LtCol Pugh was born in South Saint Paul, Mn. and enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves in 2001. He graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College and was commissioned as a second lieutenant via the Officers Candidates Course in August 2004.

Following graduation from TBS and the Logistics Officer Course, LtCol Pugh deployed to Iraq as a motor transport platoon commander with CLB-1, and then deployed with CLB-11, 11th MEU, as the Assistant Operations Officer. In 2008, LtCol Pugh reported to The Basic School serving as a Warfighting Instructor, Staff Platoon Commander, and the Motor Transport Detachment Commander. During this time, he was selected for the Army’s Logistics and Technology Program, eventually earning a M.S. in Supply Chain Management from Syracuse University.

In 2011, LtCol Pugh received orders to 2D MAW, serving in MAG-40 as the Group Logistics Officer during two deployments to the CENTCOM AOR. In 2013, he assumed duties as the Operations Officer for MWSS-271. Selected on the Captain’s Career-Level Education Board, he reported to the Naval Postgraduate School in 2014 and began the study-track program as a Northeast Asia Foreign Area Officer. After graduating from NPS with an M.A. in Northeast Asia Security Studies and the Defense Language Institute’s Japanese program in 2016, then-Major Pugh reported to the U.S. Embassy Tokyo, Japan. While in Tokyo, he participated in several bi-lateral exercises with the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force and served with the JGSDF Headquarters G-4 at the Ministry of Defense.

In December 2017, he reported to Second Supply Battalion as the Operations Officer. Simultaneously, he assumed responsibilities as Operations Officer for CLB-251, a task-organized battalion established to serve as the Landing Force Support Party and general support CLB for Exercise Trident Juncture 2018.  He deployed to Norway with CLB-251 from September to December 2018. In 2019, he was selected as the II MEF CG’s Aide-de-Camp and served in that position until reporting to HQMC Installations and Logistics in August 2020. He then assumed duties as Section Head, Logistics Information Technology Systems and Services.

LtCol Pugh is a graduate of Sergeants’ Course and Expeditionary Warfare School via distance learning, and the Marine Corps Command and Staff College and the Air War College via seminar.  His foreign language skills are Japanese and French.