Lt. Commander Teresa Elders, United States Navy

Lieutenant Commander Teresa Elders received her B.S. and a commission in the Navy through the U.S. Naval Academy in 1996. She has served over 11 years in the Navy as a surface warfare officer involved in numerous exercises and operations all over the world including Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Astute with the Royal Australian Navy off East Timor. Prior to joining the Atlantic Council, LCDR Elders served as the Doctrine and Training Officer (on exchange) at the Australian Amphibious Task Group in Sydney, Australia. She has served on three Aegis ships, first on the USS MOBILE BAY homeported in Yokosuka, Japan followed by tours as the Operations Officer onboard the USS HIGGINS (during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM) and the USS PRINCETON. LCDR Elders has an MA in War Studies from the Royal Military College of Canada and was awarded the Navy League of the United States Stephen Decatur Award for Operational Excellence in 2005.