By Navy Office of Community Outreach
Public Affairs
NORFOLK – A 2007
Bayshore High School graduate and Bradenton, Florida native is
serving in the U.S. Navy with Naval Beach Group TWO (NBG 2).
Petty Officer
2nd Class Brandon Day is a construction mechanic with the beach group operating
out of Virginia Beach, Virginia.
A Navy
construction mechanic is responsible for maintaining war fighting material.
“I like the
critical thinking part of my job,” said Day. “Every day is a challenge because
you never know what you're going to do when you show up to work every day.”
Commissioned in
1948, NBG 2 is designed to organize, man, train and equip
forces to execute, combat support, and combat service support missions.
NBG 2 is made of
four commands, Assault Craft Unit TWO (ACU 2), Assault Craft Unit FOUR (ACU 4),
Amphibious Construction Battalion TWO (PHIBCB 2), and Beach Master Unit TWO
(BMU 2); who have their own individual missions that assist to ensure the
overall mission of NBG 2 is complete.
Day
serves with PHIBCB 2 who regularly embark aboard the ships of amphibious ready
groups (ARGs) deployed to the Mediterranean Sea, Indian Ocean, Adriatic Sea,
and throughout the Atlantic area from the coasts of Norway to South America to
include the Caribbean Sea. Since the Millennium, Naval Beach Group detachments
have supported routine exercises and ARG deployments.
“I like the job
I do,” said Day. “It is hard work but I like being able to work with my hands.”
Approximately 30
officers and 300 enlisted men and women make up the beach group. Their jobs are
highly specialized and keep each part of the command running smoothly. The jobs
range from operating boats to maintaining engines and handling weaponry.
"The Sailors here never cease to impress me with
the effort they put into their daily work," said Capt. Jeffrey Hayhurst, commodore
commander of NBG 2. "Their dedication and hard work make me proud to be in
command of Naval Beach Group Two."
Although NBG 2
is made up of four separate commands, they all work together to complete their
mission of providing the Navy personnel and equipment to support an
amphibious operation or exercise.
These exercises can include evacuation of American citizens
from a hostile territory, delivery of food and medical supplies after a natural
disaster, the bulk delivery of fuel or fresh water from a ship anchored off the
coast through a pipeline to a shore facility, and nearly any other task that
involves moving from ships offshore to the beach.
“Being in the Navy
definitely makes you more mature,” said Day. “You come out of high school with
no leadership or responsibility and are put in charge of 20 people. That kind
of responsibility will change people.”
As a member of
the one of the U.S. Navy’s most unique commands, Day and other NBG 2 Sailors
understand that they need to have the ability to complete a variety of missions
to help keep America safe from enemies foreign and domestic.