The Rebirth of Beach Jumpers

On 28 June 1951, Beach Jumper Unit ONE and TWO were reactivated. In July 1951., requirements for Beach Jumper Units again became evident; Beach Jumper Unit-1 (Pacific Fleet) and Beach Jumper Unit-2 (Atlantic Fleet) were commissioned under a new directive of the Chief Naval Operations. Beach Jumper Unit-1 was formally commissioned 26 July 1951 at U. S. Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado., California. Administrative control of the Unit was held by Commanding Officer, Naval Amphibious Training Unit but under operational control of Commander, Amphibious Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet. Unit internal organization was similar to shipboard organization. Personnel allowance included ten officers and eighteen enlisted men.

As during their initial start there were those who questioned the worth of a deception unit in these modern times. As a fleet training exercise was planned, the Beach Jumpers unit was given a chance to prove their worth. It didn’t take the Navy long to realize that deception still played an important part in modern warfare.

Beach Jumpers knew that Fleet communications from COMPHIBLANT to ships at sea were relayed through radio Washington. Pretending to be COMPHIBLANT they sent an official message, via Radio Washington, ordering every ship Commanding Officer to report aboard the flagship the next morning to discuss terminating the exercise. The next morning at least half of the ships Commanding officers were aboard the flagship in a state of mounting confusion and anger. All doubt as to the worth of the Beach Jumpers program was quickly erased.

Through the late 1950's and into the early 1960's as the Cold War evolved into the "Counterinsurgency Era," Beach Jumper expertise in the area of manipulative and imitative deception and electronic warfare (EW) was employed in revolutionary new ways, both during scheduled fleet exercises and on actual operations. Additionally,  a new secondary mission for Beach Jumper ONE was directed:

"To plan and execute Psychological Operations in
support of commands to which it has been assigned".