Photo By Chief Petty Officer Jeff Atherton | 210212-N-AP176-1001 VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (Feb. 12, 2021) Sailors assigned to Explosive...... read more read more
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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group (EODGRU) 2 enhanced its ability to operate within the Navy Expeditionary Combat Force (NECF), fleet, and Joint Force by completing a Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) Integrated Exercise (NIEX) at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek Fort Story in Virginia Beach, Va., Feb. 8 - 14.
NIEX battle problems are planned, built, and assessed by Expeditionary Warfighting Development Center (EXWDC), who trains the NECF to plan and execute distributed operations in order to increase lethality and survivability. NIEX assessments ensure NECC major commands, such as EODGRU 2, can integrate with other NECF units to create decision space for national leaders by providing credible deterrence and prompt crisis response options. The successful completion of NIEX certified EODGRU 2 to deploy as a staff and command forces worldwide.
This crucible exercise was recently redesigned to match changing geopolitical conditions as reflected in the 2018 National Defense Strategy by simulating a complex environment across the full range of military operations. The NIEX battle problem tested EODGRU 2’s command of a deployed task unit designed to support NECF and Joint Forces conducting critical logistics support to sustain combat operations.
“Although our mission is primarily focused on explosive ordnance disposal and diving and salvage, this exercise proved our capability to deploy and oversee all operations encompassed in the clear, secure, build and protect lines of effort that drive the NECF,” said Capt. Richard Hayes, the EODGRU 2 commodore. “Expeditionary forces play a vital role in addressing the challenges posed by near-peer adversaries by providing the critical advantage over our competitors through our ability to maneuver and sustain forces globally.”
NIEX assessed the staff’s ability to command and control a distributed force in an austere, expeditionary environment, while also challenging their ability to analyze and solve evolving problem sets under tight time constraints. These skills are key to confront aggression and win the fight during distributed maritime operations and littoral operations in a contested environment.
“Our national leaders have been clear about the threats facing the United States in this era of great power competition, and the Navy EOD force does not take that challenge lightly,” said Lt. Cmdr. John Kennedy, EODGRU 2 operations officer. “NIEX provided a great opportunity to test the team’s versatility and adaptive thinking in the toughest projected operating environment imaginable.”
Training in real-time alongside representatives from Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadron 4 and Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 1 added legitimacy and level of difficulty to the exercise that would require communication between disaggregated units in the event of a deployment.
“The level of coordination and communication that is required to effectively accomplish the mission is staggering,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 JayJay Robles, EODGRU 2 administration officer, who served as a battle watch captain during the exercise. “There are so many moving parts and so much happening at once but the team on the watch floor expertly handled every scenario thrown at them and I am confident that we could complete the mission if called on to do so.”
Based out of Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, EODGRU 2 oversees the manning, training, and equipping of EOD Mobile Units 2, 6, 8 and 12, Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 2, EOD Expeditionary Support Unit 2 and EOD Training and Evaluation Unit 2.
| Date Taken: | 02.14.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 02.26.2021 12:48 |
| Story ID: | 390036 |
| Location: | VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 465 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, EOD Group 2 Completes NECC Integrated Exercise in Preparation for the Great Power Competition, by LCDR Mary Smith, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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