The guest speaker for the ceremony was Commander, Surface Naval Force Atlantic, Rear Adm. Brendan McLane, who thanked Nilsson for his time as NBG2’s commodore. “Thank you, Erik, for your leadership. This ceremony represents the culmination of the last 22 months leading this fine group of Sailors as commodore,” said McLane, who then listed many of Nilsson’s noteworthy achievements with NBG2. Among those mentioned were:

• The successful completion of two Amphibious Ready Group deployments
• Adoption of the Marine Corps’ Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations concept for training into NBG support detachments
• Overseeing an NBG2 Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response detachment embarked aboard USS Arlington following emergent tasking by the Secretary of Defense that offloaded 113-thousand pounds of aid at Port Lafito following a 7.2 magnitude Haiti earthquake
• Directing NBG2 Sailors deployed with the USS Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready who assisted with the withdrawal from Afghanistan during Operation Allied Refuge, which led to the safe harbor and movement of 12,000 evacuees
• As Deputy Commander for Joint Logistics over the Shore during Exercise Defender Europe 2021, led 220 Sailors who worked flawlessly with the Army to flawlessly execute logistics movements, demonstrating both operational and strategic flexibility in the movement of unimpeded combat power across Europe

After Nilsson was awarded the Legion of Merit for his superior accomplishments, he took time to acknowledge the men and women who helped make his time with NBG2 a success.

“I love being in command and leading Sailors. It really is that simple,” said Nilsson, who will next serve as Maritime Operations Center Director for Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet. “But without the support of my staff, my commanding officers, and my boss, it would have been very difficult to take thought and turn it into action."

Prior to Rowland assuming command, he served as the commanding officer of Maritime Expeditionary Security Group 2 from July 2020 until December 2021.

Rear Adm. John Menoni, Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 2, served as presiding officer for the change of command and wished the two officers well. “I want to thank to Capt. Nilsson for his tremendous performance as commodore,” said Menoni. “And I welcome Capt. Rowland who I know will do great things at NBG2.”

Under the command of ESG2, NBG2 provides the Navy personnel and equipment to conduct amphibious operations, certifications, and exercises supporting ship-to-shore movement operations in support of theater and fleet readiness requirements throughout the U.S. 2nd, 4th, 6th and 5th Fleet areas of

operation. Since 1948, the command has embodied their motto, Vanguard in Peace, Spearhead in War, with support to amphibious operations throughout the world, from the Lebanon Crisis in the 1950s to the Cuban refugee crisis in the ‘80s to Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield in the 1990s.

NBG2 is headquartered at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story. For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/CNBG2

ESG2 is headquartered at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story. For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/ESGTWO