Upon graduation from The George Washington University, Lieutenant Colonel Lauren S. Edwards attended Officer Candidate School as an Officer Candidate Class (OCC) candidate. She graduated as the platoon honor graduate and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant on 14 August 1998. Following The Basic School she became a platoon commander for Company N, the Leatherneck Program. From there she attended the Combat Engineer Officer’s Course where she graduated as the class’s honor graduate and leadership award recipient. After graduation she was assigned to 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3d Force Service Support Group from November 1999 to July 2001. During this tour, Lieutenant Colonel Edwards served as a Platoon Commander in Company A, Commanding Officer, Combat Service Support Detachment-35 (Philippines), and Executive Officer, Company A. In addition, she was assigned to the MEU Service Support Group-31, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit as the Engineer Detachment Commander.
In July 2001, Lieutenant Colonel Edwards was transferred to Marine Wing Support Squadron-371, Marine Wing Support Group-37, 3d Marine Air Wing, where she served as the Commanding Officer, Engineer Operations Company from August 2001 to July 2003. She was promoted to captain in November 2002. While the company commander, she deployed her company in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (later Operation Iraqi Freedom-1) and became the Forward Arming and Refueling Point (FARP) Team Bravo Commander in support of MWSG-37 and 3d MAW operations. In addition, her FARP team was part of Task Force Tripoli and the march to Tikrit.
In July 2003, Lieutenant Colonel Edwards transferred to Officer Assignments, Manpower Management, Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Headquarters Marine Corps, as the Company Grade Monitor for Monitor Assignment Code (MAC)-17. At the completion of her tour, Lieutenant Colonel Edwards was selected for resident PME at Expeditionary Warfare School. She graduated with honors in May 2007.
Upon completion of school, Lieutenant Colonel Edwards was transferred to the Officer Candidate School as a summer augment in the Academics Instructor Section. Upon completion, she transferred to 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group and was assigned as the Commanding Officer, Company B. Her company was assigned temporary duty to Combat Logistics Battalion (CLB)-6, Combat Logistics Regiment-2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group effective 1 November 2007. She deployed with CLB-6 in support of OIF 08.1 as the Engineer Company Commander. Upon their return, the company returned to 8th Engineer Support Battalion.
Lieutenant Colonel Edwards was promoted and relinquished command in November 2008 and became the Battalion Operations Officer. In February 2009, she was transferred to Combat Logistics Regiment – 2 as the Operations/Engineer Officer to deploy with Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan in support of OEF 9.1. After her return in 2010, Lieutenant Colonel Edwards assumed command of Recruiting Station Charleston, West Virginia. Upon completion, she was selected for resident PME at the Naval War College, Newport, RI. She graduated with distinction in June 2014 and transferred to the I MEF G-3, where she is the Information Operations Planner.
Lieutenant Colonel Edwards is a graduate of the Tactical Logistics Officer Course. She holds a master’s degree in Leadership Studies from Marshall University and a master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. She is the recipient of the Navy League’s 2010 Captain Winifred Quick Collins Award for Inspirational Leadership and is a Kentucky Colonel. Her personal decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with two stars in lieu of third award, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with the Combat “V” device and two stars in lieu of third award, and the Combat Action Ribbon.