Captain Chad Graham is native of Whittier, California. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the United States Naval Academy in May 1998 and a Master’s degree in Systems Engineering and Analysis from the Naval Post Graduate School in 2004.

A Career Surface Warfare Officer Captain Graham’s shipboard assignments include: USS MCCLUSKY (FFG 41) as electrical officer, USS ZEPHYR (PC 8) as operations and executive officer, USS HOWARD (DDG 83) as operations officer, USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN (CG 47) as operations officer, USS JOHN S. McCAIN (DDG 56) as executive and commanding officer, and DESTROYER SQUADRON 15 as acting deputy commodore. Ashore he served in the Surface Warfare directorate as a Ballistic Missile Defense requirements officer and executive assistant. He served on the Joint Staff as a pol-mil planner in the J-5 (Western Hemisphere) directorate and most recently as the Chairman of Seamanship and Navigation at the United States Naval Academy.

Graham’s personal awards include the Joint Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with 1 Gold star, Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal with 3 Gold Stars and the Navy Achievement Medal with 2 Gold Stars