Landing Craft Utilities (LCUs) have a history of providing an effective means of transport for the Marines and their amphibious units. Onboard the amphibious docking ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) one LCU is ensuring the job gets done during exercise Talisman Sabre 2015.
Boatswain’s Mate Chief Gerren Alexander from Maysville, Kentucky, Boatmaster of Landing Craft Utility (LCU) 1666, assigned to Naval Beach Unit (NBU) 7, says the primary mission of LCU 1666 is to provide support to the forward deployed Navy for ship-to-shore movement of personnel, cargo and vehicles.
During Talisman Sabre LCU 1666 has transported Humvees, Tractors, Cranes, Trucks and Marines to the shores of Australia for beach exercises and will be helping to pick them up once the ship arrives in Darwin.
Landing Craft Utility (LCU) 1666 is embarked on Ashland. The crew departed from Sasebo, Japan, June 3 with Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group and is on patrol in the U.S. 7th fleet area of operations.
Image: US Navy