Expeditionary Strike Group 2
ESG 2 / EXSG 2 / COMEXSTRKGRU TWO
Commander, Amphibious Group (CPG) 2 was disestablished 31 December 2006, and commissioned as Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 2 [COMEXSTRKGRU TWO], per CNO guidance regarding alignment of Expeditionary Strike Groups and Amphibious Groups. This culminated nearly a year of preparation to become an operational command ready to deploy to the Middle East. Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group TWO is an Echelon 4 command, reporting to Echelon 3 Commander, Second Fleet. But this makes no sense for a unit that is deployed to CENTCOM, since it should report to Fifth Fleet, not Second Fleet.
CPG 2 provided valuable insight and training during two exercises in 2006 for the establishment of an expeditionary platform that will take the command from an administrative position at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, VA to a fully operational command based in Bahrain in February 2007. But this leaves unaswered the question of what unit will perform the administrative tasks previously allocated to the Amphibious Group. CPG2 was an administrative staff that trained, manned and equipped expeditionary forces on the Atlantic coast. The new Expeditionary Strike Group 2 role is more operational.
In November 2006 USS Bataan (LHD 5) Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) conducted its Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). These exercises gave an insight into how to plan and conduct operations at the joint task force level. The new Expeditionary Strike Group 2 will conduct all amphibious and expeditionary operations in the Gulf region from Bahrain.
This upcoming deployment is basically an experiment for the Navy, and the lessons learned will give the Navy some important information on preserving critical mission areas. There are a few issues that need to be ironed out, but it is an experiment, and the Navy will learn from it with regard to appropriate manning and the importance of focusing on what’s critical to the mission."
Rear Admiral Garry E. Hall, Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 2, was Deputy Director, J3, U.S. Central Command for Information Operations and Psychological Warfare during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. His next assignment was as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence (N2), Operations (N3) and Exercises (N7) for Commander Allied Naval Forces North, NATO Headquarters Northwood UK. He assumed duties as Commander, Amphibious Group 2 on November 18, 2005. Per CNO guidance effective December 31, 2006 Commander, Amphibious Group 2 evolved into Expeditionary Strike Group 2 and will deploy as an operational staff.
This Expeditionary Strike Group 2 should not be confused with the Expeditionary Strike Group 2 of 2004. That ESG 2 included the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit from Camp Lejeune, N.C.; the Norfolk-based multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1); the guided-missile cruisers USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55), homeported in Norfolk and USS Yorktown (CG 48), homeported in Pascagoula, Miss.; the amphibious transport ship USS Shreveport (LPD 12), homeported in Norfolk; the dock landing ship USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41), homeported at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Va.; the guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74) from Norfolk, and the fast-attack submarine USS Connecticut (SSN 22) based in Groton, Conn.
