From segregated beginnings in Texas to becoming a bridge builder across 39 nations, Commander Chaplain Richmond E. Stoglin has traveled a remarkable path of service that spans decades of military, spiritual, and community leadership.
Born on April 4, 1957, in a segregated hospital in Taylor, Texas, Stoglin’s journey began in an era of American division. After graduating high school in Waco in 1975, he ventured north to the University of Wisconsin at River Falls, where he earned a History degree with minors in Political Science and Sociology in 1979 — becoming just the 24th Black American to graduate from the institution, according to records from the Texas General Land Office.
A Career of Service in Multiple Uniforms
What followed was nearly three decades of spiritual guidance in uniform. Stoglin served in the U.S. Navy Reserve Chaplain Corps from 1985 to 2013, eventually attaining the rank of Commander. During his 28-year military career, he took on increasingly significant roles, including Regimental Chaplain to the 14th Marines and Command Chaplain of NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan, as documented by the University of Wisconsin-River Falls alumni association.
Perhaps most notably, Stoglin served as Senior Military Advisor to Afghan National Army’s Religious and Cultural Affairs — a position requiring extraordinary diplomatic and intercultural skills during a critical period in Afghanistan’s history.
His service wasn’t limited to military contexts. For over 22 years, Stoglin worked with the U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Prisons at the Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas. He eventually retired as department head of Religious Services, bringing spiritual counsel to those behind bars in one of the nation’s most challenging environments.
Building Bridges in the Community
How does one transition from military and prison ministry to civilian leadership? For Stoglin, the answer came through founding The Stoglin Group, a consulting firm specializing in mediation, ethics, and leadership after his military retirement in 2013.
His community connections run deep, particularly through his nearly 11-year membership with the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce. “Because of the Greater Arlington Chamber, I’ve been able to build relationships and maintain them for many years,” Stoglin explained in a chamber profile. “Those relationships have allowed me to be a bridge builder and a community influence. It’s also given me the opportunity to help others gain economic footholds in the community.”
The Arlington business community isn’t his only sphere of influence. Stoglin has established himself as a civil rights figure in the region, according to his company’s biography, building on the foundation laid during his formative years in segregated Texas.
Texas state records confirm his honorable discharge after 28 years of service as a Navy Chaplain — a career that took him from local Texas communities to international diplomatic circles.
From being one of the earliest Black graduates at a Wisconsin university to advising on religious and cultural affairs in Afghanistan, Stoglin’s career reflects a consistent theme: building bridges across divides that others might consider unbridgeable. In a nation still wrestling with questions of race, faith, and service, his journey offers a compelling example of how personal history can shape a lifetime of connecting communities.
