A Tamaqua native who has made a career in the U.S. Navy has been named the top officer of the Navy’s Surface Advanced Warfighting School.

Capt. Chad Trubilla recently took over as the officer in charge at the Surface Advanced Warfighting School (SAWS), located aboard Naval Base San Diego, California.

Part of Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC), SAWS is responsible for training the surface Navy’s specialized warfare tactics instructors, serving as the surface fleet’s direct counterpart to naval aviation’s famed “TOP GUN” weapons school.

The assignment marks a professional homecoming for Trubilla, an original “plankowner” of SMWDC who helped establish the elite tactical institution more than a decade ago.

Trubilla, an Integrated Air and Missile Defense warfare tactics instructor, was part of the pioneering foundational cohort in 2014.

“Returning to SAWS is a tremendously humbling full-circle experience,” Trubilla said. “To lead the schoolhouse that forged my own development as a tactical officer, and to now guide the next generation of elite instructors, is a profound privilege.”

He credits his upbringing for helping him hone the necessary skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy.

“The biggest lesson I brought from home is that discipline isn’t a chore — it’s a foundation,” Trubilla said. “Growing up in a household that valued hard work and accountability, I learned early on that you don’t wait for motivation to get the job done; you rely on your habits. In the Navy, that’s been my greatest asset. Whether it’s maintaining readiness or leading a team through a difficult watch, I’ve stayed grounded by the patriotism I learned in my hometown — the belief that we all have a responsibility to contribute to something larger than ourselves.

“My community taught me that integrity is what you do when no one is watching, and that’s a standard I’ve carried into every mission.”

Trubilla graduated from Tamaqua Area High School in 1997; and earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2001 and a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College in 2008.

“I was drawn to the military having been raised in a household and community where discipline, hard work and accountability weren’t just expectations, they were a way of life,” he said. “That upbringing gave me a deep sense of patriotism and a belief that the freedoms we enjoy are maintained by those willing to do the work to protect them. For me, it’s about stewardship; I wanted to apply the values I learned at home to a mission that matters on a global scale. I was looking to serve in an organization where accountability is a requirement and where I can contribute to the Navy’s standard of excellence.

Trubilla’s career includes command of the guided-missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta, which he led through a maiden deployment during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most recently before returning to SAWS, he served as the commanding officer of the Surface Combat Systems Training Center (SCSTC) San Diego, the Navy’s largest technical training command.

“I have been honored to serve as a career surface warfare officer with multiple commands, at sea and ashore,” Trubilla said. “Currently, I lead the Navy’s premier warfare tactics instructor school, where I am privileged to work alongside some of the brightest and most dedicated tactical minds in the fleet.”

The SAWS schoolhouse opened in 2024 as the culmination of SMWDC leadership’s plan to streamline operations and develop collaboration between the warfare tactics instructor programs. The rigorous 16-week SAWS curriculum is a crucible of classroom instruction and practical application. Operating under the foundational warfare tactics instructor ethos of “Warrior, Thinker, Teacher” and the philosophy of being “Humble, Credible, Approachable,” candidates specialize in one of four areas: integrated air and missile defense, amphibious warfare, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare, or mine warfare.

With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the Internet relying on the security of undersea fiber-optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.

“While it has been a distinct honor to hold command both at sea and ashore, I am most proud of the quiet moments spent among my sailors,” Trubilla said. “Whether it was below the waterline with my incredible ‘Snipes’ who worked tirelessly in the engineering spaces, or the crew throughout any other part of the ship, I am constantly reminded that it took every soul onboard to successfully accomplish the mission. Seeing former shipmates whom I once led advance into confident leaders who now surpass my own capabilities is the most rewarding legacy I could leave behind.”

Trubilla is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.

“I owe a great deal to my parents (Nicholas and Irene Trubilla), who built my foundation of discipline and integrity,” Trubilla said. “They taught me that hard work is a requirement, not an option, and they instilled in me the patriotism that led me to the military. I’d also be remiss if I failed to acknowledge the teachers, coaches, and community members who invested their time in me; their mentorship reinforced the values of accountability and service long before I put on the uniform.

“Yet the bulk of the credit for my ability to serve goes to my wife and my boys. They have shown incredible resilience and strength, often standing alone and managing the household during long deployments and missions. Their sacrifice at home is the bedrock behind my career; I can clearly focus on the mission because I know they are holding the line back home. I am incredibly proud of the family we’ve built and grateful for their unwavering support.”