NJROTC Area 17

Area 17 Manager

LAMAR V. JOHNSON, SR.
A native of Kansas City, Mo., Lamar Johnson, joined the United States Coast Guard in 1989 through the Minority Officer Recruit Effort (M.O.R.E.) program. He is a graduate of Prairie View A&M University where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering in 1992. His first assignment as a commissioned officer was in Washington, DC where he served as a Training Officer in the Office of Acquisition and Quality Assurance at Coast Guard Headquarters. While there, he wrote two course catalogs for acquisition training on how to write statements of work. These courses were used in ‘C’ schools throughout the Coast Guard.

Mr. Johnson’s second tour of duty was at the Telecommunications and Information Systems Command in Alexandria, VA., from 1993-1995. While there he served as a Landline Specialist in the Operations Division. His primary responsibilities were to research and procure all of the necessary electronic equipment needed to maintain the Coast Guard Data Network. He was responsible for helping to keep the Coast Guard on the cutting edge during this time of rapid growth in technology. He then transferred to Coast Guard Group Mobile, in Mobile, AL., where he served for two years as the Senior Duty Officer and the Law Enforcement Officer. During his time at Group Mobile, Mr. Johnson was responsible for the prosecution of over 600 search and rescue cases, saving the lives of approximately 1,500 people and over $1.5 million dollars of property. He was also credited with the successful seizure of 23 kilos of cocaine during a planned patrol with Customs and other government agencies.

In 1997, he started graduate school at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA., where he received his Master of Science Degree in Information Technology Management. Upon completion of graduate school in 1999, Mr. Johnson was assigned as Lead Applications Engineer for the Coast Guard Vessel Traffic System, at the Command-and-Control Engineering Center in Portsmouth, VA., from November of 1999 until June of 2003. While there he conducted over 20 software installations and improved the system to award winning standards.

After a successful tour in Virginia, he was transferred to Coast Guard District Eight where he was assigned as the Assistant Chief of Search and Rescue/Incident Management. He served there for four years, with the tour highlighted by the rescue efforts surrounding Hurricane Katrina, where he is credited with the rescue of over 33,000 people. His last active duty assignment was at Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston, in Houston, TX, where he served as the Command Center Chief. While there, he led the rescue efforts of 225 people and 16 dogs during Hurricane Ike.

He retired from the Coast Guard in 2010 in order to focus on his call to ministry. In January of 2012, he was licensed as a Minister at Cross Roads Community Church in Pearland, TX. He is currently serving at Crossover Bible Fellowship in Houston, Tx. He served in the capacity of Senior Naval Science Instructor at Booker T. Washington High School (Houston, TX) for 14 years, and is now the NJROTC Area 17 Manager.

Mr. Johnson’s military awards include four Commendation Medals, three CG Achievement Medals, and the Commandant’s Letter of Commendation. He is a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., where he currently serves on his chapter’s Board of Directors.

CDR Johnson married Tipfenie Deeds, of Brenham, TX on April 15, 1995. Together they have a son, Lamar ‘Trey’ Johnson, III. Trey received his Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering and is currently working at Lockheed Martin.