Our Leadership
Photo credit: SN Hotung-Shea
Lieutenant Jason Ellars, NSCC
Commanding Officer
Passionate About Inspiring Tomorrow's Leaders
Growing up overseas as the son of a now-retired Chief Petty Officer, LT Jason Ellars has led a life steeped in military tradition. In February of 2001, he enlisted in the Navy as an Information Systems Technician (IT). On graduation from boot camp, he earned the Navy League award and was ranked at the top of his division. Subsequently, he attended and graduated from IT "A" school as the Honor Graduate.
After the events of September 11, 2001, LT Ellars took orders to USS Inchon (MCS-12), where he worked in the Communications Division as well as the Automated Data Processing division. After Inchon was decommissioned, he was assigned to USS Champion (MCM-4) and was deployed from Ingleside, TX to the Eastern Pacific. On his return, he received a new assignment to MCM Crew Fearless and participated in a crew swap into USS Dextrous (MCM-14) on the island of Bahrain in the Persian Gulf. While serving on the MCM platform, LT Ellars earned his Enlisted Surface Warfare (ESWS) qualification, was the ship's senior Network Administrator, was a COMSEC materials manager, and performed duties as Officer of the Deck and Communications Watch Officer.
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LT Ellars then was assigned to shore duty at Training Support Center, Hampton Roads, Virginia. There, he dedicated himself to bettering the command's information system security posture, automated many IT functions and developed and implemented procedures for improving software delivery to students at the various training sites in the area. Then, in 2007, when his enlistment contract had concluded, LT Ellars left Naval service and has worked since in the Information Technology industry.
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As Commanding Officer of the Alexandria Division of US Naval Sea Cadet Corps, LT Ellars seeks to inspire Cadets age 10-18 to become the best version of themselves that they can possibly be. He works with his talented adult staff and senior Cadets to execute his vision for helping all Cadets in Alexandria Division reach their maximum potential, and in many cases, exceed it.
CAPTAIN ENID Brackett,
Executive Officer
Captain Enid S. Brackett was raised in Dallas, TX and graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1997 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in both Finance and Organizational Behavior. She received her commission from Officer Candidate School and was designated a Naval Aviator in August 1999. Captain Brackett retired from naval service in September 2022.
Captain Brackett was designated as a Navy Foreign Area Officer (FAO) in 2008. Her assignments as a FAO have included the Office of Security Cooperation in Tunis, Tunisia (2011-2013), Headquarters, U.S. Africa Command (2013-2016), Office of Security Cooperation Ghana, Togo, and Benin (2016-2017), and as the Deputy for FAO Policy in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (2017-2019). Captain Brackett is currently assigned to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, serving as the Division Chief for the U.S. Africa Command, U.S. Southern Command, and U.S. Northern Command Regional Division.
Prior to her designation as a FAO, she completed her first operational tour with HC-2 in Norfolk, flying the UH-3H Sea King and conducting missions at home and abroad in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM. For her first shore tour she was assigned to Naval Support Activity Bahrain where she flew the UC-12M King Air, and then served as an Assistant Professor of Naval Science and Officer in Charge of the Old Dominion University unit at the NROTC Unit Hampton Roads in Norfolk, VA.
Her personal awards include: the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Commendation Medal, and multiple personal, unit and campaign awards.
Captain Brackett holds a Master’s of Business Administration from Touro University International and a Master’s in National Security Administration (Sub-Saharan Africa) from the Naval Postgraduate School. She is also a graduate of the Defense Language Institute (French).
Captain Brackett is married to Chuck Brackett, a retired naval Supply Corps officer, has two children, Grace and Ben, and a rather co-dependent Doberman named Daisy.
Lieutenant Sarita Ellars, NSCC
OPERATIONS Officer
LT Sara Ellars started her career as a Foreign Language Instructor at Florida State University in 1999 as part of the graduate studies program of the Department of Modern Languages & Linguistics. As her husband was transferred to various duty stations during his naval career, LT Ellars went on to teach Second Language Acquisition at Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School in Virginia Beach and St. John Academy in McLean, respectively.
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In 2009, LT Ellars followed her passion for fine cuisine and changed career paths to return to the family hospitality business pursuing a second career as a professional Chef and Culinary Instructor at Cuisine On Demand, LLC. As the Head Chef of Cuisine On Demand, she has served private citizens in the highest echelons of our government, worked under the direction Michelin Star Chef Paola Martinez of Cirque De Soleil, and has served foreign Heads of State. LT Ellars joined the Alexandria Division in 2016 as a parent volunteer and officially as the Training Officer in 2017.
Her extracurricular activities include volunteering as an Instructor for Children’s Religious Education at a local parish as well as hiking, running, camping and marksmanship.
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Photo credit: Jeff Song Photography, LLC