Bruce E. Grooms facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vice Admiral
Bruce E. Grooms
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Vice Admiral Bruce E. Grooms, USN (ret)
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| Born | 1958 (age 66–67) |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/ |
 United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1980–2015 |
| Rank |  Vice Admiral |
| Commands held | USS Asheville Submarine Squadron 6 Submarine Group Two |
| Awards | Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit (5) Meritorious Service Medal |
| Alma mater |
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| Children | Geoffrey Bruce Grooms, Jared Grooms |
Bruce Estes Grooms (born in 1958) is a retired vice admiral from the United States Navy. A vice admiral is a very high-ranking officer. Before he retired in June 2015, he worked at Allied Command Transformation. There, he helped develop new capabilities for the military.
He also led Submarine Group Two and was the Vice Director of the Joint Staff. He was also the 81st Commandant of Midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy. In this role, he was in charge of training young people to become Navy officers.
In 2013, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced something important. He said that President Barack Obama had chosen Grooms to become a vice admiral. He would take over a big job from Vice Admiral Carol M. Pottenger.
Bruce Grooms' Education
Bruce Grooms grew up in Maple Heights, Ohio. He went to the United States Naval Academy and finished in 1980. He earned a degree in Aerospace Engineering. This is a field that deals with designing aircraft and spacecraft.
Later, he continued his studies at the Naval War College. He earned a master's degree in National Security and Strategic Studies. He also attended Stanford University as a special fellow.
After training to work with nuclear power, Bruce Grooms served on many different submarines. He held almost every job on these submarines. He was even the second-in-command, called the executive officer, on the USS Pasadena. During this time, he went on two missions to the Persian Gulf.
He later became the commanding officer of the USS Asheville. Under his leadership, the submarine had a very successful mission in the Western Pacific. The USS Asheville won many awards during his time there. These included the Battle Efficiency "E" award and awards for keeping its sailors in the Navy.
After that, he commanded Submarine Squadron Six. Here, he was responsible for five fast attack submarines. He also oversaw two large guided missile submarines.
When he wasn't at sea, Grooms had other important jobs. He worked at the U.S. Naval Academy. He also helped inspect nuclear submarines. He was a senior aide to a high-ranking defense official. Most recently, he was the director of the Submarine Warfare Division.
Did you know he also played varsity basketball? He played for the Midshipmen team while he was at the U.S. Naval Academy.
Bruce Grooms is also part of a special group called the "Centennial Seven." These are the first seven African-American sailors to command United States submarines in the 20th century. Other members include Capt. C. A. "Pete" Tzomes and Adm. Cecil D. Haney.
After retiring from the Navy, Grooms worked for a company called Raytheon. He was a vice president there from 2015 to 2019. Since 2019, he has been an independent board director at EMCORE Corporation.
Awards and Honors
Bruce Grooms has received many important awards for his service. In 1999, he won the Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Award for Inspirational Leadership. This award is given to Navy leaders who show outstanding leadership.
He has also been awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal. He received the Legion of Merit five times. Other awards include the Meritorious Service Medal and various awards for his campaigns and units.
