Jeff Ballard

Tell us about your work/ research. What kinds of things do you do? 

My master’s research examined the U.S. Navy’s operations in the Pacific between August 1942 and November 1943, specifically the evolution of destroyer torpedo attack doctrine during the Solomon Islands Campaign. I'm the Editor-in-Chief of Military History Chronicles, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Military University. I am also an author who has written feature articles and book reviews for Saber and Scroll, Emerging Civil War, World at War, Strategy & Tactics, and Modern War magazines.

What sparked your initial interest in your career?

At age eleven, my father gave me his first-edition copy of Samuel Eliot Morison's History of United States Naval Operations in World War II. I was captivated by the “Struggle for Guadalcanal” and reread that volume too many times to count. The drama of surface naval combat in the South Pacific between late 1942 and 1943 is unparalleled.

Who influenced you or encouraged you the most?

My father, Richard, taught me not to be afraid of big ideas; my grandfather, Chet, whose life I strive to emulate; and the examples set by my heroes, Mark Twain, San Francisco 49ers head coach Bill Walsh, and Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz.

What element of your work/ study do you think is the most fascinating?

The United States Navy began the Second World War with a professional chauvinism, which Secretary of War Henry Stimson described as a religion where "Neptune was God, Mahan his prophet, and the United States Navy the only true church." Despite the shocking defeats of early 1942, the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps addressed their deficiencies in short order. With the encirclement of Rabaul in January 1944, they supplanted the Imperial Japanese Navy as the superior night fighting force. Understanding how the United States overcame deficits in leadership, material, and doctrine offers tremendous benefits to warfighters and world leaders for all time.

How did you get involved with the Nautilus Exploration Program?  

The summer 2025 expedition to the Solomon Islands will be my fourth exploration of the 1942 and 1943 battlefields on Guadalcanal and New Georgia in the last three years. I also participated in the 2016 expedition to the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and explored the SS Dorothy Wintermote with Dr. James Delgado.

What other jobs led you to your current career? 

For most of my adult life, I’ve worked as a contracts specialist in government and public sector procurement; however, countless hours of archival research and thousands of written pages have best prepared me for where I am today.

What are your degrees and certifications?

Bachelor of Arts in Social Science from Cal State Chico and a master’s in military history from American Military University.

What are your hobbies?

I love going to the theater with my wife, Carol. We have a chihuahua-pin mix named Rio, and we are the go-to neighborhood dog sitters. Although my son Andrew earned his Eagle rank in 2021 and is now out of Scouting, I’m still involved as a citizenship merit badge counselor. I also read, write, and edit for several military and general history journals and magazines.

What advice would you give someone who wants to have a career like yours?

Wherever your passions lead you, go and experience them so you can speak about them in the first person. No amount of study can replace this. There is no substitute for walking the battlefield. You can’t really know until you go!