James O. Ellis

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

Biography
Ellis, born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, is a 1969 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. He was designated a Naval Aviator in 1971 and has held a variety of sea and shore assignments since 1972.

His 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). Admiral 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, Admiral 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.
 * Tours of Duty

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 U.S. Commander in Chief Pacific. In November 1993 he reported as Inspector General, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, and subsequently served as Director for Operations, Plans and Policy (N3/N5) on the staff of the Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. He assumed duties as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Plans, Policy and Operations) in November 1996. Admiral Ellis became Commander in Chief, U.S. Naval Forces, Europe headquartered in London, England, and Commander in Chief, Allied Forces, Southern Europe headquartered in Naples, Italy, in October 1998.

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 U.S. 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.
 * Achievements

His personal awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit (four awards), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, as well as numerous campaign and service awards.


 * Defense Distinguished Service ribbon.svg Defense Distinguished Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
 * Navy Distinguished Service ribbon.svg Navy Distinguished Service Medal
 * Legion of Merit ribbon.svg Legion of Merit with four Gold Stars
 * Defense Meritorious Service ribbon.svg Defense Meritorious Service Medal
 * Meritorious Service ribbon.svg Meritorious Service Medal with Gold Star
 * Navy and Marine Corps Commendation ribbon.svg Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal

Ellis retired from the Navy in 2004.