BENJAMIN BARAN

Surrounded by friends and family, Steubenville native Benjamin “Ben” E. Baran was promoted to the rank of rear admiral, lower half, in the Navy during an Oct. 6 ceremony at the USS Cod Submarine Memorial.

Baran is now one of fewer than 300 admirals currently in the Navy, who hold various ranks and serve a number of different roles. Baran, who’s served as an active-duty and reserve officer since 2002, is the deputy commander of the Navy Personnel Command, directing the military branch’s Talent Management Center of Excellence and advising its human resources officers.

A rear admiral, lower half, ranks above a captain but below a rear admiral, upper half. The rank is equivalent to brigadier general in the Army, Marines and Air Force.

Presiding over the Oct. 6 ceremony, retired Rear Adm. Michael Schwerin spoke on how crucial Baran’s new role is.

“There will likely be unplanned contingencies that require your agility, collaboration and mission focus,” Schwerin said. “You were selected by a group of nearly a dozen active and reserve admirals as well as our chief of Navy reserve because we all believe you are the person who can do that. Everyone who is here today believes you are the person who can do that.”

Cmdr. Jeremy Baran, Ben Baran’s brother and an anesthesiologist in the Navy, served as master of ceremonies and was assisted by the Cleveland Sea Cadets, personnel from Navy Reserve Center Akron and the staff of the USS Cod Submarine Memorial.

“I’m tremendously humbled by the opportunity to continue serving our Navy at this new level,” Baran remarked. “I’ve been fortunate to have so many tremendous role models and mentors throughout my life, including, of course, my parents and many others from growing up and going to school in Steubenville. We need more people to answer the call to serve throughout our nation, and if my service makes just one person think about that call a bit more seriously, I’d be thrilled.”

Ben Baran moved to Steubenville with his family at 10 years old. He would later attend Steubenville Catholic Central High School, where he played soccer and wrestled.

Graduating in 1998 as the salutatorian, Baran had a “great experience” at CCHS, which he felt prepared him well for college. Influential and supportive in his early life were teachers, coaches, family members and the surrounding community.

“I grew up around a lot of people whose parents were Franciscan (University of Steubenville) professors,” Baran recalled Oct. 18. “The values and faith context that were present there are really important for character development, and I wouldn’t be the same person I am today without that background.”

Even before high school, Baran had seen the military as an “interesting and meaningful” career that offered adventure and an opportunity to serve the country. Considering his college plans, Baran began investigating Navy programs, being attracted to a life on the water that would take him around the world.

Baran applied to and was accepted to many schools and their Navy Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, including the U.S. Naval Academy. However, he elected to attend Villanova University in Philadelphia so he could commission as an officer while attending a “good Catholic university.”

The Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks occurred while Baran was a senior. That day, he realized that he and his fellow ROTC cadets were witnessing an historic tragedy and would likely be commissioned as officers during a time of war.

That’s exactly what happened, when Baran was assigned to a destroyer, the USS Preble (DDG 88) in San Diego, which deployed to the Arabian Gulf in 2004. During his extended tour abroad the ship, Baran served in a variety of roles and completed his active-duty obligation.

Given the opportunity to serve part time in the reserve forces, Baran pursued a civilian career and earned his master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina in Charlotte. He began teaching in Northern Kentucky University’s Department of Management.

Baran was called to active-duty again, serving a year in Afghanistan, where he was an adviser to the Afghan National Police. After a variety of other roles, Baran transferred into the Navy’s human resources division, where he remains today.

“We help to administer and manage the Navy’s people,” Baran said, “making sure we’re putting the right people in the right jobs at the right time; working on ways to recruit, promote and retain the very best people (and) making sure their service is one that has a decent quality of life as well.”

The announcement of Baran’s selection for promotion to admiral came in late February. After a long confirmation process by the U.S. Senate — a necessary step for any flag officer — Baran’s advancement became official.

Baran, who figures he may be the Navy’s youngest admiral, carries out most of his duties remotely, with the Navy Personnel Command being located in Millington, Tenn., north of Memphis. Also manager of the Navy’s performance management and leadership development division, Baran considers it “quite a meaningful opportunity” to have a role that impacts the Navy’s more than 400,000 total personnel, including active-duty and reserve.

An associate professor of management in the Monte Ahuja College of Business at Cleveland State University, Baran now lives in Hudson, roughly between Cleveland and Akron. He and his wife, Linsday — a Solon native and associate professor of finance at Kent State University — have had five children together, the oldest being 15 and the youngest being a newborn.

It’s been almost four years since Baran’s son Vincent died in an accident on Nov. 7, 2020. The Baran family continues to honor Vincent, who was named after community servant and Catholic St. Vincent De Paul, at MightyVincent.org and with an annual day of service projects.

“One thing powerful for me during that tough experience was the resilience and strength that I got from my Navy connections,” Baran said. “It’s really remarkable to see how resilience is a team sport. Navy friends there for me in that and still are.”

Baran, who periodically visits his family and friends in Steubenville, said he’s had “so many doors” opened to him based on his service. With his new rank, he intends to continue what he’s been doing: “Support the sailors who serve and help them flourish in their jobs.” He added that he wants to show others the Navy’s critical role in maritime security and trade, as well as encourage “the best and brightest” toward a career in the branch.

Noting the connection to his “hometown” of Steubenville, Baran said, “All the various people who were part of my formation and development … that’s something for which I am very grateful.”