Army engineer diver

Armed forces occupation
(Learn how and when to remove this template message)
A U.S. Army Diver surveys the "sail" of a Soviet era submarine during a joint Army/Navy submarine salvage operation in the Providence River, Providence, RI, July 26, 2008.

Army engineer divers are members of national armies who are trained to undertake tasks underwater, including reconnaissance, demolition, and salvage. These divers have similar skills and qualifications as professional divers. Army divers use both surface supplied "Hard hat" and SCUBA to perform their missions. In the United States Army, they are members of the Corps of Engineers. In the British Army, they may be Royal Engineer Divers or Commando Engineer Divers.

Description

Army's 7th Engineer Dive Detachment

Army engineer divers are members of national armies. Army engineer divers are trained in underwater construction, salvage, demolitions, hydrographic survey, hyperbaric chamber operation, beach and river recon, bridge recon, underwater cutting and welding, side scan sonar operations, mine and countermine operations, and search and recovery operations. They are also training in ships husbandry operations. These divers have similar skills and qualifications as professional divers.

Notable operations

Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 2010

Army Divers work to repair a portion of the main port in Haiti.

The earthquake of January 12, 2010, that left thousands of Haitians dead or homeless and hungry, rocked Haiti's main port of Port-au-Prince. Shockwaves sent the port's busy northern pier and its two massive cargo cranes sinking into the sea. The harbor was littered with toppled shipping containers. The southern pier was sheared from its concrete support pilings. The U.S. military worked with Haitian authorities to offload seaborne humanitarian aid and commercial cargo as it helped run the port. At the heart of its plans was an effort to repair the remains of the southern pier, leaving Haiti with a vital avenue for humanitarian aid and commerce.

Equipment

Physical fitness test

Diving medical personnel evaluate the fitness of divers before operations begin and are prepared to handle any emergencies which might arise. They also observe the condition of other support personnel and are alert for signs of fatigue, overexposure, and heat exhaustion.

Common duties

Affiliations

In the United States Army, engineer divers are members of the Corps of Engineers. In the British Army, they may be Royal Engineer Divers or Commando Engineer Divers.

Royal Engineers and Commandos

Diver of the Royal Engineers descending to repair the foundation of a bridge on the canal at Watten, 8 June 1918.

In the British Army, the Corps of Royal Engineers has a specialist role of Royal Engineer Diver dating back to 1838 under Colonel Charles William Pasley. They are trained at Horsea Island alongside Royal Navy divers for the tasks required of an engineer diver, such as underwater thermic lance cutting, concreting and demolition.[1] In addition, the reserve Commando Engineer Divers of 131 Commando Squadron Royal Engineers, a part of the 24 Commando Engineer Regiment Dive Team, are trained as divers to the same standards.[2]

US Army

Deep sea divers have been a part of the United States Army since the Spanish–American War. In 1898, they constructed a cofferdam around the USS Maine (ACR-1) to facilitate the ship's inspection and determine the cause of its sinking. Later, during World War I, Army divers built and inspected bridges, tunnels, and port facilities.

As part of the U.S. Army Port Construction and Repair Groups, U.S. Army divers operated throughout the European and Pacific theaters during World War II. Divers performed salvage, demolition, pier construction, and bridging support. As part of the Normandy landings, U.S. Army divers participated in operations at Utah Beach. They were also employed in rebuilding the port of Cherbourg following its capture. Later they were employed to reopen the Albert Canal from Liège to Antwerp, and assisted in the construction of the first Allied railroad bridge across the Rhine River, while in the Philippines, they undertook salvage operations in various ports and rivers.

During the Korean War, Army engineer divers worked with Port Construction Companies to build and maintain pipelines in the ports of Inchon and Pohang, and reconstruct the locks in the port of Inchon. Later, during the Vietnam War, Army divers constructed ship-to-shore petroleum distribution and port facilities in Cam Rahn Bay and Qui Nhon; they also constructed ammunition piers, and conducted body, helicopter and vehicle recoveries throughout the theater.

In 1989 during Operation Just Cause, U.S. Army divers from the 536th Engineer Battalion 7th Dive Detachment performed base security at Howard Air Force Base and conducted body recover of MIA pilots and aircraft OH-58 salvage operations in the Panama Canal.

In 1991 during Operation Desert Storm, divers deployed to Kuwait to engage in recovery operations after the ground war, clearing the Kuwaiti port of Shuaibah by removing debris and damaged Kuwaiti and Iraqi boats from the port.

Since then, U.S. Army divers have also supported port opening and reconstruction efforts in military operations in Somalia and Haiti. After 2002, U.S. Army divers have been continuously deployed foreword to the CENTCOM area of operations, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Qatar, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Jordan. In these areas, U.S. Army divers have provided commanders on the battlefield with maneuver support, conducting operations such as search and recovery, river reconnaissance, construction and repair, demolition, salvage, port clearance and security, ships husbandry, and hydrographic surveys.

Army engineer divers continue to represent the vast capabilities of the U.S. Army Engineer Regiment by providing expeditionary engineer diving capabilities in support of combat, general, and geo-spatial engineer across the full spectrum of U.S. military operations worldwide. Throughout the history of their employment in the U.S. Army, divers have been organized under various commands and units, ranging from Engineer Port Construction to Transportation Support Commands. Currently, they are organized into five detachments (74th Engineer Dive Detachment, 86th Engineer Dive Detachment, 511th Engineer Dive Detachment, 569th Engineer Dive Detachment) at Joint Base Langley–Eustis, Virginia, and one detachment (7th Engineer Dive Detachment) at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam, Hawaii. Throughout the various conflicts in which Army divers have been employed, they have trained and fought alongside counterparts from the US Navy. Therefore, the co-location at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center is a fitting representation of their intertwined and storied history.

US Army training facilities

Army Divers are trained at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center (NDSTC) in Panama City, Florida.

US Army qualifications and badges

U.S. Military 2nd Class Diver Badge/Insignia
2nd Class Diver Badge
U.S. Army Salvage Diver Badge
Army Salvage Diver Badge
U.S. Military 1st Class Diver Badge/Insignia
1st Class Diver Badge/Insignia
U.S. Army Master Diver Badge
Army Master Diver Badge

Badges are awarded according to Humans Resource Command (HRC) and the Diver insignia regulations.

Note: While Special Operations Diver Badges are considered dive badges, they are not associated with Army Engineer Divers.

US Army physical fitness test

The physical fitness test consists of the following carried out in the order given:[citation needed]

  1. Swim 500 yards (457 m) within 12:30 minutes. (Candidates are allowed to push off the sides when turning. Only the breaststroke and side stroke are authorized.)
  2. 10-minute rest period.
  3. Perform 50 push-ups within 2 minutes (chest touches ground).
  4. 2-minute rest period.
  5. Perform 50 sit-ups within 2 minutes.
  6. 2-minute rest period.
  7. Perform 6 pull-ups. (Palms away from you. No kipping or swinging is allowed and the chin must clear the top of the bar on each repetition.)
  8. 10-minute rest period.
  9. Run 1.5 miles (2.414 km) within 12 minutes 30 seconds.

See also

References

  1. ^ "The British Army - Royal Engineers Diver". UK Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 18 April 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  2. ^ "The British Army - Commando Engineer Diver". UK Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 18 April 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  3. ^ U.S. Army Regulation 670–1, Uniforms and Insignia, Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia Archived 2015-04-06 at the Wayback Machine, Department of the Army, dated 3 February 2005, rapid action revision dated 11 May 2012, last accessed 14 July 2012
  4. ^ AR600-8-22, Military Awards Archived 2011-07-22 at the Wayback Machine; dated 11 December 2006; retrieved 27 August 2011
  5. ^ AR611-75, Management of Army Divers Archived 2012-09-06 at the Wayback Machine; dated 20 July 2007; retrieved 27 August 2011

Bibliography

External links

  • v
  • t
  • e
Basic equipment
Breathing gas
Buoyancy and
trim equipment
Decompression
equipment
Diving suit
Helmets
and masks
Instrumentation
Mobility
equipment
Safety
equipment
Underwater
breathing
apparatus
Open-circuit
scuba
Diving rebreathers
Surface-supplied
diving equipment
Diving
equipment
manufacturers
Access equipment
Breathing gas
handling
Decompression
equipment
Platforms
Underwater
habitat
Remotely operated
underwater vehicles
Safety equipment
General
Activities
Competitions
Equipment
Freedivers
Hazards
Historical
Organisations
Occupations
Military
diving
Military
diving
units
Underwater
work
Salvage diving
  • SS Egypt
  • Kronan
  • La Belle
  • SS Laurentic
  • RMS Lusitania
  • Mars
  • Mary Rose
  • USS Monitor
  • HMS Royal George
  • Vasa
Diving
contractors
Tools and
equipment
Underwater
weapons
Underwater
firearm
Specialties
Diver
organisations
Diving tourism
industry
Diving events
and festivals
Diving
hazards
Consequences
Diving
procedures
Risk
management
Diving team
Equipment
safety
Occupational
safety and
health
Diving
disorders
Pressure
related
Oxygen
Inert gases
Carbon dioxide
Breathing gas
contaminants
Immersion
related
Treatment
Personnel
Screening
Research
Researchers in
diving physiology
and medicine
Diving medical
research
organisations
Law
Archeological
sites
Underwater art
and artists
Engineers
and inventors
Historical
equipment
Diver
propulsion
vehicles
Military and
covert operations
  • Raid on Alexandria (1941)
  • Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior
Scientific projects
Awards and events
Incidents
Dive boat incidents
  • Sinking of MV Conception
Diver rescues
Early diving
Freediving fatalities
Offshore
diving incidents
  • Byford Dolphin diving bell accident
  • Drill Master diving accident
  • Star Canopus diving accident
  • Stena Seaspread diving accident
  • Venture One diving accident
  • Waage Drill II diving accident
  • Wildrake diving accident
Professional
diving fatalities
Scuba diving
fatalities
Publications
Manuals
  • NOAA Diving Manual
  • U.S. Navy Diving Manual
  • Basic Cave Diving: A Blueprint for Survival
  • Underwater Handbook
  • Bennett and Elliott's physiology and medicine of diving
  • Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving
  • The new science of skin and scuba diving
  • Professional Diver's Handbook
  • Basic Scuba
Standards and
Codes of Practice
General non-fiction
Research
Dive guides
Training and registration
Diver
training
Skills
Recreational
scuba
certification
levels
Core diving skills
Leadership skills
Specialist skills
Diver training
certification
and registration
organisations
Commercial diver
certification
authorities
Commercial diving
schools
Free-diving
certification
agencies
Recreational
scuba
certification
agencies
Scientific diver
certification
authorities
Technical diver
certification
agencies
Cave
diving
Military diver
training centres
Military diver
training courses
Surface snorkeling
Snorkeling/breath-hold
Breath-hold
Open Circuit Scuba
Rebreather
  • Underwater photography
Sports governing
organisations
and federations
Competitions
Pioneers
of diving
Underwater
scientists
archaeologists and
environmentalists
Scuba record
holders
Underwater
filmmakers
and presenters
Underwater
photographers
Underwater
explorers
Aquanauts
Writers and journalists
Rescuers
Frogmen
Commercial salvors
Diving
physics
Diving
physiology
Decompression
theory
Diving
environment
Classification
Impact
Other
Deep-submergence
vehicle
  • Aluminaut
  • DSV Alvin
  • American submarine NR-1
  • Bathyscaphe
    • Archimède
    • FNRS-2
    • FNRS-3
    • Harmony class bathyscaphe
    • Sea Pole-class bathyscaphe
    • Trieste II
  • Deepsea Challenger
  • Ictineu 3
  • JAGO
  • Jiaolong
  • Konsul-class submersible
  • Limiting Factor
  • Russian submarine Losharik
  • Mir
  • Nautile
  • Pisces-class deep submergence vehicle
  • DSV Sea Cliff
  • DSV Shinkai
  • DSV Shinkai 2000
  • DSV Shinkai 6500
  • DSV Turtle
  • DSV-5 Nemo
Submarine rescue
Deep-submergence
rescue vehicle
Submarine escape
Escape set
Special
interest
groups
Neutral buoyancy
facilities for
Astronaut training
Other