Mobile Diving Salvage Unit (MDSU) 1 held a change of command ceremony on board Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Nov. 9.

During the ceremony, Cmdr. Jonathan Puglia relieved Cmdr. Sean L. Slappy as commanding officer, MDSU 1.

During Slappy's tenure, he was responsible for the operational salvage deployments of 143 Sailors to U.S. 3rd Fleet, 4th Fleet, 5th Fleet, and 7th Fleet areas of responsibility. His Mobile Diving and Salvage Company (MDS CO) participated in international exercises with the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, Vietnam and Korea. In addition to exercises, his MDS CO provided support to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency missions in the Republic of Palau and Papua New Guinea, leading to the repatriation of U.S. service members who were lost during World War II.

His next assignment is chief staff officer at Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group One in San Diego.

Slappy, a native of Guam, earned a Bachelor of Arts in biology from the University of Guam, and a Master of Arts in military studies from the U.S. Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He received his commission in 1998 through Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida.

Puglia is a native of Dillsburg, Pennsylvania received his commission through the United States Naval Academy in May 2001. Prior to assuming command he served at Fort Bragg, North Carolina as the Operations Officer / Strategic Planner at Joint Special Operations Command.

MDSU 1 is the U.S. Navy's premier diving and salvage force, prepared to rapidly deploy combat-ready, expeditionary warfare capable, specialized dive teams to conduct harbor and waterway clearance, emergent underwater repairs, and salvage operations in all environments.


For more news from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 1, visit www.navy.mil/.