Colonel Readinger is a native of High Point, North Carolina.  He attended the University of Virginia and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in May of 1998.

Upon completion of the Basic Officer Course and Infantry Officer Course, Lieutenant Readinger served in 1st Battalion, 7th Marines as a Platoon Commander, Executive Officer, and Assistant Operations Officer from 1999-2002.

As a Captain, Clay served as a Staff Platoon Commander at the Basic Officer Course and an Instructor at the Infantry Officer Course from 2002 to 2005.  After graduating from the Expeditionary Warfare School in 2006, Captain Readinger commanded Golf Company, 2d Battalion, 5th Marines and served as the Operations Officer for Battalion Landing Team 2/5 from 2006 to 2009.

Major Readinger attended the Naval Postgraduate School and Defense Language Institute from 2009 to 2011 before deploying with I MEF FWD to Afghanistan in 2012.  Upon redeployment, Major Readinger served as the Executive Officer for 3d Battalion, 1st Marines and as the Operations Officer for 1st Marine Regiment from 2013 to 2015.

LtCol Readinger served as the Inspector Instructor for 2d Battalion, 23d Marines from 2015 to 2017.  Clay attended the Advanced Strategic Leadership Studies Program and served as a seminar leader for the Advanced Military Studies Program while at the School of Advanced Military Studies in Fort Leavenworth from 2017 to 2019.  Continuing his service in the Army apparently, LtCol Readinger next served as a strategic planner and division chief for the Joint Special Operations Command in Fort Bragg from 2019 to 2021.

Col Readinger is currently the Chief of Staff for 3d MEB.