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, Oct. 12, 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 state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. ACU-2's force consists of Landing Craft Utility boats (LCU), Landing Craft Mechanized, Mark 8 boats (LCM), and

Maritime Prepositioning Force Utility Boat 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 ...

s (MPFUB). The sister unit of ACU-2 is

Assault Craft Unit 1 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 ...

Naval Amphibious Base Coronado Naval Amphibious Base Coronado (NAB Coronado) is a US naval installation located across the bay from San Diego, California. The base, situated on the Silver Strand, between San Diego Bay and the Pacific Ocean, is a major Navy shore command, sup ...

History

Following

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

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