Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Anderson Branch | NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (June 16, 2026) - Sailors assigned to...... read more read more
NORFOLK, Va.– Safeguarding America's maritime approaches against undersea threats is a continuous, high-stakes mission. To prove its ability to lead this effort during a crisis, Submarine Group Two (SUBGRU 2) recently recertified the Theater Undersea Warfare Command (TUSWC) during Exercise Vigilant Shield 2026, utilizing a surge force of Navy Reservists to maintain round-the-clock operations.
From June 8 to 17, 20 reserve Sailors stepped directly from their civilian careers onto a secure watch floor at Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads. Working alongside the active-duty staff, they directed simulated maritime forces to secure the Atlantic approaches to the homeland. Vigilant Shield is an annual, bi-national U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) exercise focused on defending the homeland from multi-domain threats. This year is unique in that SUBGRU 2 accelerated its certification timeline by a year to coincide with U.S. Second Fleet’s Maritime Operations Center (MOC) certification. Operating as the undersea arm of the MOC, the TUSWC commands a multi-domain team of aircraft, surface ships, and submarines to maintain the tactical picture and secure the maritime homeland.
“To maintain control of the undersea domain during a sustained crisis, we have to be able to instantly scale our command-and-control architecture," said Capt. Bill Howey, director of maritime operations for SUBGRU 2. "Earning this certification proves that our reserve component isn't just a backup plan; they are an integrated capability that ensures we are ready to fight."
Under the scrutiny of Task Force Undersea Warfare (TF USW) assessors, the command proved its ability to seamlessly surge combat power. Bringing reservists into a complex exercise expands operational bandwidth by leveraging the diverse, high-stress management experiences they bring from the private sector. “The active-duty component provides the absolute subject matter expertise, and the reserve Sailors provide a surge force to enable long-term, sustained operations,” said Lt. Cmdr. Tom Henery, a battle watch captain who manages state-level emergency responses in his civilian career. “We seamlessly integrate with the active-duty staff and truly operate as a single command.”
That integration required reservists to step from daily life directly into high-stakes roles, tracking undersea contacts, allocating acoustic sensors, and directing maritime assets to meet the evaluation's strict standards.
“The business we're in is dangerous. Every dot on the screen is a ship full of 200 to 300 Sailors,” said Senior Chief Sonar Technician (Submarines) Mike Amenti, the TUSW watch supervisor and a civilian IT operations manager. “I tell my civilian coworkers; we're kind of like air traffic controllers but for ships.”
As the 10-day exercise concluded, the watch floor proved it could maintain continuous operations without degrading mission capabilities.
“Passing is mission execution,” Henery said. “For these reservists to come in cold, follow the procedures, and ensure mission success – that is the benchmark of a very successful exercise.”
Based in Norfolk, Virginia, SUBGRU 2 operates as the TUSWC for U.S. Second Fleet asCommander, Task Group (CTG) 120.24.The command is responsible for preparing forces to control the undersea domain and advancing theater underseawarfare through complex fleet exercises and war games for maritime homeland defense.
| Date Taken: | 06.18.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 06.18.2026 11:51 |
| Story ID: | 568141 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 38 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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