The U.S. Army Institute for Religious Leadership welcomed Chaplain (Col.) Louis Del Tufo as its new commandant, July 28.
Del Tufo, a Livingston native, assumed responsibility for the institute from Chaplain (Col.) James Palmer Jr. in an outdoor ceremony.
The institute welcomed Del Tufo as the 45th commandant at the end of the Army Chaplain Corps Regimental Week. Del Tufo enlisted in the New Jersey Army National Guard in February 1989 as a Combat Engineer. He served in both the New Jersey and MissouriArmy National Guard while working on his undergraduate degree at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri. He joined the Army Reserve Chaplain Candidate Program after graduation. He served as a Pastor and Police Chaplain and is ordained through the New Jersey District of the General Council of the Assemblies of God. He entered active duty at Fort Bragg, North Carolina in 1995. Del Tufo completed a Master of Arts in New Testament Theology and Master of Divinity Degree from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, Springfield, Missouri. He also earned a Doctor of Ministry Degree from Drew Theological Seminary in 2001.
As a Captain, he served as a Battalion Chaplain at Fort Bragg, South Korea, Goodfellow Air Force Base, and Fort Gordon, Georgia. As a Major, he served as the 116th MI Group/ NSAChaplain, Fort Gordon, Deputy Division Chaplain for 1st Armored Division/MND-N, and then as the Executive Officer, US Army Europe Chaplain’s Office. After promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, he became the Chaplain Personnel Manager / Force Structure Officer for USArmy Training and Doctrine Command and then the 1st Infantry Division Chaplain, Fort Riley, Kansas, and deployed to Baghdad, Iraq, as the Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command Chaplain for Operation Inherent Resolve (CJFLCC-I).After graduation from the US Army War College (USAWC) and promotion to Colonel, he became the Senior Chaplain at the US Army Cyber Center of Excellence, Fort Gordon, Georgia. He deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan, as the Chaplain for the Commander, Operation Resolute Support and US ForcesAfghanistan. He was later selected to become the I Corps Chaplain, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.
Del Tufo is no stranger to USAIRL and Fort Jackson. He served as the Deputy Commandant and the Director of Training at the United States Army Chaplain Center and School. His most recent position was Chief, Operations and Training, at the Religious Support Operations Center.
“First, I’d like to thank my God because life is not a straight path. And I can say God has always guided my steps along this journey, on the mountain tops and in the valleys and that at times I needed to be carried. So, I say thank you Lord for helping us to endure, for my family to endure and for supporting me in this call that I have to this ministry,” Del Tufo said.
“Second, I’d like to thank my Family and close friends. To my wife Nanse 31 years and 22 addresses we counted the other day, you are my partner in this military life and to my military kids, you know no other lifestyle, you’ve adapted and overcome so much you never wavered in your support,” said Del Tufo. “I also want to recognize my father, Tony Del Tufo, who taught me the meaning of service before self.”
