After serving as a missionary in the Dominican Republic and as pastor of Baymeadows Community Church (CRC) in Jacksonville, Florida, Tom was commissioned as a Navy Chaplain. He served with the Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Navy. Tom was the Multi-National Forces Iraq (MNFI) Operations Chaplain in 2008 and the Navy Central Command (NAVCENT)/Fifth Fleet Chaplain in Bahrain in 2018. He retired in 2022 as the Chaplain of the Coast Guard. He and Jaci, his wife, have moved back to Michigan to be close to family. They love to travel and spend time with their eight grandchildren.