Serving the nation through exceptional leadership in public military service

Lt. Walker Embrey ’17

Submarine Watch Officer, United States Navy

Major: Chemical Engineering

Lt. Walker Embrey ’17 has embodied the University’s adage “God, Country, Notre Dame,” not only in a career of public service to his country but also in volunteering his time and talents to help his local community.

Since graduating from Notre Dame, Lt. Embrey has served in multiple roles as a Naval Submarine Officer, demonstrating leadership, expertise, and selflessness in each mission. After injuries left the USS Illinois with a leadership deficit in its wardroom, Lt. Embrey volunteered for reassignment and deployed within a month on the first Virginia-class submarine deployment through the Bering Strait to the Arctic Ocean. He surfaced the USS Illinois through ice at the North Pole and worked to ensure vital systems remained safe and operated safely in the harshest environments across the Arctic and Pacific Oceans. In his three years of sea-time assignments, Lt. Embrey accrued more than 600 days underwater, sacrificing communication with family and friends in service of his country.

Outside of his military duties, Lt. Embrey has served as a weekly volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, helping to transform the youth program and leading service trips. While stationed in Hawaii, Lt. Embrey — an avid scuba diver — saw significant damage to the local reefs and began volunteering with Ocean Defenders Alliance to remove debris threatening the endangered ecosystem. After jet fuel contaminated the water of the Pearl Harbor Naval Base and surrounding military housing, he helped to provide lodging and safe water to families during the holiday season.

Lt. Embrey has been awarded the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service, the Humanitarian Service, and the Presidential Lifetime Volunteer Service Awards, honoring his 4,000+ hours of lifetime community service. His dedication to public military service has also earned him four Navy and Marine Corps Commendation and Achievement Medals and the 2022 USS Illinois Officer of the Year distinction. As a result of his notable leadership and knowledge, Lt. Embrey was asked to serve as a submarine force representative on two projects with Tactical Advancements for the Next Generation and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, helping to modernize warfighting capabilities, improve the quality of life for sailors, and enhance coordination between valuable military allies across the undersea domain.

In February 2023, Lt. Embrey reported to Naples, Italy, and currently serves as a Submarine Watch Officer and the liaison to the Naval Special Warfare community and key NATO Allies.