NORFOLK, Va. – Petty Officer 3rd Class Jessica Terrazas, a native of Alamogordo, New Mexico, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to a Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) unit operating out of Norfolk, Virginia.
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| Photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Erica Gardner |
“Military service has the sentiment of tradition in my family,” said Terrazas. “Continuing in my father’s and brother’s legacies of serving in the Navy, I enthusiastically and ceremoniously enlisted two months after graduating high school.”
Today, Terrazas serves as a gas turbine systems technician, assigned to Assault Craft Unit (ACU) 4.
“I joined the Navy to be challenged and experience cultures around the world,” said Terrazas. “Serving onboard an LCAC as a component of Expeditionary Strike Group 2, feels like I’m part of something much larger myself and to support global maritime security.”
Crew members of ACU 4 serve onboard LCACs, which provide fast, over-the-horizon movement of combat troops and equipment. The Navy’s LCACs are manned by entirely enlisted crews and are at the heart of the amphibious warfare mission. LCACs are primarily used for transporting, ship-to-shore and across the beach, personnel, weapons, equipment, and cargo of the assault elements of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force.
As an engineer on an LCAC, Terrazas is responsible for the operation, preventative and corrective maintenance of the platform’s propulsion, lift and control systems.
“We’re known for getting work done, and done right,” said Terrazas. “Our team could build an LCAC from scratch, with perfect precision.”
Most recently, ACU 4 deployed as part of the USS Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group in support of the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. Terrazas and her ACU 4 crew members maintained maritime security and stability, and contributed to Operation Allies Refuge missions and earned the rigorous enlisted surface warfare qualification.
“My job ensures that the platform is operational ready for whatever task is brought our way,” said Terrazas. “I serve to carry on my family legacy, but also for myself — to make a difference, be a part of something bigger than myself and working hard to achieve success.”
As they look to the future, ACU 4 remains prepared to support contingency missions, provide crisis response and increase joint security cooperation. Terrazas and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the U.S. Navy.