By Navy Office of
Community Outreach Public Affairs
NORFOLK – A 2011 Viera High School graduate and Melbourne, Florida
native is serving in the U.S. Navy with Naval Beach Group TWO (NBG 2).
Seaman Apprentice Ryan Colby is a construction mechanic with
the beach group operating out of Virginia Beach, Virginia.
A Navy construction mechanic is responsible for maintaining
the up keep of the diesel engines of all Navy equipment.
“My job gives me the opportunity to grow and learn new
things about the engines and equipment I work with,” said Colby.
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.
Colby serves with BMU2 who provides Naval Beach Party Teams
(BPTs) for deployment in conjunction with Expeditionary Forces in order to
provide beach and surf zone salvage and to facilitate the landing and movement
over the beach of troops, equipment, supplies, and the evacuation of
casualties, prisoners-of-war, and non-combatants.
“This command allows me to work on equipment and experience
things that a construction mechanic doesn't normally get to,” said Colby
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.
“The Navy has taught me about taking care of my
responsibilities and a lot of self discipline,” said Colby.
As a member of the one of the U.S. Navy’s most unique
commands, Colby 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.