Lieutenant Loren Coontz has been making waves—not just in the Navy, but on social media as well. Originally from Rootstown, Ohio, she took a non-traditional path to military service, earning both her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Marietta College before joining the Navy as a Physician Assistant.
Now stationed in South Carolina, she serves as a Medical Officer and has recently been designated as the Women’s Health Officer at her command.
Despite her O-3 rank, the only ribbon she sports is the National Defense Service Ribbon, raising eyebrows among those who understand what service typically looks like at that level. Medical officers and chaplains don’t rack up awards the way combat arms do, but it still seems unusual for a Lieutenant to have nothing but the most basic participation trophy on their uniform.
What stands out more, though, is her online presence. With over 57,000 Instagram followers, she regularly posts fitness tips, career advice, and insights into her daily life. Unlike many military influencers who add a disclaimer stating they do not represent the Department of Defense, she doesn’t seem to have one.
The blurred lines between personal promotion and military service become even murkier when you consider her apparent involvement in Navy recruiting efforts.
She was invited to the 2024 Army-Navy game, where she posted content promoting the Navy, suggesting she might be used—officially or unofficially—as a recruiting tool.
While the military has long used service members in public relations efforts, the trend of social media personalities building personal brands while in uniform raises questions about the shifting priorities of military service.
@lorencoontz5 What a great week so far 😃🙂 #armynavy #GONAVY #womenmilitary #militarylife #navy #flypシ ♬ original sound – LorenCoontz
In an August 2024 interview with the South Carolina Voyager, she spoke about taking risks, stepping outside of her comfort zone, and pursuing opportunities like a combat trauma course. One example of her self-promotion during this training involved posting pictures and videos of herself in uniform with bloody hands—likely fake blood from the course—with the caption: “sorry can’t come to the phone right now, busy learning how to save ur life.”
While medical training is an essential part of military readiness, turning it into a social media spectacle raises questions about whether the focus is on developing lifesaving skills or curating an online persona.
While she paints a picture of ambition and drive, there’s an undeniable focus on branding and self-promotion. Social media has created a generation of service members who see their military careers as a platform rather than a duty.
The Navy’s tolerance—or even encouragement—of influencers in uniform leads to the question of where the line is drawn. Is military service about sacrifice and commitment, or is it just another stepping stone for online fame?
Time will tell how this plays out, but one thing is certain: the old-school warfighters who put their heads down and did the job aren’t the ones getting the invites to Army-Navy games.
© 2025 The Salty Soldier All rights reserved.
The content of this webpage may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written consent of TheSaltySoldier.com
