By Navy Office of
Community Outreach Public Affairs
NORFOLK – A 2012 Norco High School graduate and Norco,
California native is serving in the U.S. Navy with Naval Beach Group TWO (NBG
2).
Seaman Sydney McCarthy working with the beach group
operating out of Virginia Beach, Virginia.
As a Navy seaman she is responsible for maintaining all
communication equipment at the command.
“I thoroughly enjoy my leadership here at this command,”
said McCarthy. "They are good mentors and role models.”
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.
McCarthy 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.
“I enjoy that this command allows me to gain experience
operating fire arms, driving motorized vehicles and beach operations,” said
McCarthy
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 helped me mature by becoming more disciplined,
professional and responsible,” said McCarthy.
As a member of the one of the U.S. Navy’s most unique commands,
McCarthy 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.