By Navy Office of
Community Outreach Public Affairs
NORFOLK – A 2002 Birmingham High School graduate and San
Fernando Valley, California native is serving in the U.S. Navy with Naval Beach
Group TWO (NBG 2).
Petty Officer 2nd Class Jaime Luna Barrios is a boatswain's
mate with the beach group operating out of Virginia Beach, Virginia.
A Navy boatswain's mate is responsible for a variety of
duties that assist the ship and crew in completing the mission.
“My job allows me to interact with a variety of people at
the command,” said Luna Barrios. “I get to build friendships that last a
lifetime.”
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.
Luna Barrios serves with BMU2 who provide 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.
“The atmosphere at this command is very family oriented,”
said Luna Barrios. “There is a great camaraderie 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.
“Since joining the Navy I have learned leadership qualities
as well as a lot of trade skills that relate to the civilian world,” said Luna
Barrios.
As a member of the one of the U.S. Navy’s most unique
commands, Luna Barrios 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.