Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Randy Savarese | Capt. John Coffey delivers remarks during a change of command ceremony at Breezy Point...... read more read more
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NORFOLK, Va. - Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group (EODGRU) 2 held a change of command ceremony on Naval Station Norfolk, July 26. During the ceremony, Capt. John Coffey relieved Capt. Tim Rudderow as commander of EODGRU 2.
"I'm very proud of all the men and women that operate in harm's way conducting the Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Mobile Diving Salvage mission, as well as those that support them and make them ready to deploy," said Rudderow. "Working alongside these outstanding Americans has been an honor and a privilege."
Rudderow recently returned from leading Combined Joint Task Force Paladin in Afghanistan, a team comprised of 1,500 U.S. service members, civilians, and coalition partners all working together in support of ISAF Joint Command's EOD and counter-IED operations.
Notable achievements from CJTF Paladin during the yearlong deployment include responding to 5,166 IED incidents, conducting 1,009 counter-IED operations, the removal of 188,478 pounds of homemade explosives and counter-IED training for 81,630 U.S. forces, 4,195 Coalition forces, and 2,565 Afghan National Security Forces.
Additional achievements under Rudderow's leadership included 63 EOD and Mobile Diving and Salvage-related deployments throughout the world. Notable successes included:
. More than 6,000 combat missions, more than 900 of which were in support of direct action units.
. More than 2,500 Improvised Explosive Devices rendered safe.
. Elimination of more than 300,000 pounds of explosives in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other global hot spots.
Rear Adm. Frank Morneau, commander of Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, was the guest speaker for the ceremony and offered words of praise for Rudderow and Coffey.
"I'm amazed by the two men who led this Group," Morneau said. "They're both leaders in the EOD community, they're both men that have mastered the difficulty and technological challenges of our profession, and they're both men whose presence is normally felt more than it has to be seen."
Rudderow enlisted in the Navy in 1977 and received his commission through the Officer Candidate School in 1987 after serving 10 years in the Navy's Nuclear Propulsion Program. Previous assignments included director of Special Operations Forces Programs, WMD and counter-IED policy advisor for the assistant secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict; chief of Programs, Joint IED Defeat Organization; deputy commander, CJTF Paladin; and commanding officer, EOD Mobile Unit 2. He took command of EODGRU2 in 2011.
"Serving as Commodore of EOD Group 2 has been the finest hour of my 36 years in the Navy," said Capt. Rudderow.
Coffey received his commission from the U.S. Naval Academy in May 1989. Previous assignments included division chief, Fleet/Joint Training Oversight and Execution for U.S. Fleet Forces Command; deputy commander, Joint Task Force Troy, Iraq; chief staff officer, EODGRU2; and commanding officer, EOD Mobile Unit 2. He recently served as deputy commander of EODGRU2.
"I'm excited to lead EOD Group 2 and build upon the successes that this force has achieved under Captain Rudderow's leadership," said Coffey.
EODGRU 2, headquartered at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story in Virginia Beach, Va., oversees all east coast based Navy EOD mobile units, including one forward deployed mobile unit in Spain, as well as EOD Expeditionary Support Unit (EODESU) 2, EOD Operational Support Unit (EODOSU) 10, EOD Training and Evaluation Unit (EODTEU) 2, and Mobile Diving & Salvage Unit 2.
U.S. Navy EOD is the world's premier combat force for countering explosive hazards and conducting expeditionary diving and salvage.
| Date Taken: | 07.26.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 07.26.2013 18:24 |
| Story ID: | 110912 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 1,359 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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