Featured Speaker Captain Larry B. Olsen

Captain Larry B. Olsen, United States Navy
Professor of Naval Science
Cornell University

Captain Larry B. Olsen, a native of San Francisco, California, earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Physics at the United States Naval Academy and received his commission as an officer in the Navy in June 1978. He received his Masters Degree in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in May 1995.

Captain Olsen was a junior officer on USS GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER (SSBN 656) (BLUE), Engineer Officer on USS ARCHERFISH (SSN 678) and Executive Officer on USS SAN JUAN (SSN 751). He served ashore as a Submarine Warfare Tactics Instructor and Sonar Operational Trainer Division Officer at the Naval Submarine School in Groton, Connecticut; Submarine Arctic Warfare Officer on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations; and Director of the CINCSTRAT Staff Group for the Commander in Chief, U. S. Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base, Omaha, Nebraska.

He was Commanding Officer of USS MIAMI (SSN 755) from January 1996 to June 1998. During this period MIAMI was presented the Meritorious Unit Commendation for two Northern Atlantic deployments, and the crew received the COMSUBRON FOUR Battle Efficiency “E” for 1997. Captain Olsen was awarded the 1998 Naval Submarine League Jack N. Darby award for inspirational leadership and excellence in command.

Following at sea command, Captain Olsen served as Chief Staff Officer and Deputy Commander for Submarine Training, Tactical Development and Doctrine for Commander, Submarine Development Squadron TWELVE. Following this he was Commanding Officer of the Naval Submarine Support Facility, New London, CT responsible for conducting intermediate level maintenance on 17 nuclear powered fast attack submarines. During his command, NSSF was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation for achieving unprecedented levels of material readiness while undergoing significant organizational changes.

From September 2002 to March 2003, Captain Olsen was the nighttime Operations Officer at the FIFTH Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. In addition to providing senior supervisory decisions for Naval operations in the Arabian Gulf, he coordinated the logistics and forces build up leading to Operation IRAQI FREEDOM.

From April 2003 to July 2005, Captain Olsen was the Commander of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center, responsible for all surface ship maintenance in the Norfolk, Virginia region. Following this he was the Director of Operations for the Submarine Force, on the staff of Commander Submarine Forces, Norfolk, Virginia until May 2008.

Captain Olsen is currently serving as the Commanding Officer and Professor of Naval Science at the Naval ROTC Unit at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
Captain Olsen’s awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit (five awards), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), Navy Commendation Medal (five awards), and the Navy Achievement Medal.