington, Tennessee where he was responsible for worldwide assignments of chaplains throughout the Sea Services.
In 2004, thirty years after arriving as a Plebe, Baker returned to the United States Naval Academy as Command Chaplain, where he was responsible for religious support to the 4,300-member Brigade of Midshipmen as well as management of the Academy's historic chapels.
In 2006, Baker was promoted to rear admiral (lower half)
and became the 16th Chaplain of the Marine Corps, succeeding Rear Admiral Robert Burt, who was promoted to become the U.S. Navy's Chief of Chaplains.
In 2006, Baker attended the Executive Business Course at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, and in 2007, received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Grove City College
in Pennsylvania.
In 2009, The Navy Times reported that Baker would not be nominated for a second star or be promoted to the position of Chief of Chaplains based on a determination of the Navy's Inspector General that he "reprised against" his former Executive Assistant during the Chaplain Captain promotion board held in early 2008. The Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Roughead described Baker as a “man of character, integrity and honor” in a four-page memo dated June 19.
Baker was named a Visiting Fellow at the Institute for Public Service and Policy Development at Nyack College
, Washington DC campus, serving in an advisory role on leadership studies, in 2009.
In 2010, Baker joined the staff of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in the newly created role of Directional Leader. In this role, Baker partners with Senior Pastor John Ortberg
in casting and executing the vision for the church, which has two locations in Menlo Park, one in San Mateo, and one in Mountain View, CA.
Rear admiral (United States)
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. The uniformed services of the United States are unique in having two grades of rear admirals.- Rear admiral :...
Alan T. Baker, USN
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, born in Santa Ana, CA, 1956, is a retired American Navy officer who served as the 16th Chaplain of the United States Marine Corps
Chaplain of the United States Marine Corps
The Chaplain of the United States Marine Corps is a position always filled by the officer serving as Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the United States Navy as a "dual hatted" billet since 2000...
from 2006 to 2009. Chaplain Baker is the first graduate of the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
and former Surface Warfare Officer to serve as a Chaplain Corps
United States Navy Chaplain Corps
The Chaplain Corps of the United States Navy consists of ordained clergy who are commissioned naval officers. Their principal purpose is to "promote the spiritual, religious, moral, and personal well-being of the members of the Department of the Navy," which includes the Navy and the United States...
Flag Officer. He is Directional Leader at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church
Menlo Park Presbyterian Church
Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, or MPPC, is an evangelical church in Menlo Park, California. The church was officially organized November 30, 1873. Its congregation had over 4,500 members in 2007...
, a 4,000-member, multi-campus church in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Biography
Alan "Blues" T. Baker graduated with merit from the United States Naval AcademyUnited States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
in 1978 and reported to USS Brooke
USS Brooke (FFG-1)
USS Brooke was the lead ship of her class of guided missile frigates in the United States Navy from 1962-1988. She was named for John Mercer Brooke....
for his first sea tour. He returned to the Naval Academy in 1981 as an instructor in the Department of Professional Development. Answering the call to ministry in 1984, Baker transferred to the Naval Reserve while attending seminary.
Graduating from Fuller Theological Seminary
Fuller Theological Seminary
Fuller Theological Seminary is an accredited Christian educational institute with its main campus in Pasadena, California and several satellite campuses in the western United States...
with a Master of Divinity
Master of Divinity
In the academic study of theology, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America...
degree in 1987, Baker was ordained by the Reformed Church in America
Reformed Church in America
The Reformed Church in America is a mainline Reformed Protestant denomination in Canada and the United States. It has about 170,000 members, with the total declining in recent decades. From its beginning in 1628 until 1819, it was the North American branch of the Dutch Reformed Church. In 1819, it...
and recalled to active duty as a Navy chaplain. His first Chaplain Corps assignment was as a Ship's Chaplain of USS Richmond K. Turner
USS Richmond K. Turner (CG-20)
USS Richmond K. Turner was a Leahy class destroyer leader in the United States Navy. The ship was named for Admiral Richmond K. Turner, who served during World War II....
in which he deployed to the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
supporting Operation Earnest Will
Operation Earnest Will
Operation Earnest Will was the U.S. military protection of Kuwaiti owned tankers from Iranian attacks in 1987 and 1988, three years into the Tanker War phase of the Iran–Iraq War. It was the largest naval convoy operation since World War II.The U.S. Navy warships that escorted the tankers, part of...
escorts of reflagged Kuwaiti tankers.
Baker reported for service with the United States Marine Corps in 1990. During combat operations to liberate Kuwait in the first Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, he provided ministry in the field to the Marines and supporting units of Marine Aircraft Group 11.
In 1992, Baker began three years on staff at the Naval Chaplains School as primary instructor and administrator for the Chaplain Basic Course providing initial training to newly commissioned Navy Chaplains. Following a tour as chaplain with the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
in New York (1995 to 1998), Baker was ordered to the Staff of the Chief of Navy Chaplains in Washington, D.C. where he served as Branch Head of Chaplain Corps Professional Development.
In 1997 Baker received a Doctorate from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary is an evangelical theological seminary whose main campus is based in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, with three other campuses in Boston, Charlotte, North Carolina and Jacksonville. The current president of Gordon-Conwell is Dennis Hollinger...
in Massachusetts. He has an additional professional subspecialty in Education and Training Management.
In 2001, he reported as Command Chaplain of USS Harry S. Truman
USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75)
USS Harry S. Truman is the eighth Nimitz-class supercarrier of the United States Navy, named after the 33rd President of the United States, Harry S. Truman. HSTs callsign is Lone Warrior and is currently homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia.Harry S...
with additional duties as Carrier Strike Group Chaplain in Operation Enduring Freedom. In 2003, Baker assumed duties as Senior Chaplain Corps detailer at the Bureau of Naval Personnel in Millington, Tennessee where he was responsible for worldwide assignments of chaplains throughout the Sea Services.
In 2004, thirty years after arriving as a Plebe, Baker returned to the United States Naval Academy as Command Chaplain, where he was responsible for religious support to the 4,300-member Brigade of Midshipmen as well as management of the Academy's historic chapels.
In 2006, Baker was promoted to rear admiral (lower half)
Rear admiral (United States)
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. The uniformed services of the United States are unique in having two grades of rear admirals.- Rear admiral :...
and became the 16th Chaplain of the Marine Corps, succeeding Rear Admiral Robert Burt, who was promoted to become the U.S. Navy's Chief of Chaplains.
In 2006, Baker attended the Executive Business Course at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, and in 2007, received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Grove City College
Grove City College
Grove City College is a Christian liberal arts college in Grove City, Pennsylvania, about north of Pittsburgh. According to the College Bulletin, its stated three-fold mission is to provide an excellent education at an affordable price in a thoroughly Christian environment...
in Pennsylvania.
In 2009, The Navy Times reported that Baker would not be nominated for a second star or be promoted to the position of Chief of Chaplains based on a determination of the Navy's Inspector General that he "reprised against" his former Executive Assistant during the Chaplain Captain promotion board held in early 2008. The Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Roughead described Baker as a “man of character, integrity and honor” in a four-page memo dated June 19.
Baker was named a Visiting Fellow at the Institute for Public Service and Policy Development at Nyack College
Nyack College
Nyack College is a private, evangelical, liberal arts college affiliated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance and home to the Alliance Theological Seminary, one of the denomination's seminaries. The main campus is located in Nyack, New York...
, Washington DC campus, serving in an advisory role on leadership studies, in 2009.
In 2010, Baker joined the staff of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in the newly created role of Directional Leader. In this role, Baker partners with Senior Pastor John Ortberg
John Ortberg
John Ortberg, Jr. is an evangelical Christian author, speaker, and senior pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in Menlo Park, California, an evangelical church with more than 4,000 members...
in casting and executing the vision for the church, which has two locations in Menlo Park, one in San Mateo, and one in Mountain View, CA.
Awards and decoration
Chaplain Baker’s personal decorations include:| Legion of Merit Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements... |
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| Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal (United States) The Meritorious Service Medal is a military decoration presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States subsequent to January 16, 1969... with two award star Award star An award star is a decoration issued to personnel of the United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard in lieu of multiple awards of the same award. An award star is very similar to an oak leaf cluster, which serves the same purpose in the United States Army and United States Air Force... s |
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| Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal Commendation Medal The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration which is presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. For valorous actions in direct contact with an enemy force, but of a lesser degree than required for the award of the Bronze Star, the Valor device may... with two award stars and valor device Valor device The Valor device is an award of the United States military which is a bronze attachment to certain medals to indicate that it was received for valor... |
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| Coast Guard Commendation Medal Commendation Medal The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration which is presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. For valorous actions in direct contact with an enemy force, but of a lesser degree than required for the award of the Bronze Star, the Valor device may... with one award star |
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| Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal Achievement Medal The Achievement Medal is a military decoration of the United States military. The Achievement Medal was first proposed as a means to recognize the contributions of junior officers and enlisted personnel who were not eligible to receive the higher Commendation Medal or the Meritorious Service... with one award star |
See also
Chaplain of the United States Marine CorpsChaplain of the United States Marine Corps
The Chaplain of the United States Marine Corps is a position always filled by the officer serving as Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the United States Navy as a "dual hatted" billet since 2000...