A native of Hooper, Utah, LT James Hummel is a 2017 graduate of Brigham Young University with a Master of Science in Religious Studies and Military Chaplaincy.  He also holds a Bachelor of Science in General Studies with a focus in Psychology / Middle Eastern Studies from Excelsior and degrees in Arabic and French Linguistics / Cultural Studies from Defense Language Institute and Communications Technologies Applications from the Community College of the Air Force. Chaplain Hummel is endorsed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

He served 12 years enlisted in the Air Force as an Arabic and French Cryptologic Linguist supporting tactical and strategic national intelligence missions through the National Security Agency. During his time in the Air Force, he was stationed twice in Monterey for language studies, 5 years in Fort Gordon, GA and for 4 years in Wiesbaden Germany.

Chaplain Hummel’s Navy assignments include serving as Staff Chaplain to the Marine Corps Communication-Electronics School, which is the Marine Corps largest MOS School, based in Twentynine Palms, California. Following that assignment, he served as the Command Chaplain for Carrier Air Wing 2 (CVW-2) with its nine geographically separated squadrons where he also completed the first F-35 INDO-PACOM deployment with Carrier Strike Group 1 aboard the USS Carl Vinson. Not long after that deployment, he continued to serve concurrently as the CVW-2 Chaplain and as the Type Wing Chaplain at Commander, Joint Strike Fighter Wing (CJSFW) at NAS Lemoore, CA. Following that assignment He joined NMCB-5 as the Command Chaplain and completed his second INDOPACOM Chaplain supporting NMCB-5 Seabees operating at 13 distributed sites across the Pacific and Indian Oceans.  He is currently serving as Staff Chaplain at the United States Coast Guard Academy.

LT Hummel’s personal awards include two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. Chaplain Hummel is married to Kara Hummel and has seven children: Ethan (21 years old), Kaleb (17), Annie (14), Tybee (14), Gracie (12), Ethan (6) and Claire (3).

LT Hummel began serving as the Command Chaplain at NMCB-5 at NBVC, CA in May 2024.