On Sunday, April 23, 2017 at the Airmen-Marine Memorial Chapel, the Command Chaplain of MCAS Miramar, Commander Manuel (Don) Biadog, Jr., CHC, USN, received the 2017 “Outstanding Chaplain of the Year” Award.
Each year, the board of directors of the Military Bible Association (MBA) selects one of the highest performing military chaplains to honor. The purpose is to encourage continued excellence of pastoral leadership of the troops. Key elements of effectiveness observed are effective preaching, organizational leadership, and impact on the lives of military personnel.
“This past year, Cmdr. Biadog has surpassed the milestones of many of his predecessors at MCAS Miramar, who themselves were outstanding chaplains,” said one of the chaplain assistants. With the Protestant and Roman Catholic congregations combined, CDR Biadog has quadrupled attendance due to effective and influential pastoral leadership and likability. He instituted the Ministry of Encouragement and Mercy to the families of WWII, Korean, Vietnam and Gulf War Veterans and met their spiritual needs.
Cmdr. Biadog has provided outstanding humanitarian support for many Marine Corps families in need, involved leadership of the installation at all levels in many of his programs, to include reading Scripture, inviting the 3rd MAW Band to participate in installation wide events and ecclesiastical events, hosting ecumenical and interfaith events and networking with religious leaders from around the globe and involving some of them as speakers at events on the installation.
Providing pastoral support for the single Marines has been duly noted as he has procured humanitarian support, showing up at physical fitness training with Gatorade, and counseling and all forms of pastoral support for all Marines regardless of race, religion, creed, gender and ethnicity, both officers and enlisteds alike.
Lieutenant Colonel David Yorck, USMC-Ret., president of California Military Officers’ Association and a Roman Catholic parishioner of the religious community at the former home of Top Gun, said, “Across the Corps, Cmdr. Biadog stands head and shoulders above most of his peers, and his pastoral support to the Command Staff is known throughout the installation and both Roman Catholic and Protestant congregations, both which I personally attend.”
Due to Cmdr. Biadog’s powerful ministry to expand the impact of the Commanding Officer’s religious and humanitarian impact on United States Marines, MBA selected CDR Biadog for the 2017 “Outstanding Chaplain of the Year Award.” {eoa}
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