CAPT Aaron Bellar is a native of Tennessee. Commissioned as a Navy Chaplain Candidate Program Officer in April 1995 he accessed to active duty in August 2000. He transferred to the Navy Reserve in May 2008. He is a 1993 graduate of Lee University with a Bachelor of Science in Biblical Education and a 1998 Pentecostal Theological Seminary graduate earning a Master of Divinity Degree with an emphasis in military chaplaincy. He has graduate level education in Human Security and Resilience, is a certified life coach and has attended extensive executive level leadership courses with the U.S. Navy where he has earned numerous additional certifications and awards. As a Navy Chaplain he has been served with Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard units on five continents.

Chaplain Bellar’s active duty tours include Battalion Chaplain, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines; Chaplain, USS Boxer LHD 4 and Command Chaplain, U.S. Coast Guard District 11 South, Sector San Diego. While active he deployed as part of the Unit Deployment Program with 3rd Battalion 4th Marines to Okinawa and South Korea, twice aboard USS Boxer in support of OIF/OEF, and with the USCGC Hamilton for counter narcotics operations to Central America. Additionally, he mobilized in support of Hurricane Katrina response efforts to New Orleans with U.S. Coast Guard, Sector San Diego in 2005.

The units Chaplain Bellar has supported in the Navy Reserve have included MEFREL (Marine Expeditionary Force – Religious) 122, NRC (Navy Reserve Center) Spokane; OIC (Officer in Charge) of MEFREL 218, NRC Denver; Operational Support Unit, NRC Spokane; Regimental Chaplain, Combat Logistics Regiment 45, 4th Marine Logistics Group, NRC Atlanta; and Deputy Force Chaplain for Reserve Matters, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, NRC Norfolk. As a reservist he has mobilized in support of the Navy and Marine Corps Detachments, Defense Language Institute, Monterey; Chaplain Programs Officer, Navy Recruiting Command, Navy Recruiting District St. Louis; Command Chaplain, Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, Africa and as Deputy Force Chaplain, Marine Forces Reserve, New Orleans. Presently, he is mobilized serving the largest division in the U.S. Marine Corps as the Command Chaplain of 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, New Orleans, Louisiana.

In his civilian career Aaron manages a dynamic coaching practice, along with his wife, Angela, focused on the wellness and personal growth industries. Additionally, Aaron has worked as an associate pastor, small business owner and prison chaplain in arguably one of the toughest prisons in the state of Tennessee. In partnership with his wife he co-founded and operated Stonewall Residential Care, LLC, a long-term care system for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. His ministry, military and business leadership experience has given Aaron tremendous practice in high-performance coaching, pastoral care, ministry in combat and trauma, and business operations.

Married to the former Angela Sessions of Mobile, Alabama, together they have four children – Emily, Blake, Jacob and Abi. He and Angela have two grandchildren. Relocating back to his home state of Tennessee in 2017 Chaplain Bellar enjoys working on his farm, the great outdoors, cookouts with loved ones, and continuing ministerial and entrepreneurial pursuits.