Amphibious Construction Battalion TWO (ACB2) Holds Decommissioning Ceremony After Nearly 80 Years Service to the Navy and Marine Corps
By Ltjg Michael Schwing, ESG2 Public Affairs
Recently, Amphibious Construction Battalion TWO (ACB2) held a decommissioning ceremony at the Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek (JEBLC) chapel after nearly 80 years of service to the Navy and Marine Corps team and our nation.
ACB2 Commanding Officer, Capt. Atiim Senthill, presided over a ceremony that included several previous commanding officers, family, prior command members, and the crew, dressed in blues. Established as the 105th Naval Construction Battalion on July 14, 1943 and re-designated ACB2 in 1950, throughout its run the non-kinetic unit allowed combat units to maintain a forward sustained presence through ship-to-shore logistics in support of Maritime Prepositioning Forces as well as Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS) operations.
On July 18, a CNO message ordering its deactivation marked the beginning of the end for ACB2. Operating on a $2.5 million disestablishment budget, within eight months all command assets had to be inventoried and reapportioned across the fleet. It was an emotionally-taxing job that inspired Senthill to praise the hard work of the crew. “These Sailors worked tirelessly and delivered,” he said. “All assets arrived at their destination early and under budget.”
Despite the look of a final nail being driven into the command’s coffin, the doors at ACB2 will remain open a few more weeks before officially shutting down March 31. Some Sailors will make the trip across country to begin new, yet familiar chapters at ACB1. Other ACB2 Sailors will remain nearby. Wherever they go, they will remain part of a proud heritage. With a history that began in the middle of U.S. involvement in World War II, ACB2 participated in the 1958 Lebanon crisis, the 1983 American citizen rescue in Grenada, Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the TWA Flight 800 disaster recovery, and Operation Iraqi Freedom as well as the 2017 cleanup efforts for Hurricane Maria. This broad scope of missions demonstrates capabilities spanning a wide variety of missions and environments.
Rear Adm. Dean VanderLey, Commander of Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command and guest speaker, emphasized this to the ACB2 Sailors in attendance. “While this has the appearance of a funeral, it should be a celebration of life,” VanderLey said. “You helped accomplish so much and are part of an incredible legacy.”