Seaman Christopher Smith, from Washington, D.C., assigned to Beachmaster Unit (BMU) One, Det. Western Pacific, directs Landing Craft Air Cushion 63, assigned to Assault Craft Unit (ACU) 5, as it transports Marines and equipment ashore for Cobra Gold 2009. Cobra Gold is an annual Kingdom of Thailand and U.S. co-sponsored military exercise designed to train U.S. and partner Asian-pacific forces. The exercise will include humanitarian projects with participants from Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and the U.S. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Gabriel S. Weber/Released)By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nardelito Gervacio, USS Essex Public Affairs
USS ESSEX, Gulf of Thailand (NNS) -- The Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) vehicles assigned to forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) are supporting multinational, amphibious training off the coast of Thailand as part of exercise Cobra Gold.
LCACS are high speed, over the horizon, fully-amphibious landing crafts. Their main mission is to provide lift capability for Marines and their equipment from ship to shore. These craft are an integral part of Essex' ability to transport weapons systems, equipment, cargo and personnel of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU).
"I'm in charge of a [multimillion-dollar] U.S. Navy hovercraft," said Chief Quartermaster (SW) Charles A. McNall III, of Seattle, Wash. "I drive it back and forth to the beach and also oversee the crew's activities"
LCACs are capable of carrying up to 70 tons of vehicles, equipment or supplies at a speed up to 50 knots, or 60 miles per hour. The craft's speed, maneuvering capabilities and ability to land on beaches worldwide have made the LCAC an essential piece in the overall success of the Essex Expeditionary Strike Group (ESX ESG).
"Traditional displacement crafts are slow. They go 10 to 12 knots," said McNall. "That means the ship has to be closer to the beach in order to do a rapid off load. Our capabilities allow the ship to be over the horizon and still have the same offload effect in same amount of time as traditional crafts."
These key operations are made possible by the Assault Craft Unit (ACU)-LCAC community.
"The thing that satisfies me most about being in the LCAC community is the role we play in amphibious operations," said the craft engineer for LCAC 57, Gas Turbine Systems Technician (Mechanical) 2nd Class (SW) Jarrod Connor, of Houston. "It's all about getting Marines and cargo to the beach so we can secure that beach for our forces to land."
Since the crews are small, each Sailor is afforded a wealth of responsibility as compared to a more traditional ship's company billet assignment.
"I get a chance to play chief engineer of a 23-million-dollar craft. Most second class petty officers don't have the opportunity to do that," said Connor.
With the Marines being the most valuable asset carried to shore, it is important that the Sailors work hand in hand during these operations to ensure equipment functions safely and seamlessly during missions.
LCACs work closely with amphibious assault ships around the world, but have little interaction with other types of vessels. They have an enlisted crew of six, usually a chief or a senior chief as craftmaster, an engineer and navigator, normally E-5 or above, one loadmaster and one deck mechanic.
"We have a five-person crew and the advantage of something that small is the fact that everyone knows each other. We work incredibly well together," said McNall. "After a couple of months together, you work more cohesively. When you're doing 35 to 50 knots over the water, if you know what the other person is thinking, it's going to keep everyone a lot safer."
The crew credits its high morale to a work environment where all Sailors must work together to complete a wide array of exciting and varied missions.
"Having a good crew, the tight relationship and trust we have in one another, is what gives me the most satisfaction," said Connor.
There are currently two hovercraft Assault Craft Units in the Navy. ACU-5 and its 36 craft are based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif., while also maintaining a permanent detachment in Sasebo, Japan. ACU-4 is based out of Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base in Virginia Beach, Va., and currently maintains 39 LCACs.
Essex is commanded by Capt. Brent Canady and the lead ship of the only forward-deployed U.S. Expeditionary Strike Group and serves as the flagship for Commander Task Force (CTF) 76, the Navy's only forward-deployed amphibious force commander. CTF 76 is headquartered at White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, Japan, with a detachment in Sasebo, Japan.