Capt. John Moulton relieved Capt. John Coffey as commander, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group (EODGRU) 2 during a change of command ceremony held at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story (JEBLCFS), June 15.

Rear Adm. Frank Morneau, commander of Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, gave the ceremony's keynote address.

"The common denominator in this fact-based readiness is not spreadsheets, it's not powerpoints, it's leadership," said Morneau. "He's a tough leader. Tough, determined, courageous-to sit up in that office and make tough decisions and lead his commanding officers. That's been the constant that has continued to put this group as the showpiece pinnacle of readiness and performance throughout the fleet."

Morneau presented Coffey with the Legion of Merit as an end-of-tour award.

While commanding EODGRU2, Coffey planned and executed missions in direct support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and the short notice deployment of Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit TWO assets to assist local, state and federal agencies in the clean-up and rebuild from the devastation left behind from Hurricane Sandy in New York and New Jersey. He deployed and executed the participation of a 1,000 person task force in support of Exercise BOLD ALLIGATOR 2014 showcasing the critical role Naval Expeditionary Forces play in supporting both fleet and naval amphibious operations.

Coffey attributed the success of EODGRU 2 to support from other commands as well as the hard work of the Sailors from each unit.

"They are the real rock stars of our force," said Coffey. "Whether they are supporting Fleet Forces, inter-agencies or joint partnerships, their ability to get the job done has been unrivaled."

Moulton mentioned the political climate of the world and how much of an impact the EOD community will have on the future.

"There's never been a better time to be an EOD Tech or a Navy Diver," said Moulton. "I look forward to leading as your commodore and working together to do what is inherently dangerous, but also earning the respect of our families, friends, the people we work with, and our allies."

Prior to arriving at EODGRU 2, Moulton served as the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command Maritime Operations Center Director.

Notable operational tours include executive officer of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) Eight, home-ported at NAS Sigonella, Sicily, conducting EOD operations throughout Europe, Asia and Africa and deploying to Baghdad as the plans officer for the Counter-Improvised Explosive Device Task Force, Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) Troy; commanding officer for Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) One where Moulton participated in the salvage of USS Port Royal, Roks Cheonan, and participated in the opening of Port au Prince, Haiti, following the 2010 earthquake; and led Navy EOD and Diving forces in the Middle East as commander, Task Group 56.1.

EODGRU 2, headquartered at JEBLCFS in Virginia Beach, Va., oversees all East Coast based Navy EOD mobile units, including one forward deployed mobile unit in Spain, as well as EOD Expeditionary Support Unit (EODESU) 2, EOD Training and Evaluation Unit (EODTEU) 2, and MDSU 2.

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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