EODGRU 2 Area Chiefs Re-Dedicate Darga Hall Chiefs Mess

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Oki | 180531-N-SF508-161 VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (May 31, 2018) Karie Gilliland, widow of Chief Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Paul Darga, mounts a commemorative picture frame with her daughters during the re-dedication of Darga Hall, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group (EODGRU) 2 Area Chiefs Mess building at EODGRU 2 headquarters on Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek. Darga was killed in action Aug. 22, 2006 by an improvised explosive device while responding to a previous strike in support of combat operations in Al Anbar, Iraq. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Charles Oki/Released)  

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, UNITED STATES

05.31.2018

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Charles Oki  

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group Two

Chief petty officers assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group (EODGRU) 2 and the widow of Chief Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Paul Darga re-dedicated Darga Hall, the EODGRU 2 Area Chiefs Mess building at EODGRU 2 headquarters aboard Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek, May 31.

Darga was killed in action Aug. 22, 2006 by an improvised explosive device while responding to a previous strike in support of combat operations in Al Anbar, Iraq.

“Honoring the legacy of the fallen is an important part of the EOD community,” said Command Master Chief (CMC) Jeff Barnes, CMC of EODGRU 2. “As fellow chiefs, we strive to live up to Paul’s reputation that he earned as a dedicated chief and EOD technician, so we’re dedicating this mess to his legacy and to the future chiefs who will strive to live up to him.”

Darga Hall had been under renovation for more than six months by members of the EODGRU 2 Area Chiefs Mess, who provided materials and volunteered their time and efforts to bring the previously underutilized space back to life. The chiefs rehabilitated the space from the bottom up, ripping out old carpet, repainting the walls, adding new wood flooring, and moving a pool table, once owned by Darga, into the space where it will be topped by a specially-made tabletop to be used as a conference room.

Capt. Josh Jackson, commander of EODGRU 2, opened the ceremony with remarks on the importance of the Chiefs Mess before cutting the ceremonial ribbon with Karie Gilliland, Darga’s widow. Gilliland briefly toured the space with her two daughters before mounting Darga’s memorial plaque on the wall, officially reopening Darga Hall for use.

“When I saw the building last, it wasn’t fully functional so seeing it now, where the chiefs can both spend time and conduct their business is very encouraging,” said Gilliland. “Paul would be proud, especially with all of the little details that were put into it that fit his personality very well. Everything from the pool table that we used to play pool together in high school to the red oak top which was one of his favorite types of woods to use when he did woodworking as a hobby. It's very reassuring to see the chiefs now have a place to be chiefs, both to take care of themselves and their people.”

EODGRU 2, headquartered at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story (JEBLCFS), oversees all East Coast-based Navy EOD mobile units, including one forward-deployed mobile unit in Spain, as well as EOD Expeditionary Support Unit 2, EOD Training and Evaluation Unit 2, and the only East Coast-based mobile diving and salvage unit, Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 2.

• Date Taken: 05.31.2018
• Date Posted: 06.04.2018 18:47
• Story ID: 279539
• Location: VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, US