Amphibious Ready Group Alpha

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Amphibious Ready Group Alpha (Marine contingent "Special Landing Force Alpha" or SLF-A often referred to as the "Sluff", during the Viet-Nam era identified as Task Group 76.4) consisted of various support vessels for an "LPH" or Landing Platform Helicopter such as the USS Princeton, USS Okinawa, and USS Iwo Jima. Support vessels like an LST (Landing Ship Troop) or LSD (Landing Ship Dock) included various vessels supporting a Marine Corps battalion referred to as a Battalion Landing Team (BLT). The Marine elements of the Group were referred to as Special Landing Force Alpha which itself consisted of the BLT and a Marine Helicopter Squadron. The ARG also included an Amphibious Group Command Ship (AGC) which carried the Commander Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet and command and communications support facilities. Three AGCs rotated to the Western Pacific and all three were involved in the amphibious landings by the AGC/SLF in Vietnam. The three AGCs were Eldorado, Estes, and Mt. McKinley.