Rear Adm. Erik M. Ross relieved Rear Adm. John B. “Brad” Skillman as Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 2, during a change-of-command ceremony aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5), July 23.

Adm. Christopher Grady, commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, the guest speaker and presiding officer, offered words for the oncoming and departing officers as they move into newly appointed positions.

“It is a pleasure to be aboard the great ship USS Bataan that was commanded by the incoming ESG-2 Commander, Rear Admiral Erik Ross,” said Grady. “The Gator Navy is a critical capability of the fleet and I am grateful for Rear Admiral Brad Skillman’s leadership the last 17 months.” 

Grady noted he was extremely pleased with the accomplishments of ESG-2 while working with partner nations, as well as the integration between Navy and Marine Corps teams. 

 In a speech by Ross during the ceremony, he showed great enthusiasm about the opportunity to lead more than 11,000 Sailors and Marines stationed aboard 13 ships and 10 deployable commands.

“We must be ready for the fight,” said Ross. “A lot of great work is taking place at ESG-2 and it’s my goal to continue the momentum with the staff and our integration with the U.S. Marine Corps.”

Ross reported from the Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) as the president.

As Skillman turned over Command of ESG-2, he talked about the successes of  ESG-2 and the Navy.

“Becoming the commander of ESG-2 was my dream job,” said Skillman. “I’m very proud of ESG-2, the 23 commands conducting operations around the world…and the Blue-Green team, in the last 25 years, I’ve never seen better Navy and U.S. Marine Corps integration.” 

During Skillman’s time in command, he led the Atlantic Fleet’s amphibious forces.  Key highlights during his tenure are acting as the Amphibious Task Force Commander for Trident Juncture 2018, the largest NATO exercise since the Cold War and he re-established the Navy’s presence in the High North with successful and strategically impactful amphibious operations in Norway.  

Additionally, while maintaining a firm grasp on force generation, he reorganized his command operationally for the “High- End Fight” including revamping all individual and staff training.  He remodeled his staff spaces for the first time in 29 years for optimal collaboration and efficiency including installation of the first ever Maritime Operations Center (MOC) at ESG-2, which was successfully used during BALTOPS 2019.  During BALTOPS, Skillman commanded a 21-ship multinational Amphibious Task Force Forward Deployed, assisted by staff operating in the newly modernized MOC at ESG-2 headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia.

Skillman will continue his service as Director, Enterprise Support, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.

ESG-2 provides oversight and management of 23 commands and amphibious ships; totaling more than 11,000 Sailors and Marines with the capacity to embark an additional 14,000 Marines.

The commands of ESG-2 are responsible for the conduct of all amphibious and expeditionary actions from the East Coast of the United States to the Mediterranean Sea. The mobile, scalable, and self-sustaining nature of the expeditionary strike group allows a precision amphibious strike capability.

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