When Ensign Erin Omberg reported to Officer Development School (ODS) in Newport, Rhode Island, earlier this year, King Hall may have seemed familiar to her. When she checked into Navy Reserve Center Minneapolis for her first drill weekend, she may have experienced some déjà vu as well. Both of these locations were places that her father, Cmdr. (Ret.) Clarence Omberg, had spoken about. At 38-years old, Omberg, a finance director in her civilian career, decided to apply for a commission in the Navy Supply Corps.
“I needed to find out if the Navy is for me, with no external pressures, so I just called an 800 number and talked to a recruiter while waiting for my commuter bus, Omberg said.”
After deciding that the Navy was, indeed, for her, Omberg attended ODS and was commissioned with her father administering the oath of service in early 2022. Omberg is now assigned to Navy Reserve Commander, Naval Forces Japan (NR CNFJ), based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. “Military service has been a big part of my life,” Omberg said. “My dad, grandfather, great grandfather, uncles, aunts, have all served. I finally listened to that little voice in my head and joined the Navy.”
Omberg’s father served as a Surface Warfare Officer in Vietnam and also served at the same NR CNFH Minneapolis-based unit where she is stationed now. Her great grandfather was a World War I Army veteran. Her aunt was in the Navy Reserve’s Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) program during World War II. Her great uncle joined the Navy at 17-years old and died in the Philippines during World War II. This family legacy encouraged Omberg to submit a commissioning package.
Omberg holds a bachelor’s degree from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, and an M.B.A. (Finance) from Augsburg University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Managing million-dollar budgets as the finance director of a Minneapolis-based marketing and advertising firm gives her a solid background to be a supply officer, but she acknowledges that Navy Supply and the corporate world do have some differences.
“The skillsets that qualified me for this job are my formal education, real world leadership and managerial experience,” Omberg said. “I know how to manage a budget and people. I just have to learn how to be a Sailor. I’m a student again. The problem solving certainly translates from civilian to service, but the processes are probably different, and I’ll learn those. I’m challenging myself and enjoying following in the footsteps of family.”
Rear Adm. Richard S. Lofgren serves as the Acting Chief of Navy Reserve and Acting Commander, Navy Reserve Force. In this role, he provides strategic leadership and oversight for Navy Reserve personnel and operations worldwide, supporting the readiness and integration of Reserve forces across the fleet. A Surface Warfare Officer, Rear Adm. Lofgren brings extensive operational and command experience across maritime expeditionary, coastal riverine, and surface warfare missions, including service in senior leadership roles supporting U.S. naval operations in multiple geographic combatant commands. His career reflects a sustained commitment to operational excellence, leadership development, and the effective employment of Navy Reserve forces in support of national security objectives.
Rear Adm. Luke Frost is a Surface Warfare Officer with extensive operational, command, and strategic leadership experience across the fleet. He has served in senior command roles at sea and ashore, including command of major surface combatants and amphibious forces operating throughout the Central Command and Indo-Pacific areas of responsibility. As a Flag Officer, Rear Adm. Frost served as Director, Reserve Warfare (OPNAV N0959) on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations, where he provided oversight and strategic guidance for Reserve force integration and readiness. His career reflects a deep commitment to warfighting excellence, joint operations, and the effective employment of naval forces in support of U.S. national security objectives.
Rear Admiral John Saccomando is a Naval Aviator with extensive operational, command, and strategic leadership experience across both active and reserve components. He has served in multiple senior command and flag assignments supporting naval aviation, expeditionary operations, and installation readiness, including leadership roles within U.S. Fleet Forces and Naval Air Forces Atlantic. A combat-experienced aviator, Rear Adm. Saccomando brings deep expertise in joint operations, force integration, and operational readiness, reflecting a sustained commitment to advancing naval capabilities and supporting U.S. national security objectives worldwide.
Rear Adm. Greg Emery is a Navy Reserve flag officer with extensive leadership experience across naval oceanography, intelligence, and information warfare. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he has served in a wide range of operational, command, and staff assignments supporting global naval and joint operations, including senior leadership roles within Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command and the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Rear Adm. Emery brings deep expertise in intelligence integration, operational support, and information warfare, reflecting a sustained commitment to advancing decision advantage and mission readiness across the fleet.
Force Master Chief Nicole C. Rios serves as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of Navy Reserve, advising on the readiness, welfare, and professional development of approximately 59,000 Reserve Component Sailors supporting Navy, Marine Corps, and joint operations worldwide. A seasoned Command Master Chief, she brings extensive experience across aviation, expeditionary, and information warfare communities, with senior enlisted leadership assignments at the unit, regional, and force levels. Her career reflects a sustained commitment to Sailor advocacy, operational readiness, and the effective integration of Navy Reserve forces in support of national defense objectives.
Command Master Chief Lyons brings extensive operational and shore-based leadership experience across aviation, logistics, manpower, and readiness organizations within the Navy Reserve enterprise. Selected as a Command Master Chief in 2016, he has served in senior enlisted leadership roles at Navy Operational Support Center Pearl Harbor, Navy Personnel Command, Maritime Support Wing, Fleet Readiness Center Mid-West, and currently serves as the Command Master Chief for Commander, Navy Reserve Forces Command. An Aviation Warfare Specialist, he is recognized for sustained excellence in leadership and readiness, earning multiple personal, joint, and unit awards throughout his career.
Command Master Chief Louvier enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1997 and brings extensive aviation maintenance and readiness leadership experience across multiple Fleet Logistics, Strike Fighter, Helicopter, and Reserve aviation commands. Selected as a Command Master Chief in 2015, he has served in senior enlisted leadership roles at VR-56, Commander, Tactical Support Wing, Fleet Readiness Center Reserve Mid-West, and currently serves as the Command Master Chief for Commander, Naval Air Force Reserve. An Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist, he is a graduate of the Senior Enlisted Academy and multiple executive leadership programs and has earned numerous personal and unit awards for sustained excellence in leadership and mission readiness.
Master Chief Jerry E. Dotson was born in Garden Grove, California, and raised in Sacramento. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy on July 29, 2002, and completed recruit training and Electrician’s Mate “A” School in Great Lakes, Illinois. His career spans operational, reserve, aviation, and senior enlisted leadership assignments, and he currently serves as the Command Master Chief for Commander, Naval Information Force Reserve.