About Chaplain Drayton

Chaplain Drayton is native to Foxboro, Massachusetts. He received a full athletic scholarship to The University of New Hampshire (UNH) for football and graduated in 1998 with a BS in Kinesiology/Outdoor Education. He received his Master of Divinity from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, MA and was ordained in the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference in 2010.

Chaplain Drayton proudly boasts of his brief experience as bartender at the Danny Mann Pub in Killarney, Ireland in 1998, but his professional career started in 1999 when he created Parkinson’s Power Across America, a cross country bike, hike, and kayak for the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation (PDF) in NY. He raised 965K for research. He was then invited back to UNH to serve as Athletic Director in charge of NCAA CHAMPS Life Skills. He started two small businesses as well as the first athletics fellowship for Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, now Athletes IV; a national branch of IVCF. After seminary he became the Assoc. Pastor of Cliftondale Congregational Church in Saugus, MA, and Chaplain of Chelsea Soldiers Home in Chelsea, MA.

Chaplain Drayton was commissioned as a Navy Chaplain 10/10/10 on the USS Constitution. In Jan 2011, he graduated from Officer Development School in Newport, RI and in March of the same year graduated from Naval Chaplains School in Fort Jackson, SC. Upon graduation he reported OCONUS to Naval Base Guam where he served NBG, it’s 32 tenant commands, and held primary coverage over NBG, EODMU5, HSC25 on Anderson AFB, NSW Unit 1, Coast Guard Sector/Station Guam, NMC EAD Guam, and CRG1. During his time at NBG he sparked an 86% growth in chapel attendance, managed a staff of 5 RP’s, oversaw a 1.2M renovation project, and lead 14 trainings for the Navy-wide SAPR education.

In 2013 he was assigned to 3D MAW Camp Pendleton MAG 39 “The Largest MAG in the Marine Corp”. There he implemented a marriage expo with 40 military and civilian organizations and managed chaplain care for 16 Marine deaths from7 separate tragic incidents. In February of 2014 he became the ACE Chaplain for VMM-163 (REIN) in Miramar, CA and was deployment with the 11TH MEU in July 2014 on the USS Makin Island. After the squadron suffered the first death of Operation Inherent Resolve in the Persian Gulf, he cared for a hurting crew, conducted 16 Chaplain Morale Assessments, a flight deck memorial, and was Acting MEU Command Element Chaplain for 2.5 months. In February of 2015 he reported back to MAG 39 where he faced the hardest challenge of his career, coordinating an 8 Chaplain team to conduct 9 CACO calls and follow-on care after a catastrophic loss of 6 HMLA 469 Marines after their UH-1Y Venom Helicopter crashed in Nepal.

In July of 2015 he reported to Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England for coverage over Sector SENE, Air Station Cape Cod and Base Cape Cod. In August of 2017 he was given the added responsibility of covering Base and Sector Boston. In December of 2017 he was appointed as Command Fitness Leader by Chaplain Todd to supervise and enhance the physical readiness of all 43 USN Chaplains serving in the Coast Guard.

In Sept of 2019 Chaplain Drayton reported to the 9th Marine Corps Recruiting District located on Naval Station Great Lakes (“The Quarterdeck of the Navy”) to cover 800+ of the most talented but taxed populations of Marines, USMC Recruiters, spread across 13 midwest states in 120+ locations.

Chaplain Drayton has received The Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (2 Awards), The Navy Marine Corps Achievement Medal (2 Awards) and the Coast Guard Commandants Letter of Commendation Ribbon.

Chaplain Drayton’s qualifications include CFL, Master Trainer, and Fleet Marine Force Qualified Officer.