The sailors and landing craft of Assault Craft Unit 5 returned to Camp Pendleton Thursday after an eight-month deployment with the Boxer ready group.
Family members and friends eagerly waited to catch a glimpse of their sailors coming home on the incoming Landing Craft Air Cushion, or LCACs, assigned to ACU 5 during a homecoming ceremony.
While deployed to the Western Pacific and Arabian Gulf, the unit maintained a crisis-response capability, transferred troops, food and weapons, and performed other operations.
ACU 5 is part of the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, which is made up of amphibious assault ship USS Boxer, amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans and amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry.
“Homecoming is a celebration of a job well done,” said Capt. Jonathan Lance Harden, commanding officer of the unit. “This team went above and beyond what was asked of them and completed every mission and task they were apart of.”
The unit has the capability to deliver supplies across long distances in a short period of time. A small crew of approximately 400 sailors allows for more time to get to know each other and to get the job done quickly and accurately.
“I learned a lot from this crew and am glad that we are all home safe,” said Gas Turbine System Technician (Mechanical) 3rd Class Jessica Tucker, an ACU 5 deck engineer. “It is nice to be home and see my family and friends after being at sea for so long.”
— From a Navy press release
