Colonel Raymond Adams earned a Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude, with a double major in history and politics, in 1995 and a Juris Doctor degree in 1998. He earned his commission in the United States Marine Corps in April 1999 upon graduation from Officer Candidates School.
Following graduation from The Basic School and Naval Justice School, he was assigned as a military prosecutor at Camp Lejeune, NC. He then served as a deputy staff judge advocate and legal assistance officer. He deployed to Spain in support of NATO Exercise DYNAMIC MIX 2002. In 2003, Captain Adams joined the Marine Corps Reserve. He served as the 6th Motor Transport Battalion S-3A from 2004 to 2005.
Captain Adams joined Company C, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment and attended the full-length Infantry Officer Course in 2005. In 2006, he deployed to Iraq with Company C, where he led a platoon. His platoon conducted combat and counterinsurgency operations in Fallujah from March to October 2006.
Major Adams served in the North American Aerospace Defense Command/United States Northern Command J-2 Intelligence Directorate from 2006 to 2007 on ADOS orders. He returned to 1st Battalion, 25th Marines to command Company B in 2007.
From 2008 to 2009, he served in the Pentagon as a politico-military planner in the Joint Staff J-5 Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate IMA Det.
Major Adams attended the resident Marine Corps Command and Staff College in Quantico, VA in academic year 2009-10, graduating with honors and earning a master’s degree in Military Studies with distinction.
He served as the Aide-de-Camp to Lieutenant General John F. Kelly, Commander, Marine Forces Reserve/Marine Forces North, from 2010 to 2011 on ADOS orders.
Major Adams completed the Joint Forces Staff College’s Advanced Joint Professional Military Education program in 2011.
He attended the Marine Corps School of Advanced Warfighting in Quantico, VA in academic year 2011-12 and earned a master’s degree in Operational Studies.
Lieutenant Colonel Adams served as the Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion, 25th Marines from July 2012 to July 2014.
He graduated with distinction from the National War College in June 2015, earned a master of science degree in National Security Studies, and won the Excellence in Writing Award, co-sponsored by the National Defense University Foundation and the National War College Alumni Association.
Lieutenant Colonel Adams served as Executive Officer, 25th Marine Regiment from October 2015 to December 2017.
He served as Team Leader, Operations Officer, Chief of Staff, and Officer in Charge of the MAGTF Staff Training Program IMA Det from December 2017 to May 2019.
Colonel Adams assumed duties as Deputy Commander, 25th Marine Regiment in June 2019.
His personal decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with gold star in lieu of third award, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with combat distinguishing device and gold star in lieu of second award, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and the Combat Action Ribbon. He is a term member of the Marine Corps Reserve Policy Board, a member of the Marine Corps Association & Foundation, and a life member of the Marine Corps Reserve Association. He has published articles in the Marine Corps Gazette and Joint Force Quarterly.