James O. Ellis, Jr.
Born	(1947-07-20) July 20, 1947 (age 76) Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1969–2004
Rank	Admiral
Commands held	United States Strategic Command United States Naval Forces Europe Carrier Strike Group Five USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) USS La Salle (AGF-3) VFA-131
Battles/wars	Vietnam War Gulf War 1999 NATO Bombing of Yugoslavia[1]
Awards	Defense Distinguished Service Medal (3) Navy Distinguished Service Medal (2) Legion of Merit (4)
Other work	Lockheed Martin

Admiral James Oren Ellis Jr.^[2] (born July 20, 1947) is a retired 4-star admiral and former Commander, United States Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. He was President and Chief Executive Officer, Institute of Nuclear Power Operations until May 2012 and serves on the board of directors of Lockheed Martin.^[3]

Since retiring from the military, Ellis has been the Annenberg Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.^[4]

In 2013, Ellis was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering for leadership in advancing safe nuclear power plant operations throughout the world.

Early life

Ellis, born in Spartanburg, South Carolina,^[3] is a 1969 graduate of the United States Naval Academy. He was designated a Naval Aviator in 1971 and held a variety of sea and shore assignments from 1972.

Naval career

Ellis' sea duty billets as a navy fighter pilot included tours with Fighter Squadron 92 aboard USS Constellation (CV-64) and Fighter Squadron 1 aboard USS Ranger (CV-61). Ellis was the first Commanding Officer of Strike/Fighter Squadron 131, deploying in 1985 with new F/A-18 Hornets aboard USS Coral Sea (CV-43). He served as Executive Officer of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) and as Commanding Officer of USS La Salle (AGF-3), the Persian Gulf flagship of the Commander, Joint Task Force, Middle East. In 1991 he assumed command of USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) and participated in Operation Desert Storm while deployed during her maiden voyage in the western Pacific and Persian Gulf. In June 1995, Ellis assumed command of Carrier Group Five/Battle Force Seventh Fleet, breaking his flag aboard USS Independence (CV-62), forward deployed to the Western Pacific and homeported in Yokosuka, Japan. As Carrier Battle Group Commander he led contingency response operations to both the Persian Gulf and Taiwan Straits.

Ellis' shore and staff assignments include tours as an experimental/operational test pilot, service in the Navy Office of Legislative Affairs, and duty as F/A-18 Program Coordinator, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Air Warfare). He has also served as Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff, Joint Task Force FIVE, the counter-narcotics force for United States Commander in Chief Pacific. In November 1993 he reported as Inspector General, United States Atlantic Fleet, and subsequently served as Director for Operations, Plans and Policy (N3/N5) on the staff of the Commander in Chief, United States Atlantic Fleet. He assumed duties as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Plans, Policy and Operations) in November 1996. Ellis became Commander in Chief, United States Naval Forces Europe, headquartered in London, England, and Commander in Chief, Allied Forces, Southern Europe headquartered in Naples, Italy, in October 1998.

Ellis served as Commander, United States Strategic Command from 2002 and retired from the navy in 2004.^[3]

Education

Ellis holds Master of Science degrees in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and in Aeronautical Systems from the University of West Florida. He is also a 1975 graduate of United States Naval Test Pilot School. He completed United States Navy nuclear power training in 1987 and is a graduate of the Senior Officer Program in National Security Strategy at Harvard University.

Awards and decorations