Ambassadors

Commander Tom Deitz, U.S. Navy(Ret), was born and raised in Matawan, NJ.  He accepted an appointment to the United States Naval Academy, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science.  He was assigned to the USS Tuscaloosa, where he earned his Surface Warfare qualification.  He then applied for a transfer to Naval Special Warfare (NSW), graduating as the sole officer in Basic Underwater Demolition / SEAL Class 142.  Tom’s initial assignment in NSW was with SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team One.  He then transferred to SEAL Team Five, where he deployed to the Middle East supporting Operation Desert Storm.  Tom led his platoon on numerous combat missions, to include an Amphibious Deception Operation, earning him the Bronze Star Medal with “V” for Combat Distinction.  Tom remained at SEAL Team 5 as the Operations Officer.

Commander Deitz was selected to be the first SEAL in the U.S. Special Operations Command’s Congressional Liaison Office, where he worked closely with the Senate and House Appropriations, Armed Services and Intelligence Committees from 1992-95.  He then returned to Coronado as the Current Operations Officer at Naval Special Warfare Group 1, where he supported operations throughout the Pacific and Middle East.  Tom returned to SEAL Team Five as Executive Officer, after which he again deployed to the Middle East to enforce United Nations sanctions against Iraq.  Tom returned to SEAL Team Five as the Commanding Officer from February 2000 – February 2002.  Following the 9/11 attacks, he surged forward as NSW Unit One Commander, and his Team filled many of the initial combat positions in Afghanistan.

Commander Deitz retired in 2004, and was immediately hired by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), where he was a Policy Analyst from 2004-2018, tasked to better integrate the Navy with Special Operations Forces.

Tom’s philanthropy supports the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF).  His initial fundraiser was in 2001, when he was CO of SEAL Team Five; not surprisingly, the event was a five-mile ocean swim!  Tom celebrated his retirement with a golf tournament, supporting SOWF; he now conducts numerous events which have spread the meaning of SOWF throughout the country. Commander Deitz served on the SOWF Board of Directors from 2016-2018.