08/28/2026
Scrum Alums Spotlight Athlete
Bob Reddington NU Class of 1980
Bob Reddington Member of the NU Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2015 with the Men's 1979-1980 Rugby Team, Member of the Norwich Scrum Alums Wall of Fame and nominee for Distinguished Letterman Award for the Norwich Athletic Hall of Fame
A day doesn’t pass when Bob Reddington doesn’t think or speak about his beloved college, Norwich University. At Norwich, Reddington was a stalwart on talented and highly successful rugby teams where he played scrum half in both the fall and spring seasons for four years. Coach Steve Ingram referred to Bob as the sparkplug that made the mighty engine of the 1979-1980 Norwich Rugby team roar and enabled them to dominate Division I College Rugby in New England. During that magical year, Reddington would “quarterback” the team to a 10-2 record, losing only to two Canadian Men’s Club teams, while the team scored some 282 points and allowed only 21.
After receiving a dual degree in English and Philosophy, the dean’s list student would commission into the Army where he spent 20 years on active-duty service retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. Reddington's unique military career in the Transportation Corps would serve around the world commanding and coordinating units ranging from Army tugboats to line haul truck companies. As a recognized staff wizard, early in his career, he would coordinate transportation assets for the Army for the 3rd Infantry Division, the United States Army V Corps and later serve as an advisor for the Saudi Arabian military for two years.
During much of his military career he served overseas, one tour as the Terminal Operations Officer for the US Science Foundation had him split time with duty in Antarctica and New Zealand for an entire year. As he grew more senior, he served as the Chief, Army Affairs and Host Nation Support Officer for Belgium and Luxembourg, working for the Office of Defense Cooperation while he was posted to the US Embassy in Brussels.
While working in the Embassy, he caught the attention of multiple NATO logisticians and upon his retirement from the US Army, he was soon hired to serve as a Senior Logistics Officer within the NATO Support and Procurement Organization (NSPO) in Capellan, Luxembourg. For the next fifteen years, through the important days following the fall of the Berlin Wall and through the Post-9/11 period, Bob would work tirelessly to support the critical logistic support missions being undertaken by NATO through its logistic arm, the NSPO.
For some twenty-one years, Bob did vital and important work for the NATO NSPO, headquartered in Luxembourg. He felt that “the work was both interesting and unique, but not the career that he imagined for himself 45 years ago”. NSPO’s mission is to provide responsive, effective, and cost-efficient acquisition, procurement, logistics, operational and systems support and services to all NATO Allies, NATO military authorities, and partner nations.
Among his significant actions, he was a central figure in NATOs work to reduce the stockpiles of excess and unguarded munitions, landmines and other lethal weapons which were remnants of the demise of the Soviet Union and their rapid departure from bases scattered all over Europe and in the Ukraine. Bob would help coordinate multiple efforts in the Ukraine and would brief numerous members of the US Congress and envoys from many NATO Member Nations. A young Senator Barack Obama would visit several of the sites under Bob’s supervision in 2005.
After almost 15 years working in the NSPO, Bob would be selected, then promoted to lead the NSPO as Chairperson and Head of Secretariat. He would lead engagement and consensus building between 30 NATO Nations and the NATO Support and Procurement Organization, (NSPO). Bob led the NSPO team during perhaps the most consequential time in the history of the NATO Alliance. His steadfast goal was to enable and lead his team of logistics, acquisition, capability support and procurement professionals to deliver world-class capabilities to all the many end-users at the speed of relevance.
During his eight years leading the NSPO, NATO was engaged in a series of near-simultaneous military operations and response efforts.
• Crisis prevention with a wide range of military operations and missions
• Continuous support in Kosovo since 1999 to provide a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement and to deter hostilities
• Non-combat advisory and capacity-building mission in Iraq, which aims to help strengthen Iraqi security institutions and forces so that they can prevent the regeneration of ISIS
• Work with African Union as it works to serve as the key international body working with NATO regarding security challenges in Africa
• Conducting NATO Air Policing missions in several Allied countries using NATO fighter aircraft, bases and resources to ensure the integrity of member Nations
• Maritime security operations in the Aegean Activity under Operation Sea Guardian in the Mediterranean and NATOs Standing Naval Forces operating across the region to ensure freedom of navigation and to prevent piracy
• Disaster relief operations in multiple member states including Turkey following the massive earthquakes there requiring support in form of temporary shelter, food and medical care
Under Bobs leadership and through, by and with NSPO coordination, NATO Allies provided critical support to the Ukrainian military and people to help defend their Nation and feed their people as it defends itself against Russia’s full-scale invasion. NSPO helped coordinate the donation of and transportation to the Ukraine of thousands of anti-tank weapons, hundreds of air-defense missiles and thousands of small arms and ammunition stocks as well as tanks, artillery and air defense systems which are being sent to Ukraine. Allies also provided millions of euros worth of financial assistance and humanitarian aid, including medical supplies to help train Ukrainian forces.
He is the recipient of numerous US military and foreign awards and decorations as well as NATO awards and recognitions. He holds three master's degrees, including one from the United States Naval War College and he is also a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College and Navy War College.
In 2015, Bob was leader on the 10-2 Norwich Men's Rugby team which set a number of records enroute to a perfect season against college Division I rugby opponents. He was inducted into the Norwich Athletic Hall of Fame along with his 1979-1980 Men’s Rugby Team and he has been recognized by Norwich Scrum Alums as a member of the Norwich Rugby Wall of Fame.
