Larry Rudell Ellis (born June 30, 1946) is a former

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

officer who served as the Commander of

United States Army Forces Command United States Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) is the largest United States Army command. It provides expeditionary, regionally engaged, campaign-capable land forces to combatant commanders. Headquartered at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, FORSCOM con ...

from November 19, 2001 until 2004, following his assignment as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans of the Department of the Army. During his career, Ellis had assignments in the United States, South Vietnam, Germany, South Korea, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. His command assignments include 1st Armored Division, Germany; Multi-National Division (North), Bosnia and Herzegovina; Assistant Division Commander, 2nd Infantry Division, South Korea; Brigade Commander, 3rd Infantry Division, Germany; Battalion Commander, 5th Infantry Division,

Fort Polk Fort Polk is a United States Army installation located in Vernon Parish, Louisiana, about 10 miles (15 km) east of Leesville and 30 miles (50 km) north of DeRidder in Beauregard Parish. It was named to honor Leonidas Polk, the firs ...

, Louisiana; Company Commander, 101st Airborne Division, Vietnam; and 82d Airborne Division,

Fort Bragg, North Carolina Fort Bragg is a military installation of the United States Army in North Carolina, and is one of the largest military installations in the world by population, with around 54,000 military personnel. The military reservation is located within C ...

Early life and education

Ellis was born in 1946 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education from

Morgan State University Morgan State University (Morgan State or MSU) is a public historically black research university in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the largest of Maryland's historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). In 1867, the university, then known a ...

in 1969. While at Morgan State he was a member of the National Society of

Pershing Rifles The National Society of Pershing Rifles is a military-oriented honor society for college-level students founded in 1894 as a drill unit at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. It is the oldest continuously operating US college organization dedic ...

. He earned a Master of Science degree in Physical education from Indiana University School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation in 1975.NATO bio
/ref>

Military career

Ellis' staff assignments included Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans; Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, Headquarters, Department of the Army; Assistant Chief of Staff, C3/J3/G3, United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command/United States Forces Korea/Eighth United States Army, South Korea; Deputy Director for Strategic Planning and Policy, Headquarters, United States Pacific Command, Hawaii; Deputy Director, Military Personnel Management, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, Headquarters, Department of the Army; Force Structure Analyst and Chief, Manpower and Force Structure Division, Program Analysis and Evaluation Directorate, Office of Chief of Staff, Headquarters, Department of the Army; Staff Officer, Headquarter, United States Army Europe, Germany; Staff and Faculty, United States Military Academy, West Point; Battalion Staff Officer, 101st Airborne Division, Vietnam; and Battalion Operations Officer, 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Awards and decorations

Ellis' awards include the

Defense Distinguished Service Medal The Defense Distinguished Service Medal is a military decoration of the United States Department of Defense, which is presented to United States Armed Forces service members for exceptionally distinguished performance of duty contributing to the ...

, the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Bronze Star Medal, the

Meritorious Service Medal A Meritorious Service Medal is an award presented to denote acts of meritorious service, and sometimes gallantry, that are worthy of recognition. Notable medals with similar names include: * Meritorious Civilian Service Award *Meritorious Service Me ...

with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the

Air Medal The Air Medal (AM) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. Criteria The Air Medal was establish ...

, the

Army Commendation Medal The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fifth ...

with Oak Leaf Cluster, the

National Defense Service Medal The National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) is a service award of the United States Armed Forces established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. It is awarded to every member of the US Armed Forces who has served during any one of four ...

with three stars, the

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy. The medal is awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who, after ...

, the

Vietnam Service Medal The Vietnam Service Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces established on 8 July 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The medal is awarded to recognize service during the Vietnam War by all members of the U.S. Arm ...

with three stars, the

Armed Forces Service Medal The Armed Forces Service Medal (AFSM) is a military award of the United States military that was created on January 11, 1996, by President Bill Clinton under . The AFSM is a deployed service medal that is presented to those service members who e ...

, the

Vietnam Cross of Gallantry The Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross also known as the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross or Vietnam Cross of Gallantry ( vi, Anh-Dũng Bội-Tinh) is a military decoration of the former Government of South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam). The medal ...

/Palm, the Korean Cheonsu Medal, the German Armed Forces Honor Cross (Gold), the

NATO Medal The NATO Medal is an international military decoration which is awarded to various militaries of the world under the authority of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It is manufactured by Eekelers-Centini Intl, of Hemiksem, Belgium. ...

, the

Combat Infantryman Badge The Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) is a United States Army military decoration. The badge is awarded to infantrymen and Special Forces soldiers in the rank of colonel and below, who fought in active ground combat while assigned as members of e ...

, the Senior Parachutist Badge, the Office of Secretary of Defense Staff Identification Badge, the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge, and the Army General Staff Identification Badge.

Personal life

Following his retirement from the United States Army, Ellis became President and CEO of DHB Industries, a manufacturer of body armor, and has served on the boards of SRA International, the Armed Forces Benefit Association, and Universal Systems and Technology. He is an Associate of Burdeshaw Associates, Ltd., a defense consulting firm. He received the Distinguished Alumni Service Award from Indiana University.Five to receive IU's highest alumni award
/ref> He is married to the former Jean Williams of Baltimore, Maryland, and has two adult daughters, one of whom is an army officer.

References

External links

DHB Industries biographyForbes.com profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellis, Larry R. 1946 births Living people Morgan State University alumni Pershing Riflemen African-American United States Army personnel United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War Recipients of the Air Medal Indiana University Bloomington alumni Recipients of the Legion of Merit United States Army generals Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal 21st-century African-American people African Americans in the Vietnam War 20th-century African-American people