Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) THREE held a change of command ceremony June 17 at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado.

During the ceremony, Cmdr. Geoffrey Townsend relieved Cmdr. John Porter as commanding officer of EODMU THREE.

"It has been a privilege to serve at EODMU THREE with all of you. My goal when I got here was to make this command like a family, looking out for each other, taking care of each other and that includes our families. I hope I did that," said Porter.

A native of San Mateo, California, Porter enlisted in the Navy in 1989 and attended boot camp and Interior Communications "A" school in San Diego. In 1995, Porter was accepted to the Enlisted Commissioning Program and received his bachelor of arts degree from Auburn University.

Under Porter's leadership, EODMU THREE received the Chief of Naval Operations Safety Award (FY 15), deployed platoons in support of combat operations ashore in Iraq, Bahrain, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, multiple East African countries and afloat aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), USS George Washington (CVN-73), and USNS Spearhead (EPF 1).

Townsend, a native of Houston, Texas graduated from Auburn University with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and commissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Corps in December 1999. Prior to assuming command, he served as the Current Operations and Crisis Response Division Chief for Special Operations Command Europe, located in Stuttgart, Germany.

"I am humbled and excited to have the opportunity to serve as the commanding officer of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Three and am very thankful for the Sailors and families of the command that make this honor a reality," said Townsend.

EODMU THREE provides operational EOD capabilities required for the location, identification, rendering safe, recovery, field evaluation and disposal of all explosive ordnance, including chemical and nuclear weapons.

U.S. Navy EOD is the world's premier combat force for countering explosive hazards and conducting expeditionary diving and salvage.

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