NORFOLK, Va. — Safeguarding America’s maritime approaches against undersea threats is a continuous, high-stakes mission. To prove its ability to lead this effort during a crisis, Submarine Group Two (SUBGRU 2) recently recertified the Theater Undersea Warfare Command (TUSWC) during Exercise Vigilant Shield 2026.
From June 8 to 17, 20 reserve Sailors stepped directly from their civilian careers onto a secure watch floor at Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads. Working alongside the active-duty staff, they directed simulated maritime forces to secure the Atlantic approaches to the homeland. Vigilant Shield is an annual, bi-national U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) exercise focused on defending the homeland from multi-domain threats. This year is unique in that SUBGRU 2 accelerated its certification timeline by a year to coincide with U.S. Second Fleet’s Maritime Operations Center (MOC) certification. Operating as the undersea arm of the MOC, the TUSWC commands a multi-domain team of aircraft, surface ships, and submarines to maintain the tactical picture and secure the maritime homeland.
“To maintain control of the undersea domain during a sustained crisis, we have to be able to instantly scale our command-and-control architecture,” said Capt. Bill Howey, director of maritime operations for SUBGRU 2. “Earning this certification proves that our reserve component isn’t just a backup plan; they are an integrated capability that ensures we are ready to fight.”…