SAN DIEGO — Cmdr. Lauren Ellison, an Indianapolis native and 2005 graduate of Pike High School, is making her mark in the U.S. Navy as the executive officer assigned to the USS Germantown, a dock landing ship operating out of Naval Base San Diego.
Diamond Kyles
Ellison, who joined the Navy 17 years ago, credits his family and educators for setting his path in motion.
“My father was a Marine and inspired me to serve in the military,” Ellison said. “He recommended I join Navy Junior ROTC. When it came time to start thinking about college, I didn’t have many financial opportunities, but a teacher of mine suggested I look into ROTC. I applied and got a full ride, and the rest is history.”
Following high school, Ellison earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Florida A&M University in 2009 and later completed a Master of Business Administration at the University of Mississippi in 2017.
Throughout his career, Ellison has lived by a lesson passed down from his family: “Growing up, my grandmother always told me that if it’s worth having, it’s worth fighting for. That advice applies to everything in the Navy and is my daily mantra: if it matters, go do it.”
Today, Ellison serves as a surface warfare officer aboard the USS Germantown. The dock landing ship transports and launches amphibious craft and vehicles during beach operations using a flat, open well deck that floods with water to load and unload smaller boats and heavy vehicles. The ship carries a crew of more than 300 sailors and can transport up to 400 Marines.
Reflecting on his 17-year career, Ellison points to two defining achievements.
“I am most proud of being selected for command at sea,” Ellison said. “I am also proud that I was able to save one of my students’ lives while I was an ROTC instructor at the University of Mississippi. He passed out during one of our physical training sessions, and I was able to apply the skills I learned in my CPR training. I administered chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth for three minutes until he finally came back around, took a super deep breath, and his heart started beating again.”
As the Navy commemorates its role in the nation’s defense during the United States’ 250th anniversary, leadership continues to emphasize the vital role of sea power. With 90% of global commerce traveling by ocean and international internet traffic relying on undersea fiber-optic cables, the Navy’s mission to defend freedom and secure global trade relies heavily on recruiting and retaining talented service members from across the country.
For Ellison, leadership is ultimately about supporting the people around him.
“Serving in the Navy means an opportunity to give back and to help people,” Ellison said. “The Navy is not like a regular job where you check out at the end of the day. We take our work home with us. I am a people person, and this job gives me the most opportunity to give back directly and indirectly to the sailors I serve with.”
Ellison credits a strong support network for his achievements in uniform.
“First, I would like to thank my wife, Sierra, for being supportive and understanding,” Ellison said. “Navy life isn’t easy, and she has made a lot of sacrifices. I would also like to thank my dad, Kerry, for pushing me when I needed to be pushed and introducing me to the military, and my JROTC instructors, Randell Alexander and Lt. Cmdr. Stephen White, for introducing me to the whole idea of serving on active duty in the military. Lastly, I would like to thank my shipmates for supporting me, teaching me, and holding me accountable.”
