file:Defense.gov photo essay 091012-M-8583E-011.jpg, A light-armored vehicle assaults the beach from a landing craft utility from Assault Craft Unit 2 during an amphibious assault demonstration conducted as part of Bright Star 2009, Egypt, 12 Oct. 2009. Assault Craft Unit TWO (ACU-2) is an Atlantic Ocean Strategic sealift ships, Maritime Prepositioning Force in the United States Navy operated under Naval Beach Group Two out of Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. ACU-2's force consists of

Landing Craft Utility 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 pi ...

boats (LCU), 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.

History

Following

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

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 and Beachmaster Unit TWO were added to Naval Beach Group TWO. 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).

Notable campaigns or events

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 2006 – Joint Task Force Lebanon Civilian Evacuation

Structure

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). 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.

References

{{Reflist

External links

ACU-2 Home Page
Amphibious units and formations of the United States Navy Landing craft of the United States Navy Amphibious assault ships of the United States Navy