By Navy Office of Community Outreach
Public Affairs
NORFOLK – A 1997 Kaneland
High School graduate and Chicago
native is serving in the U.S. Navy with Naval Beach Group TWO (NBG 2).
Petty Officer 3rd Class
Nadine Oland
is a construction mechanic with the beach
group operating out of Virginia Beach, Virginia.
A Navy construction mechanic is responsible for maintenance on large construction vehicles.
“I like the problem solving and the hands-on experience
of my job,” said Oland. “I can see the result of our 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.
Oland
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..
“We have good teamwork at this command,” said Oland. “It helps create the good camaraderie that we
have here.”
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.
“I have become more disciplined,” said Oland. “Being in
the Navy forces you to improve all aspects of your character.”
As a member of
the one of the U.S. Navy’s most unique commands, Oland 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.