Mark L. Tidd
Encyclopedia
Chaplain Mark L. Tidd, USN
, is the 25th and current Chief of Chaplains of the United States Navy
. He was appointed to this assignment on August 27, 2010.
in Williamstown
, Massachusetts.
Rear Admiral Tidd’s Navy tours include Naval Air Station Moffett Field, Calif. with Patrol Wing 10 and the USS Reeves (CG 24), homeported in Yokosuka, Japan. During his time on board, Reeves visited Qingdao, China, as part of the first port visit by U.S. warships to that country in 39 years. He went on to serve as deputy command chaplain on the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71).
Marine Corps tours include 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, and the division staff of 2nd Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, N.C., deploying to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Desert Storm. He served at Marine Corps Combat Development Command as the chaplain for the Marine Corps Brig and the Base Security Battalion and later returned to 2nd Marine Division as the division chaplain.
Tidd has served in leadership positions on the chief of Chaplain’s staff as the branch head for Professional Development and Religious Programs and as the Advanced Training officer at Navy Chaplain School. Tidd was assigned as the force chaplain for U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and the fleet chaplain for U.S. 5th Fleet, headquartered in the Kingdom of Bahrain. After serving as command chaplain for the U.S. European Command, he became deputy chief of Navy Chaplains and Chaplain of the Marine Corps.
Tidd assumed his current duties as the 25th chief of Navy Chaplains on August 27, 2010.
, the law barring openly gay people from military service, same-sex couples would be allowed to marry in Naval facilities with Naval chaplains officiating in those states in which same-sex marriage is legal
. Following political pressure from Republican members of Congress
who claimed that allowing the use of federal facilities or personnel to perform same-sex marriages would violate the Defense of Marriage Act
, Tidd suspended the policy on May 10, pending further Naval review.
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...
, is the 25th and current Chief of Chaplains of the United States Navy
Chief of Chaplains of the United States Navy
The Chief of Chaplains of the United States Navy is the Senior Chaplain in the Navy, the Head of the U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps, and the Director of Religious Ministry Support for the Department of the Navy...
. He was appointed to this assignment on August 27, 2010.
Background
Rear Admiral Tidd comes from a career Navy family and is a graduate of Williams CollegeWilliams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
in Williamstown
Williamstown, Massachusetts
Williamstown is a town in Berkshire County, in the northwest corner of Massachusetts. It shares a border with Vermont to the north and New York to the west. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,754 at the 2010 census...
, Massachusetts.
Education
Rear Admiral Tidd received his Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary and a Master of Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary. He is a graduate of the National War College in Washington, DC, with a Master of Science in National Security Strategy and a graduate of the Marine Corps Command and Staff College and the Armed Forces Staff College.Military career
Marine Corps tours include 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, and the division staff of 2nd Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, N.C., deploying to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Desert Storm. He served at Marine Corps Combat Development Command as the chaplain for the Marine Corps Brig and the Base Security Battalion and later returned to 2nd Marine Division as the division chaplain.
Tidd has served in leadership positions on the chief of Chaplain’s staff as the branch head for Professional Development and Religious Programs and as the Advanced Training officer at Navy Chaplain School. Tidd was assigned as the force chaplain for U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and the fleet chaplain for U.S. 5th Fleet, headquartered in the Kingdom of Bahrain. After serving as command chaplain for the U.S. European Command, he became deputy chief of Navy Chaplains and Chaplain of the Marine Corps.
Tidd assumed his current duties as the 25th chief of Navy Chaplains on August 27, 2010.
Marriage controversy
On April 13, 2011, Tidd issued a two-page "guidance" memo stating that following final repeal of don't ask, don't tellDon't ask, don't tell
"Don't ask, don't tell" was the official United States policy on homosexuals serving in the military from December 21, 1993 to September 20, 2011. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while...
, the law barring openly gay people from military service, same-sex couples would be allowed to marry in Naval facilities with Naval chaplains officiating in those states in which same-sex marriage is legal
Same-sex marriage in the United States
The federal government does not recognize same-sex marriage in the United States, but such marriages are recognized by some individual states. The lack of federal recognition was codified in 1996 by the Defense of Marriage Act, before Massachusetts became the first state to grant marriage licenses...
. Following political pressure from Republican members of Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
who claimed that allowing the use of federal facilities or personnel to perform same-sex marriages would violate the Defense of Marriage Act
Defense of Marriage Act
The Defense of Marriage Act is a United States federal law whereby the federal government defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. Under the law, no U.S. state may be required to recognize as a marriage a same-sex relationship considered a marriage in another state...
, Tidd suspended the policy on May 10, pending further Naval review.