Assault Craft Unit TWO | |
---|---|
Active | December 1959 – present |
Country | United States |
Branch | USN |
Garrison/HQ | Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virginia |
Engagements | |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Elaine Luria |
Assault Craft Unit TWO (ACU-2) is an Atlantic Ocean Maritime Prepositioning Force in the United States Navy operated under Naval Beach Group Two out of Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virginia. ACU-2's force consists of Landing Craft Utility boats (LCU), [1] Landing Craft Mechanized, Mark 8 boats (LCM), and Maritime Prepositioning Force Utility Boats (MPFUB). The sister unit of ACU-2 is Assault Craft Unit 1 in Naval Amphibious Base Coronado.
Following World War II and the rise of the importance of a Sea to Shore connection, all Landing Craft were organized into Beach Party Battalions. The Beach Party Battalions joined and formed the Naval Beach Group TWO. Furthermore, in 1949 Boat Unit TWO [2] and Beachmaster Unit TWO were added to Naval Beach Group TWO. [3] Boat Unit TWO originally had LCM-6 craft and later gained the LCM-8 in 1957 and gained LCU's in 1959 when it merged with Landing Craft Squadron TWO. After the merger, Boat Unit TWO changed its name to Assault Craft Unit TWO (ACU TWO). [4]
1980 – Cuban Refugees in the Florida Straights
1982 – PLO Evacuation from Beirut
1983 – Grenada Island Evacuation
1991 – Liberation of Kuwait - Desert Shield/Desert Storm
1994 – Restoration of Democracy in Haiti
1999 – Operation Allied Force
The six departments of ACU-2 are Landing Craft, Administration, Repair, Medical, Operations, and Supply.
The most prevalent ratings at the command are Boatswain's Mates (BM), Enginemen (EN), Quartermasters (QM), and Undesignated Seamen (SN).
Secondary and support ratings at ACU-2 include Culinary Specialists (CS), Damage Controlmen (DC), Electrician's Mates (EM), Electronics Technicians (ET), Hull Maintenance Technicians (HT), Logistics Specialists (LS), Machinist's Mates (MM), Operations Specialists (OS), Navy Counselors (NC), and Yeomen (YN). [7]
The LC department is divided into two divisions: LCU and MPF.
The LCU Division operates its LCUs which can make long deployments independently or aboard larger amphibious vessels such as LHDs and LHAs.
The MPF Department operate and maintain its LCM-8 and MPFUB crafts locally and are mobilized and flown to theaters to perform maritime prepositioning operations within 24 hours' notice.
USS Raleigh (LPD-1), the lead ship of her class of amphibious transport docks, was the fourth ship of the United States Navy named for the capital of North Carolina, which in turn honors the English explorer Sir Walter Raleigh, the first to attempt the establishment of an English settlement in the United States of America.
USS Trenton (LPD-14) was an Austin-class amphibious transport dock, the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the capital of New Jersey. In 2007, it was sold to the Indian Navy and renamed INS Jalashwa.
Landing craft are small and medium seagoing watercraft, such as boats and barges, used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. The term excludes landing ships, which are larger. Production of landing craft peaked during World War II, with a significant number of different designs produced in large quantities by the United Kingdom and United States.
The LCM-8 is a river boat and mechanized landing craft used by the United States Navy and Army during the Vietnam War and subsequent operations. They are currently used by governments and private organizations throughout the world. The acronym stands for "Landing Craft Mechanized, Mark 8".
The United States Naval Special Warfare Command (USNSWC), also known as NAVSPECWARCOM and WARCOM, is the naval component of United States Special Operations Command, the unified command that oversees and conducts the nation's special operations and missions.
Joint Expeditionary Base–Little Creek (JEB–LC), formerly known as Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek and commonly called simply Little Creek, is the major operating base for the Amphibious Forces in the United States Navy's Atlantic Fleet. The mission of the Naval Amphibious Base is to provide required support services to over 15,000 personnel of the 27 homeported ships and 78 resident and/or supported activities. The base's combination of operational, support, and training facilities are geared predominantly to amphibious operations, making the base unique among bases of the United States and Allied Navies.
USNS Sacagawea (T-AKE-2), a Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship, is the third ship operated by the United States Navy to be named for Sacagawea, the Shoshone woman who acted as guide and interpreter for the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and one of the few United States Navy ships named for women.
The landing craft, vehicle, personnel (LCVP) or Higgins boat was a landing craft used extensively by the Allied forces in amphibious landings in World War II. Typically constructed from plywood, this shallow-draft, barge-like boat could ferry a roughly platoon-sized complement of 36 men to shore at 12 knots. Men generally entered the boat by climbing down a cargo net hung from the side of their troop transport; they exited by charging down the boat's lowered bow ramp.
A Landing Craft Utility (LCU) is a type of boat used by amphibious forces to transport equipment and troops to the shore. They are capable of transporting tracked or wheeled vehicles and troops from amphibious assault ships to beachheads or piers.
USS Saginaw (LST-1188) was the tenth of the Newport-class tank landing ships of the United States Navy which replaced the traditional bow door-design tank landing ships (LSTs). The second ship of that name, Saginaw was named after the river in Michigan. The LST was constructed by National Steel and Shipbuilding Company of San Diego, California, launched in 1970 and commissioned in 1971. During service with the United States Navy, the ship took part in US efforts in the Lebanese civil war and the Gulf War. Saginaw was decommissioned on 28 June 1994 and was transferred to the Royal Australian Navy on 28 August that year.
Amphibious Construction Battalion ONE is an amphibious construction battalion in the United States Navy based in Coronado, California, and last in type unit. Amphibious Construction Battalion TWO was its sister unit based in Little Creek, Virginia.
The LCM-1E is a class of amphibious mechanized landing craft manufactured by Navantia at their factory in San Fernando. These craft are intended to deliver troops and equipment onshore from amphibious assault ships during amphibious assaults. The craft are operated by the Spanish Navy and the Royal Australian Navy, and have been ordered by the Turkish Navy.
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Assault Craft Unit ONE, (ACU-1) is a Pacific Ocean Maritime Prepositioning Force in the United States Navy operated under Naval Beach Group ONE out of Naval Amphibious Base (NAB) Coronado with a Forward Detachment in Sasebo, Japan. ACU-1's force consists of Landing Craft Utility (LCU) boats, Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM), Mark 8 boats, and Maritime Prepositioning Force Utility Boats (MPFUBs). The sister unit of ACU-1 is Assault Craft Unit 2 in Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virginia.
The Maritime Prepositioning Force (MPF) Utility Boat (MPFUB) is a commercially designed utility craft used primarily to move personnel and light equipment during MPF offload operations. The 41 foot long, high-speed landing craft are replacing the Navy’s existing LCM-8 craft as part of the United States Navy's Improved Navy Lighterage System (INLS) in support of pre-positioned Marine Amphibious assault missions. Additional missions include supporting waterborne force protection, transportation of personnel and materials, medical evacuation, salvage, damage control, and repair operations.
Naval Beach Group One, (NBG-1) is a United States Navy amphibious unit based at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in Coronado, California. Naval Beach Group Two is its sister unit based at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virginia.
Naval Beach Group Two, (NBG-2) is a United States Navy amphibious unit based at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Naval Beach Group One is its sister unit based in Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in Coronado, California.
Mk III LCU class vessels were follow on class of Mk II LCU operated by the Indian Navy and were meant to augment the Indian Navy's amphibious capability. The ships were deployed for maritime roles like maritime security, beaching, un-beaching, humanitarian relief operations and evacuation from distant islands, search and rescue operations and peace-keeping missions. The landing craft were meant for use by amphibious forces to transport equipment and troops to the shore. They were capable of transporting tracked or wheeled vehicles and troops from amphibious assault ships to beachheads or piers. The landing craft were carried on board amphibious assault ships to the objective area. Built and delivered between 1986-87 the mission of the LCU was to land/retrieve personnel and equipment during amphibious operations. LCU's help land personnel and equipment after the initial assault waves of an amphibious operation.
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