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 67–68) |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
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Branch
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 United States Navy |
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Rank
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 Vice Admiral |
| Commands | 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 |
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Bruce Estes Grooms (born 1958) is a retired vice admiral in the United States Navy. A vice admiral is a very high-ranking officer, like a general in the army. Before he retired in June 2015, he worked as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Capability Development at Allied Command Transformation. This means he helped plan how the military could improve its abilities and tools.
He also led Submarine Group TWO and was a Vice Director of the Joint Staff. He was the 81st Commandant of Midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy. In this role, he was in charge of training young people to become officers in the Navy.
On March 1, 2013, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced that Bruce Grooms was chosen to become a vice admiral. President Barack Obama approved this. He took over this important job from Vice Admiral Carol M. Pottenger.
Contents
Education and Learning
Bruce Grooms grew up in Maple Heights, Ohio. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1980. There, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering. This means he studied how aircraft and spacecraft are designed and built.
Later, he earned a master's degree from the Naval War College. He studied National Security and Strategic Studies, which is about how countries protect themselves. He also attended Stanford University as a special fellow.
Career Highlights
After finishing special training for nuclear power, Bruce Grooms worked on many different submarines. He served in almost every role. He was the executive officer of USS Pasadena (SSN-752). An executive officer is like the second-in-command on a ship. During this time, he went on two missions to the Persian Gulf.
Leading Submarines
He became the commanding officer of USS Asheville. As commanding officer, he was the main leader of the submarine. During his time, the ship had a very successful mission in the Western Pacific. The USS Asheville won several awards under his command. These included the Battle Efficiency "E" award for being excellent in battle. They also won the Golden Anchor and Silver Anchor awards for keeping their sailors in the Navy.
The ship also won the Engineering Excellence "E" award twice. This showed their great skill in engineering. They won the Fleet Recreational Award for having the best quality of life programs for sailors. The USS Asheville also won the Submarine Squadron Three Commodore's Cup twice. This award recognized them as the best all-around submarine in many areas. The ship was also a finalist for the Arleigh Burke Award and the Pacific Fleet NEY Memorial Award.
After leading the USS Asheville, Grooms commanded Submarine Squadron Six. Here, he was in charge of five fast attack submarines. He also managed a floating dry-dock, which is like a floating garage for ships. He also oversaw two Guided Missile Submarines (SSGN) that were being refueled and updated.
Other Important Roles
On land, he worked as a company officer at the U.S. Naval Academy. He was also a senior inspector for nuclear power on the Atlantic Fleet. He served as the top military assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. Most recently, he was a deputy director, then director, of the Submarine Warfare Division.
While at the U.S. Naval Academy, he also played varsity basketball.
Bruce Grooms is one of the "Centennial Seven." This is a special group of seven African-American sailors. They were the first to command United States submarines in the 20th century. Other members include Capt. C. A. "Pete" Tzomes, Rear Adm. Tony Watson, Capt. William F. Bundy, Vice Adm. Mel Williams, Jr., Capt. Joe Peterson, and Adm. Cecil D. Haney.
After retiring from the Navy in 2015, Grooms worked at Raytheon. This is a large company that makes defense and aerospace products. Since 2019, he has been an independent board director at EMCORE Corporation.
Awards and Honors
In 1999, Bruce Grooms received the Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Award for Inspirational Leadership. This award is given to Navy leaders who show great inspiration.
He has also received many other important awards. These include the Defense Superior Service Medal. He earned the Legion of Merit five times. He also received the Meritorious Service Medal. He has many other awards for his service and missions.
