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FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – The U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group that commands all active-duty Army EOD technicians east of the Mississippi River welcomed a new commander during a change of command ceremony, June 19.
U.S. Army Col. George A. Hill assumed command of the 52nd Ordnance Group (EOD) from Col. Matthew L. Kuhns during the widely attended ceremony on Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where the brigade is headquartered.
The 52nd EOD Group commands units on six Army installations in five states, including two battalions and 14 companies.
The 52nd EOD Group supports the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), 82nd Airborne Division, 3rd Infantry Division, 10th Mountain Division, 75th Ranger Regiment, and Special Forces units during operations around the world.
The 52nd EOD Group “Defusing Danger” EOD techs also respond whenever military munitions are discovered on or off base and routinely across the nation.
A graduate of Iowa State University, Kuhns served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Kuhns thanked his leadership team for their support and service during his time in command.
“The contributions are far too great to capture in this speech and I know what the senior leaders would do – they would point to their teams and say all the appreciation and glory goes to them,” said Kuhns.
“Much is attributed to humble leaders that actually comes from the spirit of the ‘Defusing Danger’ Soldiers. They have a fire that drives excellence and mission accomplishments,” said Kuhns. “They strive for individual excellence and lift their teammates to collective success.”
Hill is a native of Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, and a graduate of Arkansas State University. He has served in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Multinational Force and Observers in Sinai, Egypt.
Hill previously served as the operations officer for the 52nd EOD Group and the executive officer for the 184th EOD Battalion, which is part of the group.
“I have a long history in this organization, and I’m honored beyond measure to serve in its ranks again,” said Hill, while also thanking the many former members of the group that he had previously served with who attended the ceremony. “The friendships and relationships that we make in the 52nd Ordnance Group are enduring.”
The 52nd EOD Group is part of the 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command, the U.S. Department of Defense’s premier multifunctional and deployable CBRNE formation.
Soldiers and Army civilians from the 20th CBRNE Command deploy from 19 bases in 16 states to confront and defeat the world’s most dangerous hazards in support of joint, interagency and multinational operations.
Headquartered on Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, the 20th CBRNE Command is home to 75 percent of the active-duty U.S. Army’s EOD technicians and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) specialists and EOD technicians, as well as the 1st Area Medical Laboratory, CBRNE Analytical and Remediation Activity, five Weapons of Mass Destruction Coordination Teams and three Nuclear Disablement Teams (Infrastructure).
Maj. Gen. Daryl O. Hood, the commanding general of the 20th CBRNE Command, and Command Sgt. Maj. Dave Silva, the senior enlisted leader for the 20th CBRNE Command, both attended the ceremony.
Hood thanked Kuhns for his leadership during his time in command and welcomed Hill to the storied EOD formation.
“For those in the audience, I would ask that you look at the men and women that are out there in the formation,” said Hood. “They represent what this organization is really all about – its mission – and the Army at large when it is called to fight and win our nation’s wars.”
| Date Taken: | 07.01.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.01.2024 12:10 |
| Story ID: | 475290 |
| Location: | FORT CAMPBELL, KENTUCKY, US |
| Hometown: | ATHENS, GEORGIA, US |
| Hometown: | GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA, US |
| Hometown: | MAMMOTH SPRING, ARKANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 261 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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