Capt. Chris Wells

Chief of Staff, Expeditionary Strike Group Two

18 July 2024

Capt. Chris Wells is from Colquitt, Georgia, and received his commission from the United States Naval Academy in May 1996.
His initial sea duty assignment was with MCM Rotational Crew Echo aboard USS Chief (MCM 14) and USS Ardent (MCM 12) as DCA and First Lieutenant.  Subsequent assignments at sea include USS Lake Erie (CG 70) as Fire Control and Force Protection Officer, USS Tarawa (LHA 1) as Combat Systems and Force Protection Officer, Destroyer Squadron Fifteen as Weapons and Force Protection Officer, and Seventh Fleet staff as Fleet Training and TLAM Officer.
Capt. Wells served as the Executive Officer of USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41) from 2012-2013 and Commanding Officer from 2013-2014.  Following command of USS Whidbey Island, Capt. Wells served as the N3 on the Expeditionary Strike Group Two staff from 2015-2016. Following this tour, Capt. Wells commanded USS Ponce (AFSBi 15) from 2016-2017 while forward deployed to Fifth Fleet.  His most recent sea assignment was as Executive Officer assigned to Pre-Commissioning Unit Tripli (LHA 7) in 2020.
Ashore, Capt. Wells attended the Naval Postgraduate School where he received an M.S. in Systems Engineering and Analysis.  Capt. Wells also served with the Joint IED Defeat Organization as an Operations Research/Systems Analyst and Initiative Evaluations Branch Chief responsible for assessing Counter-IED equipment, tactics, techniques, and procedures.  He served as the Director of Inspections (N3) at the Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) from 2017-2019 and most recently completed an assignment as the Director of the Commander’s Action Group on the NECC staff from 2020-2021.   
Capt. Wells has various personal and unit awards including three Legion of Merits, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, three Meritorious Service Medals, four Navy Commendation Medals and two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.