November 2013 2
 November 2013 3

A SAD DAY AT THE WASHINGTON 

NAVY YARD

I cannot let the opportunity pass to comment on the events of September 16th. 

I was fortunate – not only was I out on 

travel but the SUPSALV office spaces 

had been moved from what would become “ground zero” to a separate building across the yard. Thankfully, none 

of the hardworking military or civilian 

personnel in our office were directly involved. However, we all knew people 

who were wounded and people who 

were killed. There but by the grace of 

God go we. Please keep the families of 

the victims, the survivors, and all those 

affected by this horribly tragic event in 

your thoughts and prayers.

COSTA CONCORDIA

At just before 10 pm on January 13th, 

2012, the COSTA CONCORDIA, a 952-

foot long cruise ship carrying more than 

3,200 passengers and 1,000 crew members, hit a rock as it transited past the 

Isola Del Giglio, a small island off the 

coast of Italy about 62 miles northwest of 

Rome. The rock ripped a 174-foot gash 

along three engine room compartments. 

The ship began taking on water, lost 

propulsion and electrical power, drifted 

toward the island, coming to rest on a 

rocky ledge in a protected marine environment partially capsized to starboard 

at about 65 degrees. All but 32 of the 

known passengers and crew were recovered. Thus begins the largest single ship 

salvage operation in history.

I was fortunate enough to be able to 

visit Isola del Giglio during the week of 

September 9th, one week before the 

ship was parbuckled upright. The 

salvage contract had been awarded 

to a team comprised of the Italian 

underwater engineering company, Micoperi, and Titan, the U.S. 

Navy’s commercial salvage provider for salvage operations from 

the West Coast to the International 

Date Line. I felt well prepared to 

assess the scope of the task that the 

combined team having spent most 

of the winter removing the exUSS GUARDIAN from the Tubbataha Reef in the Philippines.

I could not have been more wrong...

Twenty months after the initial 

grounding, the ship still sat on the rocky 

ledge at a list of 65 degrees. COSTA 

CONCORDIA was partially supported 

by two blunt pinnacles and fully flooded with little, if any, residual buoyancy. From a very high level, the salvage 

plan was simple: secure the ship, parbuckle upright, refloat, and tow; however, the devil is in the details. 

The parbuckling operation completed early in the morning on September 17th. The amount of work required to 

reach that milestone cannot be understated: divers constructed a platform below 

the COSTA CONCORDIA to support 

the ship after righting, holdback chains 

were secured between the ship and jacking towers embedded in the sea floor, a 

series of sponsons were fabricated and 

installed along the ship’s port side, and 

jacking cables were installed between 

the upper outboard corners of the sponsons and outriggers on the subsea platform. The holdback chains and platform 

served to prevent the ship from sliding 

further down the slope during the parbuckling. The torque would initially 

be provided by the jacking cables, but, 

once the ship was rotated sufficiently, 

the sponsons were to be flooded to complete the task. To give you an idea of 

the scale of the operation:

• 31,000 tons of steel were used 

to fabricate the required components

• 9 tons of welding rod were 

consumed to build the sponsons 

and attach them to the ship

• 33 km of weld bead were laid

• 13,000 individual dives were 

logged

The scope of the project was equal 

to that of designing and building a moderately sized ship in an industrial yard; 

however, the team was accomplishing its 

task on a small, tourist island completely 

exposed to environmental forces with a 

logistics chain that would make the simplest need a threat to progress.

Further, COSTA CONCORDIA was 

a perfect example of the principal challenge of salvage engineering – you never 

know all the data you want to know when 

you are developing your salvage plan and 

Bow Aspect of the COSTA CONCORDIA prior to parbuckling.
 November 2013 4

performing structural calculations. It was 

clear that the ship had suffered some 

structural damage to the starboard side, 

but the extent would not be evident until the ship was parbuckled upright. Was 

the ship’s structure sufficient to handle 

the loads imparted during parbuckling? 

In salvage engineering, there is only 

one thing you can be sure of – a damaged ship is not going to heal itself. You 

can expect conditions to continually degrade as the environment continues to 

eat away at a ship’s structure. Imperfect 

knowledge forces assumptions requiring that you apply safety factors for the 

“known-unknowns”. Salvage engineers 

need to be able to make a frank assessment of what they know and what they 

don’t – not only to have an answer based 

on the best information on hand but 

also to understand the risks they assume 

with what they do not know.

The Titan-Micoperi success in parbuckling is a huge accomplishment. 

Hoo Yah to Nick Sloan, the salvage master for the COSTA CONCORDIA project. Congratulations on completing the 

parbuckling and best wishes as you push 

towards refloating next year.

DIVING OPERATIONS

There have been an unacceptable 

number of fatalities this year associated 

with diving operations. It is certainly appropriate that we all take a step back and 

assess how we plan and execute diving operations to identify any weaknesses or vulnerabilities that need shoring up. 

You all know that there are many 

hazards involved with diving – these 

warnings are firmly imbedded in our 

training programs. From the moment 

your head dips below the surface until 

well after you return to the surface, you 

are at risk. If you lose your air or your air 

supply is contaminated, bad things happen. If you hold your breath on ascent 

or fail to meet your decompression obligation, bad things happen. If you have 

too much or too little oxygen, bad things 

happen. If you are too cold or too hot, 

bad things happen. You all know this, but 

this list is far from complete.

When you stand up and state with 

confidence and authority, “THIS IS 

[insert your name here] AND I HAVE 

THE SIDE!” you are accepting responsibility for the safe execution of 

the dive. It is an absolute requirement 

that you and your team have completed adequate operational risk management prior to placing your Divers in 

the water. Complacency is your enemy. 

Accept no unnecessary risk.

Take a look at how your dive locker 

is conducting operations. NEDU published a report in 2005 titled, “A Navy 

Diving Supervisor’s Guide to the Nontechnical Skills Required for Safe and 

Productive Diving Operations.” Your 

Master Divers are familiar with this 

report. Get a copy and read it http://

supsalv.org/pdf/TR%2005-09.pdf What 

can you do differently to improve your 

situational awareness? Decision making? 

Teamwork? How can you adjust your 

operations to account for fatigue and 

stress?

FAIR WINDS...

In this issue you will find the final 

SUPDIVE Sends article from LCDR 

Sam Brasfield. Although only in the billet for a little over a year, Sam has made 

great progress in establishing the Diving 

Executive Steering Committee and bringing diverse diving activities together at 

senior levels to discuss common issues. 

Sam, we appreciate your dedication and 

effort. Fair winds and best wishes over 

on OPNAV staff. Hoo Yah!

Leaving big shoes to fill, Sam has 

been relieved by CAPT Dan Shultz. Join 

me in welcoming CAPT Shultz aboard.

SEA 00C staff and others standing on top of the COSTA CONCORDIA prior to the 

parbuckling. Pictured left to right: LT Jared Hinton (USCG), Vince Jarecki, LT 

Dale Cressman (USCG), LT Chris Addington, CAPT Mark Matthews, 

CAPT (Ret.) Patrick Keenan, Mr. Mark Hart.

Port quarter of COSTA CONCORDIA prior to parbuckling.
 November 2013 5

Cold Weather 

Altitude 

Diving in 

California’s 

High Sierra

By: Lt. Cmdr. Charles Kubic, 

UCT TWO Commanding Officer

Underwater Construction Team 

(UCT) TWO recently completed a diver training exercise in California’s High Sierra, designed to increase the team’s cold weather and 

altitude diving expertise. 

Members of Construction Dive 

Detachment (CDD) Bravo spent 10 days 

in Bridgeport training at the Marine 

Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center 

(MCMWTC), where they learned and 

exercised skills such as cold weather 

survival, mountain medicine, cold 

weather diving and altitude diving, 

including both SCUBA and surface 

supplied diving operations.

Occupying 46,000 acres of Toiyabe 

National Forest with elevations ranging from 6,000 to 12,000 feet, the training center conducts unit and individual 

courses to prepare Marines and joint and 

allied forces for operations in mountainous, high-altitude, and cold-weather environments. The center is also involved 

in the development of warfighting doctrine and specialized equipment for use 

in mountain and cold weather operations. 

During the winter season, from October to April, snow accumulation can 

reach 6 to 8 feet. The annual temperature at the center ranges from 20 degrees 

below zero in the winter to 90 degrees 

Fahrenheit in the summer. 

Before getting into the water, the detachment was required to undergo a preenvironmental training course designed 

to provide Sailors and Marines with the 

tools they need to survive in the strenuous mountain environment.

“The best part of exercise was not 

only utilizing UCT’s arctic dive gear but 

the pre-environmental training course of 

instruction provided by Marine Corps 

staff,” said Construction Mechanic 1st

Class James Richardson. “They covered 

topics such as cold weather and altitude 

medicine, first aid, mountain survival, 

mountain weather and equipment.” .

The dive portion of the exercise 

focused on honing the detachment’s 

skills to establish and sustain a camp that 

supported diving operations in a mountain 

environment as well as the utilization of 

special dive gear designed to operate in 

intense cold environments. 

CDD Bravo used both dry diving 

suits and hot-water diving suits to keep 

divers warm in the water. The hot-water 

suit is used during surface-supplied diving operations and employs a hot water 

heater and 600 feet of hose to push hot 

water into the diver’s wet suit. 

“It felt like diving in a Jacuzzi,” 

said Builder 2nd Class Andrew Quiroga.

Utilitiesman 2nd Class Richard Noel 

said he was most interested in the effects 

of altitude.

 “Learning how altitude not only affects

the equipment but also the diver was by 

far the best learning experience,” he said.

The mountain environment provided 

multiple opportunities for valuable train-
 November 2013 6

ing. “Most of the divers 

in CDD/B have never 

dived at altitude. It was 

just a chapter we studied 

in the dive manual but 

never implemented in 

an applicable manner,” 

remarked Construction 

Mechanic 1st Class Trevor Buckett. “Now that 

we have gone, we are all 

very familiar with altitude protocol.”

The detachment also 

had the opportunity to 

evaluate the command’s 

equipment for use in 

austere cold weather 

conditions.

“It gave us the opportunity to find our 

weakness and be that 

much more ready to 

execute in a wartime 

situation if called upon,” 

said the detachment’s 

officer in charge, Chief 

Construction Mechanic 

Adam Winters.

UCT TWO is now 

better equipped to complete tasking in austere 

environments, from extreme cold to extreme 

elevations.

CDD Bravo will deploy this summer to support operations around 

the Pacific.

Article cover photo: Utilitiesman 2nd Class (SCW/

D V ) J o s h u a N o e l a n d 

B u i l d e r S e c o n d C l a s s 

(SCW/DV) Matthew Dawson backing down into the 

cold water during altitude 

diving operations at Twin 

Lakes Bridgeport, CA. 

Steelworker 2nd Class (SCW/DV) David Miller, Petty Officer 3rd Class Gabriela Puerta, 

Builder 2nd Class (SCW/DV) Andrew Quiroga, and Steelworker 1st Class (SCW/DV) 

James Kirk assist divers Builder 2nd Class 

(SCW/DV) Matthew Dawson and Builder 

2nd Class (SCW/DV) Christopher Farmer 

enter the water while Diving Supervisor 

Construction Mechanic 1st Class (SCW/DV) 

James Richardson Observe. Chief Equipment Operator (SCW) Master Diver Emory 

Cole observes the entire evolution at Twin 

Lakes Bridgeport, CA, April 2013.

Construction Diving Detachment BRAVO of UCT 2 conducts training for the 

Transportable Recompression Chamber (TRCS) during altitude diving operations at Twin Lakes, Bridgeport, 

CA, April 2013. (Photo taken by Builder 2nd Class (SCW/DV) Noel UCT 2)

Builder 2nd Class (SCW/DV) Christopher Farmer and Builder 2nd Class 

(SCW/DV) Runyon unload the transportable recompression chamber 

during altitude diving operations at 

Twin Lakes, Bridgeport, CA, April 

2013. (Photo taken by (SCW/DV) 

Joshua Noel, UCT 2)

Petty Officer 2nd Class Joshua 

Noel, Petty Officer 1st Class James 

Kirk and Petty Officer 1st Class 

James Richardson, assisting Divers BU2 (SCW/DV) Andrew Quiroga and BU2 (SCW/DV) Matthew 

Dawson, dress for Surface Supplied Diving as the Diving Supervisor CEC (SCW/DV) Adam Winter 

observes at Twin Lakes Bridgeport, CA, April 2013.
 November 2013 7

During a recent on-site system certification survey 5,000 psi was put to 

this cap which abruptly cracked causing 

the crowd on the dive boat to get a little 

excited. Needless to say this fitting didn’t 

come completely apart but if it had, there 

was a very real potential for serious injury to someone in that tight space.

“Wrench tight” is a term used in 

the past that could create an enormus 

amount of torque depending on the size 

of the wrench and the person applying 

the torque. Imagine someone like Master Diver Coffelt with a 24-inch crescent 

wrench. We have evolved over the years 

and we now commonly use terms such as 

3/8 to 1/2 turn past O-ring engagement. 

In fact this specific application of torque 

is called out in many of our system drawings and Operating Procedures (OP’s). 

This technique creates an estimated 36-

00C4 SYSTEM IN THE SPOTLIGHT

FADS III-ASRA

Have you experienced 

this before?

72 in-lbs of torque, far less than what 

could be applied if “wrench tight” 

were applied to the fitting. Supervisors 

should monitor the assembly of these fittings during the system set up to ensure 

that these fittings are not over torqued. 

Fly Away Diving System (FADS) 

OP’s require that the interface hoses 

be inspected for cuts and abrasions. 

At the same time the hose or cap fitting should be inspected for defects to 

eliminate the potential installation of a 

cracked or damaged fitting.

The remaining caps on this perticular 

ASRA were inspected and checked for 

proper torque. Several other caps were 

torqued in excess of 3/8 to 1/2 turn past 

O-ring engagement. AIG 09-15 is still an 

active AIG: it was issued to alert commands to this problem and provide technical guidance to prevent over torquing 

CPV face seal union fittings. I strongly 

recommend you take the time to review it 

again with your dive locker. Dive SAFE.

U.S. Navy Divers from Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 

TWO and contracted salvage personnel successfully raised and returned to 

shore a sunken patrol boat (PB 502) on 

April 18, 2013.

Coastal Riverine Squadron (CRS) 

10, a Navy Reserve unit based in Jacksonville, FL, was conducting a routine 

training event sailing from Jacksonville to Charleston when one of their 

patrol boats transiting into Charleston 

Harbor ran aground on a jetty on the 

south side on the channel entrance at 

9:41 p.m., April 13, 2013. 

 “Salvage operations like this are quite 

common, we train to respond to all types 

of incidents from planes going down to 

boats sinking and each one brings up its 

own unique challenges,” said Chief Warrant Officer John Sullivan, MDSU TWO 

officer-in-charge of the salvage operation. 

Navy Divers Recover Sunken Patrol Boat

By: EOD Group 2 Public Affairs

The 34-foot patrol boat was surfaced Thursday morning by Navy Divers from approximately 20 feet of water 

and was towed to shore by a contracted 

salvage company.

The 8-person Mobile Diving and 

Salvage (MDS) Company, MDS Co. 2-4, 

based in Virginia Beach, VA, arrived in 

Charleston Tuesday and worked with local Coast Guard and maritime officials to 

determine how to safely recover the submerged vessel by using another similar 

patrol boat ashore as a model. 

MDSU TWO Divers then performed 

a site survey to determine the extent 

of damage to the vessel. On Wednesday and Thursday divers installed lift 

points, placed belly bands on the submerged vessel prior to rigging for 

lift and recovery, and attached salvage lift bags capable of lifting 22,000 

pounds. Once secured, the vessel was 

carefully brought to the surface Thursday 

morning by the lift bags and checked for 

stability.

“I thought my team did outstanding, 

this is what we train for,” said Sullivan. 

“We developed a plan, we executed it 

and I thought my team did outstanding.”

PB 502 was then towed to the U.S. 

Coast Guard Station at Tradd Street.

MDSU TWO is based at Joint 

Expeditionary Base, Little Creek-Ft. 

Story in Virginia Beach, VA and has 

successfully conducted salvage operations to support TWA Flight 800, Swiss 

Air Flight 111, the space shuttles 

Challenger and Columbia, the I-35W 

Mississippi River bridge collapse in 

Minnesota, the Civil War ironclad USS 

Monitor, and recovery of a downed 

F-16 Fighting Falcon off the coast of 

Italy.

By: Eric Frank

Retired Master Diver Eric Frank is the Diving 

Systems Safety Certification Manager at NAVSEA 00C.
November 2013 8

NDCM(MDV) Arne Phillips is a Fleet Liaison 

Master Diver currently stationed at NAVSEA 

00C.

What is the SEAT? Before I checked 

in to Naval Sea Systems Command 

I couldn’t even spell SEAT and now I’m 

the Chairman. For those who may not 

know what the Senior Enlisted Advisory 

Team (SEAT) is or does, here is a brief 

history of how it all started, its purpose, 

its membership, and what it does. 

The Salvage Executive Steering 

Committee (S-ESC) was established in 

1993 and the SEAT was first chartered 

by the S-ESC on 17 March 2005. The 

purpose of the SEAT was to support the 

deliberations and decision making of 

the S-ESC. Acronyms, acronyms everywhere! Now you’re probably wondering what an ESC is. In general, a steering committee is a group of high level 

executives or authorities who have the 

task of guiding a group and providing 

direction in making decisions. Members of a steering committee typically 

have decision making authority but 

many times make recommendations to a 

higher authority as is the case of the SESC. The S-ESC was chartered to make 

policy recommendations to the Chief of 

Naval Operations (CNO). In 2007, the 

S-ESC was realigned due to significant 

resource sponsorship, type commander, 

and community sponsorship changes.

Consequently, on 22 March the Diving 

and Salvage ESC (D&S ESC) was established to reflect those changes. The D&S 

ESC was assigned to address diving and 

salvage capabilities, requirements and related support functions, and make policy 

recommendations to the CNO. 

Just when I thought I had things 

figured out, the “Big Blue Machine” 

changed something. Most recently, the 

Diving Executive Steering Committee 

(DivESC) was established on 10 Jul 2013. 

The DivESC is a Flag-level committee 

established to consider issues relevant to 

military diving policy, manpower, training, funding, operational readiness and 

future diving capability. The DivESC is 

chartered to provide informed guidance 

and recommendations to ensure Undersea Warfare Division policy supports 

Navy diving requirements. The Director 

of Undersea Warfare Division (N97) is 

our diving resource sponsor. 

Now that I’ve gone full circle on 

Salvage and Diving Executive Steering 

Committees, let’s get back to the business at hand, “What is the SEAT?” The 

SEAT is a team of advisors comprised 

of 12 Master Divers and 1 Diving Warrant Officer that is chartered to address 

issues relevant to diving policy, enlisted 

manpower, personnel training, and operational readiness. This forum of senior diving personnel takes an active 

role in these issues and the direction of 

the diving community. Currently the 

SEAT is chartered under the D&S ESC 

but with the recent changes to the Executive Steering Committees this charter may also change. Regardless of who 

the SEAT is chartered by, the purpose of 

the SEAT will not change. 

The membership of the SEAT represents every U.S. Navy and Marine 

Corps diving locker and covers every 

aspect of U.S. Navy diving. Current 

SEAT members are Master Divers from 

the below commands with the exception 

of COMSUBLANT because there is no 

Master Diver billeted there. 

For fleet diving commands, the 

SEAT is your conduit for addressing issues relevant to diving policy, enlisted 

manpower, personnel training, and operational readiness. As always, if you 

identify something that needs to be addressed, use your chain of command. 

Run the issue through your Master Diver 

first (or LCPO if no MDV is assigned). 

Once it is reviewed by the MDV or 

LCPO, they will present it to their SEAT 

representative, who will present it to the 

SEAT. All submissions should be in a 

point paper type format and your SEAT 

representative has the proper format. The 

SEAT is chartered to meet at least once 

a year but over the past 2 years has met 

every 6 months because there has been 

a lot going on in the diving community. 

This is an avenue for you to affect change 

in your community and make improvements, so don’t sit idly by; route pertinent 

issues through your MDV or LCPO. I 

look forward to hearing from you. 

What is the

COMNAVSEASYSCOM: NDCM(MDV) Arne Phillips - Chairman

COMNAVSURFPAC: NDCM(MDV) Tony Shepard

COMSUBLANT: CWO4 Paul Lawson

COMNAVSPECWARCOM: NDCM(MDV) Dave Gove

COMNECC: NDCM(MDV) Neil Wolfe

Naval Safety Center: NDCM(MDV) Dave Schoephoerster

Norfolk Ship Support Activity: NDCM(MDV) Doug Heater

CENEODD: NDCM(MDV) Mike Troedel

Enlisted Community Manager: NDCM(MDV) Paul Adams

Diving Enlisted Detailer: NDCM(MDV) Ken Willmoth

USMC: NDCM(MDV) Brian Pratschner

UCT: EQCM(MDV) Brian Thompson

Reserves: NDCM(MDV) Mike Bross

Current SEAT Members

Senior Enlisted Advisory Team?
November 2013 9

Navy Experimental Dive Unit

86 Years of Excellence

The famous U.S. Navy Diver motto: “We Dive the World Over...” 

would not be true without the efforts 

of the Navy Experimental Diving Unit 

(NEDU), which has led the way for 

over 86 years! This article will give 

you an insider’s view of NEDU’s history, mission, staff, and facilities. 

In The Beginning 

NEDU traces its roots back to the 

first experimental dives performed by 

Chief Gunner George D. Stillson at the 

Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1912. Chief 

Stillson’s experiments using Haldane’s 

decompression research with the British Royal Navy expanded the operating capability of the U.S. Navy Deep 

Sea Diver from 60 feet of seawater 

(fsw) to 300 fsw. Stillson’s dive tables 

were eventually formalized into the first 

U.S. Navy Diving Manual.

Location, Location, Location 

Navy salvage operations after Chief 

Stillson’s first experimental dives in 

Brooklyn confirmed the need to establish procedures, equipment, and training through a formal experimental diving program. NEDU was commissioned 

at the Washington Navy Yard in 1927.

During its time at the Navy Yard, NEDU 

developed and tested new diving equipment such as the Momsen Lung. The 

command also “pushed the envelope” 

of diving physiology by creating free ascent tables for submarine rescue. In the 

late 1960’s, the GENESIS and SEA LAB 

Projects created and proved that Saturation Diving was a viable option for deep 

endurance diving. The success of these 

projects led the U.S. Navy to construct 

the Ocean Simulation Facility (OSF), 

the world’s largest manned hyperbaric 

facility. In 1975, the OSF was commissioned in Panama City, Florida. NEDU 

was officially relocated to Panama City, 

home of the “World’s Most Beautiful Beaches”, where it continues experimental work today.

 

Change in Mission

Just as the location of NEDU 

has changed over the years, so has 

the mission. Following the commissioning of the OSF, NEDU began to 

focus on developing equipment and 

procedures for Saturation Diving and 

providing support to special mission 

diving. At the same time, the Navy 

Medical Research Institute (NMRI) in 

Bethesda, Maryland, worked many of 

the “human use” diving issues. NMRI 

experiments ran the gambit from cold 

water exposure limits to various diving table development projects.

As a result of the base realignment 

and closure (BRAC) process in the 

late 1990’s, the diving facility at 

NMRI was ordered to be closed and 

the NMRI diving mission was consolidated with NEDU in Panama City. 

This merging of NMRI and NEDU 

required the construction of a new 

wing to support the transfer of personnel and equipment, as well as the 

shift in mission as NEDU turned back 

toward its roots and continued the 

unique experimental diving work previously performed at NMRI.

A Typical Day at NEDU

Take a tour of NEDU on any 

given day and there is no telling 

what you may see our crew members 

testing. 

Walk over to the OSF and our 

crew members may be in shift work, 

standing a 24 hour watch for weeks 

at a time while Sat Divers perform 

experimental human subject research 

or equipment testing on a Saturation 

Dive to 1000 fsw.

By: Jim Brawley

Preparation for the SEALAB project

Archive OSF Oxygen Research

OSF manual operation panels and 

service locks
November 2013 10

While you are in the OSF building, you could stop on the second deck 

and talk decompression theory with the 

NEDU “Deco-Group” who are responsible for the development of specialized 

decompression programs, the algorithms 

and equipment involved with the Navy 

Dive Computers, Topside Decompression Monitor, and the development of future generations of these devices. These 

NEDU crew members have also developed tables currently in use by astronauts 

to prevent them from being bent while 

performing space walks on Space Shuttle/Space Station missions.

You could talk to one of our Diving Medical Officers (DMOs) who are 

deeply involved with all aspects of 

NEDU research and are also responsible for answering questions on “bends 

calls” from around the world.

Walk out back behind the OSF 

building and you will find the Specialized 

and Fleet Diving Lockers, various Engineering Support Shops, and the Medical 

Electronics Shop. The crew members 

who man these shops continuously support NEDU by constructing unique diving apparatuses, equipment, and testing 

gear. They also provide rapid response 

specialized equipment support for various 

unique fleet assets.

Continue your tour over to the Experimental Diving Facility (EDF) and 

meet the crew members who perform all 

unmanned diving equipment testing and 

diving accident investigations. You will 

likely find them performing the initial 

unmanned testing of the latest Underwater Breathing Apparatus (UBA) for a 

military or civilian customer. If it does 

not pass the grueling testing profiles of 

unmanned testing, it does not advance in 

the NEDU evaluation process.

Over in the Physiology Lab, you will 

find one of our Research Physiologists 

putting a service 

member through the 

paces on a treadmill. 

The member might 

wear an instrumented 

Emergency Escape 

Breathing Device 

( E E B D ) u s u a l l y 

found on surface 

ships in the fleet, 

or an Air Purifying 

R e s p i r a t o r ( G a s 

Mask) usually used 

in the field with the 

U.S. Marine Corps 

and other services. 

These same Research 

Physiologists are 

a l s o w o r k i n g o n 

solving many Special 

Operations Forces 

(SOF) specific diver 

performance issues, 

including oxygen 

toxicity and thermal 

protection, which 

can be associated 

with long exposure 

o x y g e n d i v e s 

u n i q u e t o S O F 

missions. 

Further back in the Physiology 

Lab, you may find one of our Corpsmen performing an evaluation of a 

new type of self-applied tourniquet by 

checking the distal leg pulses of a simulated battle field casalty (test subject). 

From the Physiology Lab you can 

walk out to the NEDU Test Pool and 

you may see a highly instrumented diver getting ready to enter the water for a 

6-hour dive in water temperatures ranging from 34 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit 

to test a new active thermal heating or 

cooling garment. Directly across the 

hall from the Test Pool area, you will 

find the Gas Lab where scientists work 

on the development and unmanned testing of various hyperbaric and submarine atmosphere monitors.

One deck below in Sick Bay, a Diving 

Medical Technician Corpsman screens 

visiting divers to ensure they are medically qualified for the next High Risk Experimental Research Protocol. Next door 

to Sick Bay, you may get a glimpse of 

hyperbaric cellular research being performed to investigate the reaction of cells 

to specific stimuli while at depth. This 

unique laboratory is the only one of its 

kind within the Department of Defense.

Continued on page 18.

OSF Test Pool

OSF “A” Chamber

OSF Control Room during a SAT dive

NEDU’s unmanned research complex
 November 2013 11

Navy EOD Showcases Unique 

Capabilities on Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal 

(EOD) technicians showcased the 

Navy EOD’s unique equipment and 

capabilities during the Congressional EOD Caucus’s “Day on the 

Hill” at the U.S. House of Representatives, July 31, 2013.

The day’s event was an open 

invitation to lawmakers in the capitol to become more knowledgeable 

of the people and equipment behind 

the EOD missions carried out every day around the world.

Eight Sailors from Explosive 

Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 

(EODMU) 2, EODMU 6, EODMU 

12 and technicians from Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head 

EOD Technology Division brought 

gear to highlight Navy EOD’s maritime role, such as mine countermeasures and dive capabilities, which sets 

it apart from the other services.

Explosive Ordnance Disposal 

Technician 1st Class Wesley Cody 

and Explosive Ordnance Disposal 

Technician 1st Class Steve Rivers, 

both from EODMU 12, shared their 

knowledge with U.S. Representatives and congressional staffers 

by demonstrating equipment including 

gear similar to that used during a recent 

deployment to Afghanistan.

 “Our guys can live and thrive in 

any environment, we can integrate with 

any service or operate independently 

whether we’re in the water, in the air, or 

on the ground,” said Rivers.

During his deployment, Rivers’ platoon spent nine months without having 

anyone injured in an IED strike. They 

covered over 500 kilometers in that time 

period and cleared 93 IEDs.

Chief Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Jeremy Lindquist, assigned to EODMU 2, supports special 

operation forces and recently returned 

from his 10th deployment. 

“We’re really the only EOD service 

that can fully support all the forces beBy: Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Randy Savarese

cause we’re the only community 

that has jump, free fall, fast roping, and dive qualifications,” said 

Lindquist. “We’re the primary EOD 

special operations forces support for 

the Army and the Navy, and we’re 

the only EOD force that has underwater capabilities.”

Navy EOD technicians also 

gave a hands-on opportunity for 

everyone to interact with their 

gear which included a Mark 16 

mixed-gas diving rig, SeaBotix 

underwater rover, and a Mark 12 

acoustic firing system. 

Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., 

co-chair of the Congressional EOD 

Caucus and a former Army EOD 

technician, spoke with Navy EOD 

techs and offered words of praise 

to EOD Group (EODGRU) 2 for 

their contributions after recently 

returning from Afghanistan leading Combined Joint Task Force 

(CJTF) Paladin and working alongside other EOD services. 

“I think that anytime you can 

have the level of success that 

they’ve had, and this underscores 

the joint nature of these operations 

over there, I just say congratulations,” said Crawford. “Group 2 has 

done great work and I’m sure they will 

continue to do great work.”

CJTF Paladin is responsible for all 

Counter-Improvised Explosive Device 

(C-IED) operations, training, evidence 

collection, and analysis in Afghanistan.

EODGRU 2, headquartered at Joint 

Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort 

Story (JEBLCFS), oversees all East 

Coast based Navy EOD mobile units, 

including one forward deployed mobile unit in Spain, as well as EOD Expeditionary Support Unit (EODESU) 

2, EOD Operational Support Unit (EODOSU) 10, EOD Training and Evaluation Unit (EODTEU) 2, and Mobile 

Diving & Salvage Unit (MDSU) 2.

Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician 1st Class Wesley Cody, right, demonstrates the use of an optics piece to 

the PackBot portable robotics system to 

a House staffer during the Congressional EOD Caucus’ EOD Day on the Hill. 

Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians 

speak with Rep. Scott Rigell, R-Va., during the Congressional EOD Caucus’ EOD Day on the Hill. 

Rep. Susan Davis, D-Calif., co-chair and co-founder 

of the Congressional EOD Caucus, speaks with Navy 

EOD technicians during the EOD Day on the Hill. 

U.S. Navy photos by Mass Communication 

Specialist 3rd Class Randy Savarese/Released)
November 2013 12

Navy Divers, Local Deputies 

Dive Together During 

Ardent Sentry 2013

By: Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Randy Savarese

PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. - Navy Divers assigned to Mobile Diving 

and Salvage Unit (MDSU) TWO and 

Beaufort County Sheriff’s Department 

SWAT Team divers worked together 

to increase hurricane and disaster response preparedness during exercise 

Ardent Sentry 13, May 13-17, 2013. 

Exercise Ardent Sentry is an annual 

NORAD and U.S. Northern Command 

(USNORTHCOM) exercise focused 

on Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA) scenarios to support civil 

authorities with military capabilities to 

save lives, prevent human suffering, and 

mitigate great property damage.

Navy and SWAT divers’ goals this 

week were centered on increasing the 

effective response of dive teams to natural disasters, such as surveying a damaged bridge due to a hurricane. This 

week’s dives were also in coordination 

with the Beaufort County Emergency 

Management Division. 

Senior Chief Navy Diver Russ 

Ciardello, a Master Diver assigned to 

MDSU TWO, believes exercises like 

these are a great opportunity for divers 

on both sides to observe how different 

dive teams operate through this week’s

 scenarios. 

It’s a chance for both agencies to 

interact and exchange valuable information, said Ciardello. “We can always 

learn from each other.”

In turn, SWAT divers gained valuable insight on Navy dive equipment and 

SCUBA diving procedures.

“Any tips we could get on how 

to make our diving safer and more effective to help better serve the county 

here and the sheriff’s officers, that’s 

our main goal and I definitely think that 

was met,” said Corporal 

Mark Cobb, Beaufort 

County Sheriff’s Office.

M D S U T W O i s 

based at Joint Expedit i o n a r y B a s e , L i t t l e 

Creek-Ft. Story in Virginia Beach, Va. and has 

successfully conducted 

salvage operations to 

support TWA Flight 800, 

Swiss Air Flight 111, 

the space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, 

the I-35W Mississippi 

River bridge collapse in 

Minnesota, the Civil War 

ironclad USS Monitor, 

and recovery of a downed 

F-16 Fighting Falcon off 

the coast of Italy.

Photo caption: Senior Chief 

Navy Diver Russ Ciardiello, 

Mobile Diving and Salvage 

Unit TWO Company 2-1 

Master Diver, discusses a 

diving operation with Corporal Mark Cobb of the 

Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office during operations in support of Ardent Sentry 2013. Exercise Ardent Sentry is an annual NORAD and 

U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) 

exercise focused on Defense Support of Civil 

Authorities (DSCA) scenarios to support civil 

authorities, when requested, with military capabilities to save live, prevent human suffering, 

and mitigate great property damage. (U.S. Navy 

photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd

Class Justin Whiteman/Released)
 November 2013 13

AQABA, Jordan – Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Technicians assigned to Commander, 

Task Group (CTG) 56.1, participated in exercise Eager Lion 2013 

in Jordan from June 9-20.

Eager Lion is an annual, multinational exercise designed to strengthen military relationships and enhance 

security and stability in the region by 

responding to modern day security 

scenarios.

“It’s always great to participate 

in joint exercises. Even though we’re 

from different countries, we share 

a common bond as EOD Technicians; that bond gives us something 

to build upon,” said EOD Technician 

1st Class Michael Dillon, assigned 

to CTG 56.1. “These relationships 

we create now are important for the 

future. Our two nations continue to 

gain confidence in each other’s abilities, allowing the next exercise to be 

as successful as this one.” 

Members of the U.S. Navy EOD 

trained together with members of the 

Royal Jordanian Navy EOD. Divers 

from both countries learned from each 

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Wyatt Huggett

U.S., JORDANIAN NAVY EXPLOSIVES 

TRAINING MAKES LASTING IMPACT

other and introduced effective tools 

and techniques that each country uses 

to accomplish its missions.

The exercise concluded with an 

awards presentation, attended by Jordanian Chief of Navy and CDR Matt 

Andrews, CTG 56.1. After the closing ceremony, CDR Andrews commented on the value of partnerships 

between low density expeditionary 

naval assets when a larger area/force 

footprint may be denied.

“It’s sometimes slow work, and 

requires a certain operational patience to maintain a persistent gaze 

toward the horizon of better relationships; but well worth it in the 

long run,” Andrews said. 

Each year, the EOD teams from 

both countries enjoy the opportunity 

to build upon their mutual respect to 

strengthen partnerships and capabilities. Both the U.S. and the Jordanian 

Divers are already looking forward 

to the next chance to work together.

Photo above: Explosive Ordnance Disposal 

Technician 2nd Class Charles Linder, assigned to Commander Task Group 56.1, and 

a sailor from the Royal Jordanian Navy prepare to surface after placing a charge for 

an underwater detonation during Exercise 

Eager Lion. Photo below: Sailors assigned 

to Commander Task Group (CTG) 56.1, and 

sailors from the Royal Jordanian Navy detonate charges during Exercise Eager Lion. 

(U.S. Navy photos by Mass Communication 

Specialist 3rd Class Wyatt Huggett/Released) 
November 2013 14

Researchers at the Naval Surface 

Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWCPCD) are investigating the 

possibility of equipping deep salvage 

divers with a life support rebreather. 

They are working to modify the 

Navy EX14 backpack for use with 

the Fly-Away Mixed Gas System 

(FMGS), with the potential to reduce surface supplied breathing 

gas consumption by eighty percent, 

reduce helmet noise, and increase 

emergency gas supply duration. 

Mobile Diving and Salvage 

Units (MDSU) meet their requirement to conduct manned diving 

operations to 300 feet of seawater 

(fsw) through use of the FMGS 

for a surface supplied diver. When 

diving deeper than 190 fsw, the nitrogen in air becomes narcotic and 

helium-oxygen breathing gas is 

needed. The FMGS provides rapid 

response to 300 fsw when the situational awareness, adaptability, and 

dexterity of a diver are needed. 

Major components are the control 

console, Air Supply Rack Assembly (ASRA), bottom mix HeliumOxygen Supply Rack Assembly 

(HOSRA), decompression mix HOSRA, 

and Oxygen Supply Rack Assembly 

(OSRA). When secured on a dive vessel 

the FMGS interfaces via an umbilical to 

the diver’s open circuit helmet and Emergency Gas System (EGS). 

Deck space required for an FMGS 

operation often competes with salvage 

rigging and recovered items. Operational cost is driven largely by airborne 

or other transportation, by support vessel size, and by consumables (primarily 

helium). On a deployment to the English Channel, MDSU TWO prepared for 

50 to 60 dives in 220-240 fsw using the 

existing FMGS open circuit system. A 

single FMGS would not provide enough 

gas for the mission, so a commercial 

8-tube compressed gas cylinder module 

(20’ x 8’ x 4’) and eight compressed gas 

cylinder cages (3’ x 3’ x 8’) were used. 

The gas stowage created a logistical 

challenge with a footprint of over 230 

square feet and 53,000 pounds. Using 

the EX14 rebreather, this MDSU TWO 

mission could have been performed with 

a standard FMGS (footprint of only 135 

square feet and 13,000 pounds).

Helium is essential for FMGS 

and for the Fly-Away Saturation 

Diving System (SATFADS) that 

puts Navy divers to work when 

their sustained presence to depths 

of 1,000 fsw is needed. SATFADS 

utilizes an integral helium reclaim 

system. A ready supply of helium 

has been a national concern since 

1925 when the United States Helium Reserve was created to protect 

it. Helium is becoming less available and more costly. The U.S. now 

manages about a third of the world’s 

supply in Amarillo, Texas. Helium availability has been impacted 

over the years by increased use in 

research and manufacturing that 

includes semiconductors and magnetic resonance imagers (MRIs). 

As recently as September 2013, at 

the urging of over 120 businesses 

and universities, Congress passed 

HR 527, “Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act”. 

Cost already impacts Navy dive training and operations and conservation of 

helium is becoming urgent.

The FMGS currently provides 

breathing gas through an umbilical to a 

demand regulated, open circuit, diverworn helmet. In each breathing cycle the 

inhalation is supported by the surface 

supplied gas and the exhalation is exNavy Investigates Life Support 

Recirculator for Surface Supplied 

Mixed Gas Diving

By: Dr. John Camperman and Mr. Joe Berger, Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division

EX14 Helmet and Backpack, 

Aquarius Habitat 2004 
November 2013 15

hausted to the sea. A large portion of oxygen and helium is wasted in the exhausted gas. A kit is proposed that integrates 

the FMGS surface supply gas umbilical, 

the commercial KM37 or KM37SS open 

circuit helmet, and the Navy EX14 semiclosed circuit rebreather. In this system 

the open circuit option is retained, but for 

normal diving most of the exhaled breath 

will not be vented to the sea but will be 

recirculated through a carbon dioxide 

scrubbing canister in the EX14 backpack. By recirculating the unconsumed 

oxygen and helium, 

only a small amount of 

breathing gas from the 

diver’s umbilical is required to make up for 

oxygen metabolized in 

each breath. The diver 

will consume only 

a fraction of the gas 

used during a current 

open circuit FMGS 

dive. The EX14 backpack also incorporates 

compressed gas flasks 

for emergency life 

support with significantly longer duration 

than the current EGS 

and a gas heater for 

use in extreme conditions, when hot water 

suits might also be 

used.

The EX14 backpack was originally 

developed by NSWCP CD, t hen tested

a n d r e c o m m e n d e d 

for saturation diving 

emergency life support 

by the Naval Experimental Diving Unit 

(NEDU). Test divers at the time gave it 

high marks for ease of set up, operation, 

and performance while conducting simulated working dives. It was also used in 

joint exercises with the National Oceanic 

and Atmospheric Administration and 

the National Aeronautics and Space Administration where divers and astronauts 

gave it high marks during planetary exploration simulations from the Aquarius 

underwater habitat. While it is not as 

thrifty with breathing gas as an electronic 

closed circuit rebreather, the fully mechanical ruggedized EX14 backpack is 

designed for salvage diving. It appears 

to be a good fit for surface supplied diving that will increase the number of dives 

supported by a standard FMGS system 

by a factor of four or five.

NSWCPCD engineers conducted 

a feasibility analysis and then proposed 

using the EX14 with the FMGS. 

With endorsements from MDSU, 

SUPDIVE, and the Office of Naval 

Research (ONR) Science Advisor 

to the Navy Expeditionary Combat 

Command, funding was provided from 

ONR (Warfighter Performance and 

TechSolutions). Developmental analysis 

and testing are currently underway in 

the NSWCPCD Underwater Systems 

Development and Acquisitions Branch 

and Hydrospace Laboratory. Results 

to date are promising. The plan forward includes refining prototypes for 

more engineering tests and reviewing 

findings with NEDU and MDSU. The 

goal is to have dive ready backpack integration kits staged by the winter of 

2014 for certification testing when 

possible. 

Dr. Camperman serves as the NSWCPCD 

Diving and Life Support Senior Scientist 

and Joe Berger HTCS(DV) (ret.) provides 

Diving Systems In-Service Engineering support. NSWCPCD is tasked with 

the Diving and Life Support Technical 

Capability for the NAVSEA Warfare 

Centers, and provides life support systems development, in-service engineering, and depot support for the Navy 

and numerous government agencies that 

operate in extreme environments.

 Open Circuit Helmet Surface Supplied Diving
November 2013 16

Navy Sailors, Divers

Find and Salvage Downed F-16C Aircraft

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Navy Sailors

and Divers from Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) TWO, 

embarked aboard the Navy’s rescue and salvage ship USNS GRASP 

(T-ARS 51), found and salvaged a

downed F-16 aircraft off the coast

of Virginia, August 6-20.

The downed aircraft was one of 

two F-16 fighter jets from the 113th

Wing, D.C. Air National Guard that 

clipped wings mid-air during a routine 

training mission 35 miles southeast of 

Chincoteague, Va., August 1. The other 

aircraft involved in the incident was 

able to fly back to Joint Base Andrews 

in Md. without further incident.

The MDSU TWO Area Search 

Platoon (ASP) 201 departed Virginia Beach August 6 and began seven 

days of search operations to find the 

aircraft. Staging out of Chincoteague 

Island, Va., the team of six Navy 

Sailors, led by Operations Specialist 

Chief William Earp, conducted both 

towed and autonomous side-scan sonar searches of more than 10 square 

By: EOD Group 2 Public Affairs

miles of ocean bottom, before locating the F-16 approximately three miles 

from the point of the mid-air incident.

pieces of the jet from a depth of 107 

feet. The next day, the divers recovered 

the flight data recorder, commonly referred to as the “black box.”

Diving operations ended August 19 

after recovering key debris. The remnants of the aircraft and the flight data 

recorder are being transferred to Joint 

Base Andrews for examination by the 

Air Force’s Safety Investigation Board. 

“I’d like to thank the Sailors, 

Navy Divers and Civilian Mariners 

for their cooperation and expertise at 

locating and recovering the aircraft, 

including the flight data recorder,” 

said Brigadier General Marc Sasseville, Commander, 113th Wing, D.C. 

Air National Guard. “These key items 

will help us to understand what happened and what we can do to prevent a similar occurrence.”

MDSU TWO is an expeditionary 

mobile unit based at Joint Expeditionary Base, Little Creek-Ft. Story in 

Virginia Beach, Va., and has successfully conducted salvage operations to 

support TWA Flight 800, Swiss Air 

Flight 111, the space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, the I-35W Mississippi River bridge collapse in Minnesota, the Civil War ironclad USS 

Monitor, and recovery of a down military jet off the coast of Italy.

USNS GRASP is crewed by U.S. 

Navy’s Military Sealift Command 

(MSC), which operates approximately 

110 noncombatant U.S. Navy civiliancrewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy 

ships, conduct specialized missions, strategically preposition combat cargo at sea 

around the world, and move military cargo and supplies used by deployed U.S. 

forces and coalition partners.

On August 14, the MDSU 

2 ASP found and recovered aircraft debris using a remote operated vehicle. With the crash 

site located, the ASP turned 

over the operation to Navy Divers from Mobile Diving and 

Salvage (MDS) Company 2-4 

who arrived on GRASP after a 

small-boat transfer.

The MDS Company 2-4 

divers began surface-supplied 

diving operations August 16 

and recovered part of the aircraft from the ocean floor by 

using a basket to raise large 

Divers clear the side of the ship and are lowered on the diving stage into the water during air surface supplied diving operations off 

the coast of Virginia. Navy Divers performed 

deep-sea salvage operations aboard the rescue and salvage ship USNS GRASP 

(T-ARS 51) to recover the wreckage.

Navy Divers wait on the diving stage to be lowered into the water during air surface supplied 

diving operations off the coast of Virginia. Navy 

Divers performed deep-sea salvage operations 

aboard the rescue and salvage ship USNS GRASP 

(T-ARS 51) to recover the wreckage.

U.S. Navy photos by: Mass Communication 

Specialist 1st Class Ernesto Hernandez Fonte/

RELEASED).
 November 2013 17

Navy Diver 2020

By: CDR Michael Runkle

Since the times of Alexander the 

Great, who reportedly descended 

in a diving bell around 330 BC, man has 

sought to work underwater to exploit 

the rich bounty of resources or conduct 

military operations. As knowledge and 

technology advanced, so did the duration 

and depth at which man could effectively 

work. However, we are designed to operate at 14.7 psi 

in a roughly 80/20 mix of 

N2

O2. Anything other than 

this causes complications. 

Each technological breakthrough encountered new 

human physiological limitations. Today, mixed gas 

diving takes a Navy diver 

to 300 fsw, while saturation 

diving can get the diver to 

1000 fsw. However, mixed 

gas diving can have up to a 

5 to 1 ratio of non-productive decompression time to 

productive working time. 

Saturation diving solves the 

non-productive decompression issues by delaying the 

decompression to the end of 

the project. This technique 

is complicated by poorly 

understood but significant 

chronic medical risks for career saturation divers. Not to 

mention the large and complex systems required to support a saturation dive. 

In order to improve 

the eff e c t i v e n e s s a n d 

safety of man-in-the-sea 

there are three paths that 

could be followed: 

1. Conduct work using remote vehicles. Take man out of the sea.

2. Make changes/improvements

to our physiology to adapt to 

the environment.

3. Make changes/improvements to

our technology to protect us 

from the environment.

Technologic advances in Unmanned 

Underwater Vehicles (UUV) both Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and 

autonomous vehicles have been significant in recent years but, despite their popularity, still cannot fully replace a man in 

the water. If you’ve ever spent 8 hours 

watching a video feed from a ROV trying 

to attach a hook to a D-ring, you’ve seen 

some of the limitations of unmanned 

vehicles. No technology can currently 

beat the vision, dexterity, mobility, tactile sensing, and real-time adaptability 

of a human diver in the water. Exploration is meant to inspire the next generation to surpass the current. How many 

people do you know are inspired by the 

idea of sitting in a chair with a Xbox 

controller, watching exploration on a TV 

monitor? We are governed by our senses 

and to most people, things aren’t “real” 

unless they are actually experienced. 

In this aspect, the challenges facing the 

exploration of the sea parallel that of 

the manned space program. 

Astronaut Gus Grissom’s 

quote regarding exploration 

of the moon is appropriate to 

highlight: “Our God-given 

curiosity will force us to go 

there ourselves because in 

the final analysis, only man 

can fully evaluate the moon 

in terms understandable to

other men.”

So too is exploration and 

work beneath the sea. UUVs 

are very important but they 

are complements to the diver, not replacements.

So to put man-in-the sea 

we must protect man from 

the hazards faced therein. 

Advances in human physiology and mitigations have 

been the focus of much of 

the diving related research 

and development of the past 

decades. Investigations into 

gas mixtures, optimize decompression profiles and 

pharmacological solutions 

are all meant to adapt the 

human body better into the 

alien environment of the 

underwater world. Each advance has had its own associated operational and 

medical risk. To date much of our knowledge remains anecdotal rather than truly 

comprehensive (e.g., We know a 60/60 

no-decompression dive works because 

we’ve done it thousands of times rather 

than fully know what is happening inside 

the body). Nor do we yet understand the 

mechanisms of decompression illness 
 November 2013 18

despite over 100 years of research. Work 

continues in perflourocarbon emulsions, 

hyper-oxygenation of blood, and nitrogen 

absorbing nanoparticles, among other 

things. These technologies have a myriad 

of benefits beyond diving in their uses for 

battlefield medicine and traumatic brain 

injuries, but we are decades away from 

practical application in the diving field. 

We can continue to hope for the miracle 

“decompression pill”, but hope cannot 

be our only course of action. 

One atmosphere suits present a technological solution to the physiological limitations faced by a diver. A diver 

encapsulated in a hard suit does not require exotic mixed gases nor is exposed 

to increased pressure requiring post dive 

decompression. However current generation suits are extremely cumbersome and 

require large handling systems to launch 

and recover. They cannot be considered 

equivalent to a diver in the water, as 

their large size makes them essentially 

man-shaped submersibles. Additionally, 

the hand manipulator of a suit is a simple 

open/close appendage that cannot perform complex tasks. Technological innovation in the fields of materials, joint 

design and underwater appendages will 

be required to build a suit that more 

closely mimics the mobility and dexterity of an in-water diver.

NAVSEA 00C is now pursuing new 

research to develop a light-weight one atmosphere diving suit (LADS), in collaboration with various programs under the 

Office of Navy Research (ONR). As the 

aviation community has “Skunkworks” to 

develop advanced aircraft technology at 

Area 51, so the Navy has “Swampworks” 

in ONR. The goal of these projects is to 

develop a LADS that will have the ability 

to: walk and swim under the divers’ own 

power to a depth of 1000fsw, be deployed 

and recovered via current surface supplied diver handling systems, and have 

a hand manipulator with multiple fingers 

to give near equivalent dexterity to that 

of an in-water diver. This suit would provide a MDSU or UCT the ability to effectively work at significant depths without the physiological hazards/limitations 

currently faced by in-water divers. Such 

a suit would be able to operate current 

underwater tools without modification 

and be worn by divers without significant retraining or changes to the organization’s manpower or structure.

Man will always need to work in the 

sea. For the purpose of commercial, scientific or military purposes, the ocean is 

a world that will call us to explore and 

work. True effectiveness and inspiration will only come from man physically entering the world, vice visiting remotely. To facilitate this, NAVSEA 00C 

continues to research technology that 

will protect man and enhance the capability of underwater work.

As depicted, the Navy Diver 2020 is 

working at 1000fsw, with ROV’s providing tool and worksite support. This is the 

future we are working on today.

Continued from page 10.

Supporting Projects Outside of NEDU

NEDU crew members also provide 

on-site physical and technical support to 

multiple projects outside of NEDU, such 

as the development and certification process of the Saturation – Fly Away Diving System (SAT FADS), co-located with 

NEDU in Panama City. SAT FADS certification culminated with NEDU crew 

members participating in a 1000 fsw open 

ocean Sat Dive in May of 2012. NEDU 

has also recently been tasked to provide 

various levels of unmanned and manned 

testing to meet the certification requirements for the Shallow Water Combat 

Submersible (SWCS) and the Submarine 

Rescue System Programs. 

 In 2012, NEDU was responsible for the

testing of the modernized MK 16 MOD 

1 UBA for EOD, which required NEDU 

crew members to conduct unmanned and 

manned dives with the modernized MK 

16 to include 150 fsw and 300 fsw openocean dives for system certification. . 

NEDU has specific tasking to provide continuous routine and rapid specialized mission support response for 

SOF and other fleet assets performing 

missions around the world which are vital to national security. NEDU’s specialized mission support also includes allied 

SOF units, which are currently fielding 

equipment and procedures developed by 

NEDU under international collaborative 

agreements governed by various military 

sponsors, including the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM). 

Additionally, NEDU is involved with 

collaborative projects with the Air Force 

and National Institute for Occupational 

Health and Safety (NIOSH), providing equipment evaluation and testing 

to improve the performance for aircraft 

and mine safety systems and equipment.

This limited snapshot of NEDU does

not begin to describe the extraordinary 

work that the unit and its crew members 

perform on a daily basis. Duty at NEDU 

provides Sailors, both divers and nondivers, with exceptional opportunities 

to excel as members of an elite team of 

professionals: performing undersea research that has direct and timely impact 

to military diving missions world-wide. 

The performance of the current 

NEDU crew members should make 

those of us who have served here in the 

past proud. Duty at the NEDU of today 

does not just mean you get confined to 

diving in a tank; we continue to uphold 

the U.S. Navy Deep Sea Diver motto: 

“We Dive the World Over...”.

Jim Brawley, HMCM (DSW/FMF/PJ), USN 

(Ret.), NEDU Biomedical Research / Operations Dept. 

Navy Experimental Dive Unit 86 Years of Excellence

Photo: Concept Light-weight One Atmosphere 

diving suit (LADS) with helper ROV’s. Illustrator: Sean Dickman

CDR Runkle is a diving officer assigned to 

Navy Expeditionary Combat Command. 
November 2013 19

SEABEE Divers Work on the 

Pacific Missile Range Facility

By: UCT Two Construction Mechanic 1st Class James Richardson and 

Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Mathew Diendorf

KAUAI, Hawaii - Diving in the Pacific 

Ocean off the Pacific Missile Range 

Facility (PMRF), SEABEE divers assigned to Underwater Construction Team 

TWO spent two months conducting maintenance and repair on the world’s largest 

underwater training range. 

The project represents both valuable 

operational experience for UCT TWO and 

much needed maintenance to the range. 

“PMRF is a valuable training ground, 

the underwater cables allow communication and tracking capabilities with submarines during underwater training exercises,” said Mike Dick, range manager. 

“We have tried to accomplish this mission with commercial units but no one 

has been able to match the quality, efficiency, or cost savings provided by the 

SEABEES. They have been invaluable in 

the maintenance of this range.”

The team put in six-day work weeks 

inspecting cable systems, installing and 

stabilizing protective split pipe, replacing cathodic protection, and correcting 

damage due to abrasion, corrosion, and 

sand scouring from the winter storms. 

They totaled 86 dives to depths ranging 

from 7 to 110 feet with a total bottom 

time of 216 hours.

“It is a privilege to be able to dive in 

such clear and warm water,” said Steel.

Worker 1st Class James Kirk.

“Usually our diving conditions are dark

and cold water.”

The repairs and maintenance ensure 

that the range will remain operational 

in order to support future fleet-wide exercises. SEABEE Divers are a special 

breed that combine the construction skills 

of a SEABEE with that of a deep sea 

Navy Diver.

The Divers come from Naval Construction Battalions where they hone 

their individual job skills in the construction field and then spend six months 

at the Naval Diving Salvage Training 

Center learning to apply those skills in 

an underwater environment.

UCT TWO was able to do some 

community outreach while here, providing an orientation brief to a group of 

Civil Air Patrol cadets from Worcester, 

Mass., during a tour of PMRF.

The divers explained what SEABEE 

Divers do and what equipment they use. 

“I knew the divers had a unique 

mission in the Navy,” said Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Mathew 

Diendorf. “I wanted to show the cadets a 

snapshot of a job you don’t normally see 

in the military.” 

The orientation included a look at 

some different types of dive gear, a recompression chamber, and support crafts. 

The 14-member team also volunteered a day’s worth of their construction 

skills to the Kauai Habitat for Humanity by helping give the ReStore building a much needed facelift. 

“I felt honored to have helped provide a positive impact in the Kauai community,” said Chief Hospital Corpsman 

Timothy Kerr. “It’s nice to get back to 

‘ol’ fashioned’ Seabee work sometimes.” 

“The PMRF cable project was a 

great experience,” said Chief Construction Electrician Adam Winters. “It 

combined world class diving with blue 

collar hard work.”

UCT TWO was glad they could contribute to the maintenance of the underwater range, Winters said.

The next deployment stop for UCT 

TWO is Timor Leste where they will 

construct a rubble mound pier and conduct both dive and construction training 

with the Timorese military.

Picture captions left to right: Builder 2nd Class 

Christopher Farmer installs steel armor around 

seafloor cable in 100 feet of water at the PMRF 

Barking Sands (Photo by CEC Adam Winters); 

Steel Worker 2nd Class Metro Sayre attaches a 

project line to a cable for a future stabilization 

point at the PMRF Barking Sands (Photo by 

CEC Adam Winters); Construction Mechanic 2nd

Class Trevor Buckett inspects and cleans a deepwater buoy at the PMRF Barking Sands (Photo 

by Steel Worker 2nd Class Metro Sayre).
November 2013 20

I

n a U.S. Navy Fleet of aircraft carriers, 

nuclear submarines and amphibious 

assault ships, it’s a curious question how 

salvage vessels acquired the nickname 

‘junk boats.’

 As with any good sea story, there 

are multiple accounts of its origin.

 An undisputable fact about junk boats, 

however, is that salvage vessels, like the 

USNS GRASP (T-ARS 51), have long 

operated as a platform for Navy Divers.

According to the Captain of USNS 

GRASP (T-ARS 51), Peter Long, the 

term junk boat is a historic legacy from 

early salvage operations.

“In the old salvage days, salvage 

ships would attempt to recover what they 

could from wreckage sites,” said Long, 

a civilian mariner with the Military Sealift Command (MSC). “If they couldn’t 

bring it back in total, they brought back 

as much as they could. And so, they came 

back with a lot of ‘junk’.”

Senior Chief Navy Diver, Russell 

Ciardiello, Master Diver of Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 2, Company 2-1, reports a slightly different version.

“Back then, there was more importance - and money - put into war-fighting 

ships,” said Ciardiello. “When salvage 

vessels needed repairs or replacement 

parts, they had to find them in the junkyards.”

Either way, the nickname stuck. And 

junk boats - still a key operating platform for Navy Divers, like those from 

MDSU TWO based at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story.

On June 28, MDSU TWO, Company 2-1, aboard the USNS GRASP 

completed a 24-day training exercise in

Key West, Florida.

“The training in Key West included 

mixed-gas diving, surface supplied diving, diving the MK 16 rebreather, chamber operations, and emergency procedure 

drills,” said Chief Navy Diver Jason 

Smith, Chief Petty Officer at Company 

Junk Boat Divers:

Past and Present

By: Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nicholas S. Tenorio

2-1. “We also assisted the ship’s crew 

with mooring operations.”

Onboard USNS GRASP and other 

SAFEGUARD Class vessels are flyaway surface supplied dive systems and 

a decompression chamber.

“The fly-away system can be operated from port or starboard side without any 

modification,” said Ciardiello. “It’s very 

easy and efficient to shift based on sea 

state and current. Having a chamber on 

board, inside the skin of the ship, you’re 

protected by the elements. If we had a real 

casualty, and had to treat a guy for several hours in the chamber, the ship could 

easily get underway and head into port.”

In addition to dive training, life 

aboard a salvage vessel tests the fundamental seamanship skills of Navy Divers.

“Most people don’t realize the level 

of seamanship that is required of divers,” said Smith, a former Boatswain’s 

Mate 1st Class. “We use line handling 

and rigging every day in our jobs, especially aboard junk boats.”

Company 2-1 is scheduled for 

deployment aboard the USNS GRASP 

to South America as part of Southern Partnership Station. During this 

6-month deployment, Company 2-1 

divers are scheduled to sail from port 

to port, working with military divers 

of partner countries to improve their 

diving skills and capacities.

“Working with Divers from other 

countries is a great exchange of information,” said Chief Hospital Corpsman 

Christopher Precht, the Diving Medical 

Technician with Company 2-1. “It’s an 

opportunity for our Divers to practice 

their own skills, as well as travel and work

with people from different cultures.” 

 “When salvage boats were first commissioned, there were two classifications of 

Navy Divers,” said Ciardiello. “Junk boat 

divers and non-junk boat divers.”

“The duty aboard these vessels 

was just that arduous,” said Ciardiello, 

“The diver would stand bridge watch and 

engineering watch. They were anchor duty 

and team leaders on the fire party. On top 

of it all, they had to take care of the dive 

system onboard.”

USNS GRASP is still a Navy-owned 

vessel, but her crew is made up of civilian 

mariners from MSC. The civilian mariners aboard include able body seaman, 

stewards, communication operators, engineers, and a navigation crew. 

“We can do salvage operations, harbor clearance, and pulling off stranded 

vessels,” said Long. “We have surface 

supplied air that can put divers down to 

190 feet. We can unload mixed gas and 

get divers to 300 feet. We’ve salvaged 

gear from as low as 4,000 feet deep utilizing remote operated vehicles. This ship 

can also tow an aircraft carrier, and we’ve 

done a number of towing jobs.”

“This type of vessel has always been 

held in a high regard in Navy diving,” said 

Ciardiello. “All the big jobs were onboard 

a junk boat. TWA Flight 800 was onboard 

a junk boat. The Monitor salvage inspections were done onboard a junk boat. 

The USS LAGARTO identification in the 

Gulf of Thailand, a WWII submarine that 

hadn’t been seen in 60 years, was identified onboard a junk boat.”

“The junk boat’s history, every diver 

knows about,” said Ciardiello. “And for 

the guys to get on here, they feel like 

they got a little piece of diving history. 

It’s a pride thing.”

Photo caption: Navy Divers 1st Class Brett 

Harkey and Seaman Zoe Young, both assigned 

to Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit Two 

(MDSU TWO), descend through the water column while diving the MK 16 Mod 1 Rebreather during MDSU2’s Fleet Readiness Training 

Program (FRTP) in Key West, FL. (U.S. Navy 

photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd

Class Nicholas S. Tenorio/Released)
 November 2013 21

Jascon 4 Rescue

By: Aaron M. Lay

There was nothing unusual about the 

evening of Sunday, May 26th, 2013, 

for the crew of the Lewek Toucan. The 

boat, chartered by West African Ventures 

(WAV), was about four hours off the west 

African coast of Nigeria. A team of SAT 

divers employed by DCN Offshore was 

busy working on the 16-inch OkpohoOkono pipeline replacement. “We were 

prepping the old pipeline for flushing and 

decommissioning operations and putting concrete mattresses on the pipeline 

at that stage. We must have been about 

two weeks on the job,” remembers Colby 

Werret, SAT supervisor for DCN.

As midnight approached, it was just 

another day at sea. Then the call came in. 

“We got a call stating that there was 

another WAV vessel that had gotten into 

trouble. That was the original report. 

There was basically a mayday call, and 

we were told to stand by because we may 

have to leave to go on a rescue. We didn’t 

think much of it at the time because we 

were busy diving,” Werret recalls.

What the divers and crew of the 

Lewek Toucan did not yet know was that 

the tugboat, Jascon 4, had already capsized and sunk with 12 souls onboard. It 

had been servicing a tanker at a Single 

Buoy Mooring (SBM #3) station about 

30 kilometers off the coast of Escravos, 

Nigeria. Large swells and bad weather 

were reported at the time of the accident. 

The exact cause is still unknown. 

Eventually, more information about 

the accident made its way to the Toucan. 

Werret states, “We began to understand 

that the Jascon 4 had sunk, and we were 

told that we must go. But we had six guys 

in SAT at that stage, and they had already 

been in SAT a couple of days and stored 

at 73 meters. That was their storage depth 

when we got the call. We were told that 

the sunken vessel was at a depth of about 

30 meters. So, we started the decompression to bring them to this new working 

depth at midnight on the 25th, and on 

the 26th, we left early to head to the site. 

It was a 16-hour steam to get from our 

location to theirs, which was about 30 

kilometers off the coast of Escrovos.” 

It was now clear to Werret and his 

crew of divers what exactly they were 

about to be faced with. Everyone knew 

that the chance of finding survivors was 

slim to none. Reports of fruitless search 

efforts involving helicopters and other 

vessels were coming in. Morale was 

pretty low during the 16-hour trek to the 

wreck site. Werret recalls, “We knew 

that, because the vessel had sunk, our job 

was going to be strictly body recovery.

We knew we had to do what we had 

to do, and we wanted to get it over with. 

The families of the men onboard really 

wanted their loved ones’ remains back. 

This was especially true for the Nigerians because of their cultural beliefs - it 

was apparently very important for them. 

So we knew that what we were doing 

was important to a lot of grieving families. Everyone assumed there weren’t going to be any survivors.” 

33-year-old diver from Cape Town, 

Nico van Heerden, has been diving professionally for eight years. Van Heerden 

echos Werret’s sentiment regarding the 

pall that had been cast over the guys on 

the Toucan after getting their orders to 

mobilize to the wreck site where there 

were certainly no survivors expected. 

“None of us had ever done anything 

like that before. It was a bit of grim 

feeling amongst us. When we got there, 

the mood was just horrible among all 

the divers in SAT. We knew we were 

going to be finding dead bodies, and 

the mood was absolutely terrible.” .

 By the time the DCN divers got to 

the scene, a Nigerian oilfield service provider, had already done some exploratory 

air diving to determine the exact position of the Jascon 4 on the seabed. They 

marked the location with two buoys and 

“established that she was upside down 

lying on the seabed at a depth of about 30 

meters with her starboard side up and her 

port side down with her bow pointing up. 

They also knocked on the hull checking 

for possible survivors but heard nothing. 

No response. I mean, you find a vessel at 

the bottom of the ocean, you don’t expect 

any survivors,” admits Werret.

Because of the scourge of piracy, 

kidnappings and hijackings off the coasts 

of Africa, commercial vessels operating 

in the region have very high security protocols which requires all exterior doors 

to be locked and sealed shut after dark. 

When the boat sank, it was locked down 

tight. Werret admits that his guys knew 

that getting those doors broken down was 

going to be the first step in getting the job 

done. “They told us before we went down 

to expect all these doors to be locked and 

told us how we would have to break into 

them.” It was time to get to work.

DCN divers were eager to get in 

the water and put this unfortunate and 

totally unexpected task behind them. 

When Team 2, consisting of van Heerden, 

Andre Erasmus and Darryl Oosthuizen, 

got in the bell and headed down to 

the wreck, it was almost 70 hours since 

the boat had sunk. 

Van Heerden discusses the difficulty of breaking into doors that were 

designed specifically not to be broken 

into. “I can’t even explain how difficult 

breaking down the doors to the vessel 

was. All the doors were latched on the 

inside, so getting in from the outside was 
 November 2013 22

very difficult. Once I got the watertight 

door open, there was another steel door 

that I had to break down. It was extremely difficult. It took me about an hour.” 

Once van Heerden was inside the 

vessel, the grisly task of body recovery 

was underway. “Once I got inside, there 

was absolute zero visibility, and crawling 

around inside the vessel was a very eerie. 

The boat was upside down sitting in the 

mud, and the floor was the ceiling and the 

ceiling was the floor. The furniture was 

everywhere, and it was an absolute mess 

inside. I went through the bridge and 

found one body there. I found out later 

that I missed one in that location because 

another team found him. Apparently, 

only a foot was sticking out of the mud 

- just to give you an idea of how quickly 

the mud starting rushing in and settling 

down once the vessel hit bottom. We 

broke into the ‘castle deck and retrieved 

to more there. I went downstairs to the 

main deck, but because the boat was upside down, I crawled up the stairs. This 

was quite difficult because of the gear 

on my back. It was a small space. I went 

up there and there was a little foyer with 

a few doors off the landing. I was still 

getting my bearings, checking left and 

right and feeling my way around. Like I 

said, visibility was terrible...that’s when I 

saw a hand pass in front of my face and 

touch me on the shoulder. Because this 

was over 60 hours after the boat sank, 

I wasn’t expecting to find anyone alive, 

and then this guy taps me on the shoulder. I got cold. My blood ran dead cold. 

I almost had a heart attack. When I first 

looked and saw the hand, it was still. I 

first thought that it was just a body that 

I had accidently touched as I was moving around. As I stuck my hand out to 

grab the hand to move ‘the body’ closer 

to recover it, the hand starting moving. 

I can’t even explain to you what that 

was like. I really felt as if I was going 

to pass out at that moment. I was scared, 

but then I was just so relieved and happy to find someone alive.” 

Van Heerden had just found Harrison 

Okene, a 29 year old Nigerian man who 

was the cook on board the Jascon 4. As 

the cold Atlantic waters began rapidly 

surging down the passageways, somehow Okene found a pocket of breathable 

air that, according to Werret, measured 

about five to six 

cubic meters. The 

fact that this one 

physical space in 

the boat had not 

been flooded was 

pure luck.

By the time 

van Heerden found 

him, Okene had 

been marooned 

o n t h e s e a b e d , 

trapped 30 meters underwater, 

mostly naked and 

in complete darkness in an overturned boat with 

no food or drink 

for 62 hours. Van 

Heerden recounts 

finding Okene, 

“He said that he 

saw the light from 

m y h a t m o v i n g 

around from where 

he was. There was 

no light where he 

was of course. It was 

absolute pitch black. He said he heard 

me breaking down the doors and moving 

things around and said he was banging, 

but I couldn’t hear anything. You can 

hear very little from inside the hat. Also, 

he was banging against wooden paneling 

on the walls, which I probably couldn’t 

have heard anyway. He went into the water until just his head was sticking out. 

That’s when he tapped me.” 

As soon as Werret, who was topside 

supervising the dive, realized that his 

guys had found a survivor, everything 

went into overdrive. “Originally, the plan 

was to get him out of the vessel and into 

the air basket and bring him up on deck, 

but I told everyone that this was a bad 

idea. I was worried about the buildup of 

nitrogen in Okene’s tissues and the requirement for decompression. The superintendent and I began discussing the fact 

that he had been down there so long that 

he was at severe risk of a decompression 

related illness or injury if Okene was returned to the surface immediately. So I 

realized that we needed to phone DCN’s 

diving doctor and get a good understanding of how we should proceed without 

trying to rush and bring him up because 

he wasn’t very well when we found 

him. He was suffering from carbon dioxide poisoning, and he was very short 

of breath and delirious. We were very 

worried about him at this stage because 

we didn’t know how long it was going 

to take to get him out of that situation. 

So the DCN doctor said that [Okene] 

had just been down too long. He had 

to be treated as if he had been in saturation like DCN’s divers. That’s when 

we commenced the rescue operation to 

bring him to the diving bell and manage Okene’s return to surface pressure 

by keeping him in a pressurized environment,” Werret anxiously remembers. 

Although the mood among the DCN 

team had significantly improved since 

they first arrived at the site, tensions were 

still very high. They had found a survivor. Now they had to keep him alive. Van 

Heerden describes being down there with 

Okene, “I think I stayed with him for 

about two hours while they decided what 

we were going to do with him. I did have 

to leave him a few times. I went out to get 

him a bottle of water and the hat and har-
 November 2013 23

ness about an hour after I found him. Obviously, I wanted to keep the time I was 

away from him to a minimum. I mean, he 

was in shock already and had been down 

there for 62 hours.” Werret adds, “After 

Nico brought him the harness and hat, I 

started talking to him and asked his name 

and position on the boat. That’s when we 

found out he was the cook! We left him in 

there for about 20 minutes breathing on 

the hat to get him used to it. This was also 

to let the helium and oxygen clear his 

brain because he was suffering from carbon dioxide poisoning so badly. I didn’t 

want to tell him too much of what was 

going on and what had happened because 

I didn’t want him panicking and endangering my divers in any way. I made him 

hold the umbilical in front of him and told 

him to focus on that because my biggest 

concern the entire time was that he might 

try to pull the hat off one of the divers in 

a panic. So, I just tried to keep talking 

to him to keep him calm so he wouldn’t 

pose any risk to my divers in any way.”

Once Okene had had some much 

needed water and air, van Heerden helped 

to transfer him to the bell that Werret had 

maneuvered to within about five meters 

from the wreck. Because Okene was in 

complete darkness for nearly three days 

and in total shock with no concept of time 

or space, his perception of exactly where 

he was was very skewed. Van Heerden 

recalls that Okene “actually thought that 

when we swam out of the vessel that he 

was just going to step out into the fresh 

air. But when he got to the outside of 

the vessel and saw the bell, there’s 30 

meters of water over his head! He said 

that he thought the boat had simply capsized and was floating around on the surface, which was certainly not the case.” 

Once he swam out of the wreck with 

van Heerden, Okene may have been utterly confused to find that he was actually on the bottom of the ocean instead 

of floating on the surface as he thought, 

but he must have known that the strange 

looking dive bell in front of him was his 

ticket home. He was now in good hands. 

Werret discusses transferring Okene to 

the bell, “I shortened all the lines and 

did everything I could to minimize any 

risk when they were moving him from 

the wreck to the bell. I got the bell in 

very close, and that’s when we did the 

through-water transfer. We put the umbilicals away, closed the hatches, put 

the seal on the bell, pulled the bell back 

to the surface and locked onto the SAT 

system, and that’s when he transferred 

to the accommodations chamber. He 

was able to get food and water, and he

This article first appeared in the September/

October edition of UnderWater Magazine, the 

official publication of the Association of Diving Contractors International. For more, please 

visit www.underwatermagazine.com.

was finally safe.” Okene had to remain 

in decompression for two more days before he could welcome the warmth of the 

sun and the cool sea breeze on his face. 

After Okene was safe and had regained his senses, he began to tell DCN 

divers the particulars of his horrific 

ordeal. Van Heerden solemnly recalls, 

“See, a Nigerian subsea company had 

already been there right after the vessel 

went down doing air dives and marking 

the wreck with buoys. They were banging around on the hull checking for survivors, and they couldn’t hear anything. 

But they were air diving and had limited 

time. They didn’t have time to open the 

doors. It took me an entire hour to break 

one door down. Everyone was certain 

there was no one alive inside. Harrison told us that he could hear them the 

first time there were divers down there 

banging and clanging and thought they 

had surely come to his rescue. But they 

couldn’t hear him responding. The cabin 

he was in was right against the hull, but 

there were about four inches between the 

metal of the hull and the wood panel he 

was banging on. Can you imagine this 

from Harrison’s point of view? He’s hearing all these people banging around on the 

hull and he’s trying to make noise. Then, 

everything goes dead again for two days. 

Nothing. I mean, if it was me, I would 

have thought, ‘Well, this is the end.’’’ 

Van Heerden adds, “All hope of getting 

out alive must have just faded away. I 

can’t even imagine going through what 

we went through. Absolute hell.”

As grueling as Okene’s harrowing 

survival was, it marks a unique first in 

diving history. Van Heerden explains, 

“From what I understand, this is the 

first time anyone has ever been rescued 

from a sunken vessel at that depth into 

a SAT system and survived the whole 

thing. So, it’s quite unique.” 

Harrison Okene is reportedly doing 

well and has been reunited with his wife 

and family in Nigeria. Reports that have 

surfaced online state that Okene does not 

know whether or not he will return to sea.

Property of DCN Diving
 November 2013 24

37 of the Navy’s newest Chief Petty 

Officers (CPOs) were presented their 

anchors during Explosive Ordnance 

Disposal Group TWO (EODGRU TWO) 

CPO pinning ceremony at Drexler Manor 

onboard Joint Expeditionary Base Little 

Creek-Fort Story, September 2013. . 

During the ceremony, 19 Navy explosive ordnance disposal technicians, 

13 expeditionary warfare support personnel, and five Navy Divers were 

pinned with the coveted fouled anchors 

on their khaki uniform and were assisted 

in donning their CPO combination cover by families and friends.

 “For 120 years, United States Navy 

Chief Petty Officers have been charged 

with a leadership role like no other. No 

one trains, develops, and molds Sailors 

like the Chief,” said Senior Chief Navy 

Diver Michael Woods, master of ceremonies for today’s pinning. “There’s a saying that goes, ‘Officers run the Navy, but 

Chiefs make the Navy run.’”

Receiving the CPO anchors and 

cover represents a significant career 

milestone and an increased level of responsibility for these senior non-commissioned officers and deckplate leaders. 

“Today is a special day that each 

of you will remember for the rest of 

Navy EOD Techs, Divers, and 

Expeditionary Warfare Sailors 

Receive Chief Anchors

By: EOD Group 2 Public Affairs

A ssuspected 

torpedo discovered by two 

divers in the waters just off the coast of 

Thatcher Island, Mass., was safely detonated in place by Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians from 

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile 

Unit (EODMU) TWELVE Det. Newport, 

August 27.

 The divers reported what they thought 

to be a torpedo to U.S. Coast Guard 

(USCG) Sector Boston who then requested EODMU TWELVE Det. Newport’s 

help in identifying and removing the 

ordnance.

Marine growth on the suspected torpedo precluded positive identification so

your lives,” said Captain John Coffey, 

Commander EODGRU TWO. “It marks 

the day you join the most effective leadership body in the United States military; 

the Chief’s Mess.”

The Navy’s CPO rank has been in 

existence since April 1, 1893. 

EODGRU 2, headquartered at Joint 

Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort 

Story (JEBLCFS), oversees all East 

Coast based Navy EOD mobile units, 

including one forward deployed mobile 

unit in Spain, as well as EOD Expeditionary Support Unit (EODESU) TWO, 

EOD Training and Evaluation Unit 

(EODTEU) TWO, and Mobile Diving & 

Salvage Unit (MDSU) TWO.

Navy. 

EOD techs went

with worst case scenario....... 

based on the USCG’s desire to not leave 

it there and assume the risk of future 

recreational divers discovering it or posing a hazard to fishing nets.

Based on the type and location 

of the suspected torpedo, Navy EOD 

techs detonated it in place which was 

coordinated and approved by USCG 

Sector Boston, Rockport Harbor Master, and the Massachusetts Environmental Protection Agency.

A verification dive was conducted 

after the detonation to determine the 

ordnance had been destroyed and posed 

no further hazard. In addition, the site 

survey reported no visible damage 

or injury to marine life in the 

surrounding area.

EODMU TWELVE provides operational explosive ordnance disposal capability as required for the location, identification, rendering safe, recovery, field 

evaluation, and disposal of all explosive ordnance, including chemical and 

nuclear weapons.

U.S. Navy EOD is the world’s 

premier combat force for countering 

explosive hazards and conducting expeditionary diving and salvage.

Suspected Torpedo Safely Detonated

By: Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Randy Savarese
November 2013 25

CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 

ADVISORY TEAM: 

Who and Why By: CWO5 Brian Bekeny

I

’m CWO5 Brian Bekeny and I’m 

stationed at NAVSEA 00C working 

for SUPDIVE in the Diving Division 

(00C3). Until I reported, there was no 

Diving Warrant in the Diving Division. 

When I showed up, one of the major 

initiatives I was tasked with was to kick 

start the Joint Military Diving Technology and Training (MDT&T) program. 

MDT&T is a Department of Defense 

(DoD) directed initiative designed to 

reduce duplication of effort among the 

different Services’ diving programs. The 

US Navy is designated as the Executive 

Manager and the Director of Undersea 

Warfare (OPNAV N97) is designated as 

the Single Manager of the Joint MDT&T. 

While working to get that program off 

the ground, the need for a Chief Warrant Officer Advisory Team (CWO-AT) 

became more apparent than ever before. 

The Director of Undersea Warfare, who 

is a Submariner, may or may not have experience with Navy Diving and to have 

the advice of a panel of diving officers 

is critical. This article will explain who 

and what the Chief Warrant Advisory 

Team is and how we got there.

Established in 1990, the Diving Chief 

Warrant Officer (NOBC 7201) Community brought a new level of diving leadership and expertise into the wardroom. 

Diving Warrant Officers are tasked to 

oversee all facets of the Navy Diving 

program utilizing significant operational 

and technical experience. As Command 

Diving Officers they manage all administrative aspects of the command’s diving program. The Diving CWO provides 

a clear Command, Communication, and 

Control element throughout the entire 

diving operation. As Staff members they 

act as principal advisors to Fleet Staff for 

execution of emergent and routine salvage, ship repair, OPLANS, and Combat 

Harbor Clearance operations.

DoD Instruction 3224.04 establishes policy and consolidates responsibilities for DoD diving technology and 

training. This includes diving research 

and development, joint acquisition programs for diving tools and equipment, 

diving procedures, and common-type 

diver training. SECNAV memo of February, 2012 assigned those responsibilities to Director, Undersea Warfare Division (N97). N97 was the logical sponsor 

to charter the CWO-AT.

In November 2012 an establishment 

letter and charter were signed by N97 

creating the Advisory Team. The charter 

mandated that the CWO-AT would advise N97 on issues relevant to military 

diving policy, manpower, training, funding, operational readiness, and future diving capability in support of N97 requirements established in the DoD Instruction 

and SECNAV memo. Establishment of 

the CWO-AT recognizes the crucial leadership role of the Chief Warrant Officer 

(NOBC 7201) ranks. Establishment of 

the CWO-AT leverages the leadership 

and experience embodied in the Chief 

Warrant Officer ranks to resolve current 

and future issues within the diving community. The Diving Warrant Officer community’s in-depth operational experience 

is required for the overall success of the 

diving and salvage communities.

As always, don’t hesitate to call us 

here at NAVSEA with any of your diving 

questions and if you want to know more 

about the CWO-AT just call any of the 

members. Hoo-Yah and Dive Safe. .

CWO5 Bekeny has been in the Navy for 30 years and currently works at NAVSEA 00C for the Supervisor of Diving.

The Chief Warrant Officer Advisory Team consists of the following personnel:

1. All CWO5s- CWO5 Chris Spann, CWO5 Brian Bekeny, and CWO5 Eric MacDonald

2. Center for EOD and DIVING-CWO4 Brad Fleming

3. Southwest Regional Maintenance-CWO5 Eric Mac Donald

4. Commander Submarine Force-CWO4 Paul Lawson

5. Commander Naval Special Warfare Center-CWO3 Troy Roat

6. Commander EOD Group One-CWO3 Shawn Lorenz

7. Commander EOD Group TWO-CWO4 Coy Everage

8. Specialized Research Diving Detachment-CWO4 Ray Baker

9. NAVSEA 00C-CHAIRPERSON-CWO5 Brian Bekeny
 November 2013 26

Naval Diving and Salvage 

Training Center

September 6, 2013

Commander Hung Cao relieved 

Commander Michael L. Egan as 

Commanding Officer of NDSTC.

Captain Tim Rudderow

Commander Jeffery T. Rathbun

Change of Commands

Explosive Ordnance 

Disposal Group 

(EODGRU) 2

July 26, 2013 

Captain John Coffey relieved 

Captain Tim Rudderow as 

Commander of EODGRU 2

Captain John Coffey

Explosive Ordnance 

Disposal Expeditionary 

Support Unit (EODESU) 2

July 11, 2013

Commander Milton W. Troy, III 

relieved Commander Jeffery T. 

Rathbun as Commanding Officer 

of EODESU 2.

Commander Milton W. Troy III

EODESU and EODGRU photos by U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Randy Savarese/Released

Commander Michael L. Egan Commander Hung Cao
November 2013 27

EBEYE ISLAND, Marshall Islands 

- What happens when a massive 

cargo ship slams into a pier in the Marshall Islands? The ship wins, and the 

pier ends up on the seafloor. This is 

where Underwater Construction Team 

TWO Construction Dive Detachment 

(CDD) Alpha enters the picture.

As part of the Pacific Partnership 

2013 exercise, CDD Alpha deployed 

to the Marshall Islands to salvage the 

destroyed sections of the Ebeye Pier 

and repair the structure so it could be 

used to support humanitarian aid and 

disaster relief in the future.

Ebeye is a small island, less than

80 acres and home to more than 11, 000 

Marshallese. 

The pier is the only one Ebeye has. 

It is a high traffic area for the entire community and is used by thousands daily 

— or it was until the accident left a 10-

foot by 20-foot hole in the south end.

The joint project partnered UCT 

TWO with the U.S. Army and the host

nation. The Kwajalein Atoll Joint 

Utilities Resource and Kwajalein 

Atoll Local Government volunteered personnel and equipment, 

including a large crane that pulled 

the concrete out of the water and 

secured it on land.

On Ebeye, nothing goes to 

waste. The salvaged sections of the 

pier, some weighing more than 10 

tons, are being used to protect the 

valuable coastline from erosion.

The pier repair was designed by 

Lt. Cmdr. Charlie Kubic, who just 

ended his tour as Commanding 

Officer of UCT TWO.

The pier was built by the 

Japanese during their World War 

II occupation of the island.

Because information on its original design and construction wasn’t 

available, Kubic decided the best course 

of action would be to return the structure 

to its original appearance. 

A site survey conducted by UCT 

TWO determined that the original concrete deck panels were 10-feet long, 4-feet 

wide and 10-inches thick, reinforced with 

No. 6 reinforcing steel spaced 6 inches 

on center. This gave the original rein

forced steel panels a steel ratio 0.0092.

Underwater Construction Team TWO

Repairs Pier In The Kwajalein Atoll

By: Andrea Howry

“My concern after seeing the large 

amount of steel placed in the original 

concrete slabs was ensuring our repair 

would meet the under-reinforced condition required by the American Concrete 

Institutes code,” Kubic said.

The replacement slabs were prefabricated in Guam by the U.S. Army’s 

84th Engineering Battalion and shipped 

to Kwajalein, where they were placed 

by the Seabees of UCT TWO. 

“The results of UCT TWO’s project repairing the Ebeye inter-island 

pier are fantastic,” said Maj. Savo, the 

officer in charge of the host nation. 

“Thanks to UCT TWO, it is now much 

safer. The project also contributes directly to the humanitarian assistance effort in that it makes it much easier and 

safer to connect hoses for bulk water delivery and distribute other relief supplies 

in the event of a water crisis.”

Kwajalein was CDD Alpha’s last stop 

during its six-month deployment across 

the Pacific. The Seabees also visited 

Kauai, the Philippines and South Korea.. 

Andrea Howry is the editor of the Naval Base 

Ventura County base paper, the Lighthouse. 

Members of Underwater Construction 

Team TWO place concrete panels on a 

damaged pier on Ebeye Island. During 

Pacific Partnership 13, members of UCT 

TWO repaired a pier and cleared a harbor 

during Pacific Partnership 13.

Equipment Operator 1st Class Leroy Schnathorst is utilizing underwater hydraulic tool 

to break apart concrete sections for removal. 

(Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Price)

Debris is rigged for removal with lift bags 

by members of Underwater Construction 

Team TWO during Pacific Partnership 

13. UCT TWO repaired a pier on Ebeye 

Island during the exercise.
 November 2013 28

EOD Operational Support Unit 10 Takes on New Mission

By: EOD Group 2 Public Affairs

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Operational Support Unit (EODOSU) 10 

and Navy Reserve EOD Group (NREODGRU) Two held a disestablishment ceremony at Joint Expeditionary Base Little 

Creek-Fort Story, Aug. 10 as the east 

coast Reserve EOD force takes on a new 

mission supporting counter-improvised 

explosive device (C-IED) operations. .

The enlisted reserve EOD force, comprised of 88 billets, will shift primarily to 

Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division Reserve Unit, where the 

main focus is developing new counter-Improvised Explosive Device (IED) strategies 

and tactics from the battlefield and gathering actionable intelligence from the devices. 

Sailors who lose their billet due to the 

disestablishment will be able to apply for 

a new billet through the Career management System-Interactive Detailing (CMSID) system. Personnel not immediately assigned to a billet will be assigned to an In 

Assignment Processing (IAP) status for an 

extended period at a local Navy Operational 

Support Center (NOSC). These Sailors will 

be given every opportunity to find a new 

billet or convert to an undermanned rating.

EODOSU 10, located at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story in 

Virginia Beach, Va., began their service as 

EOD Mobile Unit (EODMU) 10 in 1986. 

EODOSU 10 provided Explosive Ordnance 

Disposal Group (EODGRU) 2 operations 

with deployable reserve support for explosive ordnance disposal, ordnance clearance 

and area search platoons, and augmentees. 

As an East Coast-based Navy EOD mobile 

unit, the command provided operational 

EOD capability for the location, identification, rendering safe, recovery, field evaluation and disposal of all explosive ordnance, 

including chemical and nuclear weapons.

Since 2001, EODOSU 10 has conducted 27 deployments consisting of platoons and Individual Augmentees, totaling 

105 Reservists and 4,962 days boots-onground supporting Operations Enduring 

Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

 “I believe our EOD reservists hold 

true to every aspect of what it means to 

be part of the unique, close-knit EOD and 

Diving Community,” said Lt. Cmdr. Patrick 

Smith, commanding officer, EODOSU10. 

“They have every bit of the EOD Ethos 

found in their active duty counterparts.” 

The disestablishment of EODOSU 10 

and NREODGRU 2 was effective Oct. 1. 

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Operational Support Unit (EODOSU) 7 

held a disestablishment ceremony at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, Aug. 25.

EODOSU 7, located at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, began its service 

as EOD Mobile Unit 7 in October 1986. 

After its commissioning in June 2010 

as EODOSU 7, the unit supported Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group (EODGRU) 1 operations with deployable support 

for explosive ordnance disposal, ordnance 

clearance and area search platoons, as well 

as individual augmentees to local commands and overseas in support of Operation 

Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) combat operations. 

“One of the most significant accomplishments was this unit’s ability to augment and support brigades, battalions, and 

task elements to Iraq, Afghanistan, and 

Bahrain including Task Force Troy, Task 

Force Paladin, and Task Group 56.1,” said 

Capt. Robert Baughman, Commander, 

EODGRU 1. “The efforts of those augmentees, and capabilities they brought to 

the fight were the cornerstone of the success of those missions in a time of decreased manning and declining resources.”

Since 2008, EODOSU 7 Reservists 

have provided more than 53,000 man hours 

of stateside support to active duty EOD 

commands, participated in three fleet level 

exercises, completed 11 platoon deployments conducting force protection diving 

missions and counter-IED operations with 

Combined Task Forces Troy in Iraq and 

Paladin in Afghanistan, as well as support 

two carrier strike groups. In addition to platoon-sized support, individuals and small 

teams have completed eight active duty 

mobilizations to OIF, OEF and directly supported active duty EOD units for forward 

deployed naval forces in the U.S. 7th Fleet.

“But even more significantly in my 

opinion was your ability to source critical requirements in 5th Fleet, deploying 

reserve component units of action in support of anti-terrorism and force protection 

missions, ultimately reducing the stress on 

active component forces that were already 

significantly over tasked,” said Baughman. 

“As primarily a reserve component force, 

I would argue that none has been more 

relevant, capable, or timely in execution 

since the beginnings of OIF and OEF, and 

has lived by and superbly and successfully 

executed the CNO’s tenets of ‘Warfighting 

First, Operate Forward, and Be Ready.”

The unit, comprised of 92 active and 

Reserve EOD technicians, divers, support 

personnel and staff billets, will shift primarily to various NECC Reserve units and 

Naval EOD Technology Division where 

the main focus is developing new counterimprovised explosive device strategies and 

tactics from the battlefield and gathering 

actionable intelligence from the devices. 

Sailors who lose their billet due to the 

disestablishment will be able to apply for 

a new billet through the Career management System-Interactive Detailing system. 

Personnel not immediately assigned to 

a billet will be assigned to an “in assignment processing” status for an extended 

period at a local Navy Operational Support 

Center. These Sailors will be given every 

opportunity to find a new billet or convert to an undermanned rating.

The disestablishment of EODOSU 7 

was effective Oct. 1.

EOD Operational Support Unit 7 Disestablished

By: Commander, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 1 Public Affairs 
November 2013 29

Hooyah Deep Sea! I am honored and humbled to be able 

to write this article for the Old Master section of Face-

plate Magazine. As I close out a 30 year career with the Navy, 

over 29 years with the Dive Navy community, I can say it 

has been a privilege to serve with such an amazing group of 

professionals in the Navy Diver community. I could not have 

achieved this without all of 

you. As I looked back on my 

career to try and offer some 

thoughts that I would like to 

share with all of you, I could 

not help but think about how 

much the Dive Navy has 

evolved over the last three de-

cades. When I went to school 

in San Diego we learned 

SCUBA, Jack Brown, and 

MK-1 Band Mask. I believe 

my class 84-13 was the first 

class to dive MK 12 at that 

school. It was a bitter disap-

pointment (The MK 12) and 

not getting to dive the MK 

5, however, change is what allows us to grow. 

New demands, whether they are mission capabilities or 

resource constraints, cause us to rethink our priorities and ad

-

just our goals on how we get the job done. One thing that has 

not changed with the Navy Diver is we have always gotten the 

job done, no matter what the challenge. I would like to chal-

lenge all of you still serving to keep getting the job done while 

upholding the highest standard of professionalism that all 

of the Deep Sea divers have done before us. Hold the high-

est standard when you are training your reliefs and do not ac-

cept anything less. Train as you operate, if your mission is to 

complete a task at 30 feet, 300 feet, or 1000 feet, then you should 

be training to that standard! The time to learn how to operate at 

that level is not during the mission, but before you get there.

 As a young diver, qualify to the highest standard, do not 

lower your standards to meet the expectations of your self-ap-

pointed goals, or the goals set by your senior leaders. As a lead-

er insist on quality of knowledge and performance. The high 

standards that our peers have set before us must be maintained 

in order to continue the successes we have achieved in the past.

 Diving is the Navy Divers (ND) primary mission, this is 

an important statement that must not be taken lightly or al-

lowed to get watered down through mission creep. I like to 

compare our diving skill to that of a fighter pilot or Olym-

pic athlete. The flight commander would not send a pilot to 

a combat mission without ensuring he/she has had hundreds 

of hours of flight time and training under their belt. In the 

quest to become an elite athlete, it takes years of training, 

repetitive practice, work ups, team effort, dedication, and 

desire. The same is true for every member of a Dive team! 

You must ensure your divers have accumulated hundreds of 

hours of water time to gain proficiency in the underwater en-

vironment and they must understand and acquire the knowl-

edge to repair and maintain their dive equipment.

The underwater practice, team building, and dedication 

our divers get are at underwater ship husbandry (UWSH) 

lockers, through the training plans developed and executed by 

the Master Divers at our salvage lockers, the work-ups con-

ducted by the divers of SDV teams prior to a mission, and the 

basic training our young divers receive at the Dive School. It 

is imperative that you protect these areas of our community as 

budget cuts lean towards the reduction of forces and capabili-

ties across the force. The return on investment (ROI), not only 

in cost reduction achieved through the use of active duty Navy 

Divers to repair and maintain our ships and systems, pales in 

comparison to the ROI gained in knowledge, skills and capa-

bilities created by the hands on experience of repetitive div-

ing at UWSH lockers, the high standards held during train-

ing and qualifications of dive team members at our salvage 

dive lockers, and the confidence our divers attain during an 

SDV operation. You cannot acquire these skills from a book 

or computer based course! Hands-on teaching of young div-

ers on how to maintain their dive hats, systems, and support 

equipment is the key to pride in ownership, reduced mainte-

nance costs and higher level of knowledge of how equipment 

and systems work. With all that said, who can keep the Navy 

Diving at the forefront of excellence? It is an all-hands evolu-

tion, starting with senior leadership down to the diver that just 

reported to his/her first command. As a young second class 

diver, it your responsibility to learn, qualify and maintain the 

example of professionalism. The first class divers must train 

and develop these young men and women and strive to lead 

your dive team to success by upholding the standard set forth 

in the our guiding policies such as the Navy Dive Manual, 

DSWS PQS, and your Dive Bill. Master Divers and Dive War-

rants have the task of developing the team into a cohesive unit, 

building the training plans, and establishing the requirements 

to meet the required capabilities of your team. This is achieved 

through solid documentation of what cost and time is required 

to achieve the highest quality. If your Immediate Superior in 

Command (ISIC) understands what the true cost and time is 

to achieve quality, they can better understand what the true 

requirements are for the Navy Diver missions. 

So fair winds and following seas to all my Deep Sea 

brothers and sisters out there, this Diver is leaving bottom 

and coming up and over. I am forever grateful to all of 

those dive buddies that have helped me on my dive, and 

I look forward to rigging fenders with all of you in the 

future to hear the sea stories and tales of the deep 

about great feats of accomplishments I am

sure you will continue to achieve. 

 HOOYAH DEEP SEA!

NDCM(MDV) Doug Heater
 November 2013 30

As I look back on my time as Supervisor of Diving, it seems like a whirlwind and although there were periods when 

time seemed to stand still, this tour went 

way too fast. On this 11th day of September, I am sitting down to write my final 

“SupDive Sends” because my orders just 

arrived directing me to report to the Pentagon (OPNAV N80) in October. The last 12 

years have consumed many of us with the 

land battles of Iraq and Afghanistan. However, we are back in the water and business 

is GOOD! Don’t get me wrong, we have 

continued to dive through those desertoriented years but the focus on undersea 

warfare involving Divers had waned. Trust 

me, we are being refocused and undersea 

warriors are busy! In my final words, I 

would like to concentrate on three separate 

topics that are closely related: 1) Documenting Requirements, 2) Dive Waivers 

& 3) Moving into the future.

The budget cuts, now and in the foreseeable future, will force efficiency in 

everything we do. Efficiency is a good 

thing and we owe it to our nation to be as 

resourceful as possible. We also owe it to 

the Divers to ensure they have what they 

need to safely complete their mission. During this tour I have spent a lot of time trying to document requirements and educate 

others on doing the same. Without documented requirements, the funding for our 

equipment, training, and research will dry 

up. The Fleet, OPNAV, and the Program 

Offices all play very different but equally 

important roles. The Fleet generates requirements, OPNAV validates, prioritizes, 

and funds those requirements and the Program Offices ensure those requirements are 

met. This is a cooperative relationship that 

can have challenges. But, there are reasons 

for the different roles and we must all learn 

those roles and support each other. These 

capability gaps are identified through the 

Joint Capabilities Integration Development 

System (JCIDS), the Joint Military Diving 

Training and Technology (MDT&T) and 

Fleet Requirements Officers’ documented 

requirements. Documenting these gaps ensures the decision makers can defend the 

funds necessary to do what you do. It is your 

responsibility to get to know the processes 

and educate those around you.

We have policies and procedures that 

cover most circumstances in diving. But, 

quite often waivers are needed to allow 

divers to do things outside the ordinary. 

There are many reasons why diving waivers are requested. Use of non-AMU/ noncertified diving equipment and systems, 

familiarization dives for non-divers and 

the use of commercial air are just a few. 

I always ask myself and those around me 

“What is the long term solution?” If waivers are designed to be specific exceptions 

and we continue to get a request to do the 

same thing, then maybe there is another 

solution. Waiver requests can sometimes 

indicate a capability gap in the Fleet. For 

example, the use of commercial air could 

possibly be solved through a material solution (Portable Air Monitor that checks 

all the required air purity standards) or a 

policy change that allows a Master Diver 

to use a checklist to make the call on what 

air to use. 00C is currently working on a 

solution for this one. On the other hand, 

sometimes the long term waiver solution 

on a repetitive request is necessary such 

as the request for a non-diver conducting 

familiarization dives. With these types of 

requests the scrutiny of the waiver process will always be necessary. 

Waiver requests are from Commanding Officers to the CNO via NAVSEA 00C 

for a technical review and endorsement. 

These requests must substantiate the urgent or unusual circumstances and the operational considerations justifying their approval. They should also include adequate 

detail to permit a meaningful technical review. I have seen over 30 requests in the 

past year and other than the few that never 

reached the approval authority because 

the submitters found other ways to get the 

job done, all were approved. The waiver 

process can seem like a daunting process 

but early communication ensures success. 

As I mentioned in a previous Faceplate, 

our job is not to tell you “no” but find 

out a way to tell you “yes.” 

What does the future hold? As mentioned above, the emphasis on diving has 

been rejuvenated. In the Department of 

Defense, the MDT&T is moving forward 

enabling the different Service’s diving 

communities to collaborate and leverage 

each other. In the Navy, a Flag level 

Diving Executive Steering Committee 

(DivESC) has been established representing the appropriate stakeholders across the 

Navy. At the deck plates, a Chief Warrant 

Officer Advisory Team (CWO-AT) has 

been established to advise the Director, 

Undersea Warfare (N97) on diving policy, 

manpower, training, funding and future 

diving capability. The Senior Enlisted 

Advisory Team (SEAT) is also continuing 

to do what they have been chartered to 

do. The right people are in the right spots 

to move military diving into the future. 

We have to continue to get better at what 

we do and this involves reassessing how 

we do things. It is imperative that we 

document the requirements so we will 

have what we need in the future. If you 

need to do something outside the current approved policies and procedures, 

exercise the waiver process and consider 

and communicate what we need for the 

future.

To say I am going to miss this job is 

an understatement. I want to say thank you 

to all the MDVs, CWOs, and Senior Officers who have supported and schooled 

me during the tour. I also would like to 

say thank you to the unseen support staff 

at 00C. Thank you Julie Thulin, Julie 

Freeman, Kelly Stokes, Otto Adams, DT 

Steve Brown, Don Fegley, and John Gillispie! You folks rock! For all you Divers out there, do what you know how to 

do! “Plan your dive and dive your plan.”
 November 2013 31

13-60-EOD

OS2 BREAULY, D K

MA2 BUCHANAN, C E

SN CRANER, W T

SN CRISTOBAL, I C

SN DAVIS, J B

SN ENINGER, D K

SN FRASER, A M

SN GASSER, B R

QM2 GOSEWISCH, J E

SN GREENE, C L

SN GROMAN, W F

LT HASSANIN, E A

SN HEINRICH, E A

SN HOLMES, A K

SN HUBBARD, D C

SN JOHNSON, T C

GM3 KROM, M L

SA LOPEZ, D K

SN MIRELES, D

BM3 ROBALINO, D I

SN SALMAN, D A

SN SIERRA, T A

SN SWIFT, B H

SA TOTH, J N

SA VOSLER, M S

SN WALL, S S

SA WENDLING, NA

SN WHYTE, A F

13-40-EOD

SN ALLEY, M S

SA BRUCE, E J

SN BRUNGS, C D

SN CRAIG, C S

AN CUBILLAS, A J

OS2 DIACZENKO, D A

ENS DITLEVSON, M R

LT FAVRE, C E

SA FLEISCHMAN, D P

SA GHILICI, M A

ENS HABERER, J A

AE2 JACOBSON, K E

SN KEIPER, C J

SA LOWER, R T

SN MADRIS, C C 

SN MAHONEY, T A

SA MCCANBRIDGE, A E

ENS MILLER, S W

ND2 MORITZ, J D

PR3 OVALLE, K W

SA WILBORN, J M

13-10-UCTB

CM2 EMMETT, N M

CM2 JEFFERY, R S

UT3 MARTIN, E E

EO2 BOBINCHAK, M C

SW2 HUCKABEE, C B

13-50-2C

SN BAXLEY, J F

SA CARD, D D

SN CLOUGH, D H

SN CORLEY, C L

SA CORREA, J C

SA ELLSWORTH, G T

SA ESSWEIN, D D

SN GUERRERO, J M

SA HANNON, P M

SA HUME, MT

SA KOSCINSKI, C N

SA RIVERE, J R

SA ROSS, J R

SA SCHRICHTEN, D J

SA SWANSON, A C

SN TILDEN, J R

SA TISH, T W

SN YODER, D A

13-50-EOD

SA BASILE, C D

SN BEERS, S R

SA BERTANI, S A

SN BUSH, S J

SN CHRABOT, J P

SN DENNIS, W B

SN ELLIS, T W

SN FERRETTI, A H

SA GEISER, S D

ND2 GREENE, E L

SN HAMMER, Z A

SN HILL, T M

SN HODGES, G T

SN JORDAN, M R

ENS MARRIOTT, D R

ENS MONDAY, P W

SN OMEARA, I E

SA PAULK, E R

BM3 PIRO, F J

SN RUTH, S W

SN TELFORD, T M

SN TEMPLE, D J

SN VANDYKE, A C

SN VOORS, K P

SN WILKERSON, S A

SN WRIGHT, C P

13-30-1C

ND1 EBERLE, K L

ND1 HUSBECK, B J

ND1 LIDDY, T G

ND1 MALARKEY, S A

ND1 MCMILLEN, J A

ND1 PELLE, J M

ND1 RAGSDALE, M A

ND1 SELF, C H

ND1 SOTELO, J

ND1 SWEET, E D

ND1 YOUNG, J E

13-60-1C

ND1 ANDERSON, H E

ND2 ANDERSON, C G

ND1 BAUM, M T

ND1 CARRINGTON, C M

ND1 COPLEY, C C

ND1 CREGER, J C

ND1 DEWITT, A C

ND1 DWYER, R G

ND1 ELDRIDGE, T G

ND2 GEARHEART, A W

ND1 GOOCH, R B

ND1 GRUN, A J

ND1 ILAGAN, K R

ND1 JENSEN, K R

ND1 MAGGS, C A

ND1 MCCONNNELL, S P

ND1 NONNENMANN, 

K M

ND2 SANDERS, M D

ND1 YOUNG, C S

13-50-1C

ND1 BATES, P D

ND2 BELL, J R

ND1 BLANKSHINE, N B

ND1 CASEY, T R

ND1 DEFARCY, J W

OSC ERWIN, J R

BM1 HALL, C K

ND1 JACOBS, K M

BM1 JONES, J B

ND1 KOPCSIK, P P

ND1 LORDE, M M

ND2 LUND, C S

ND1 NILSSON, L E

ND1 O’DELL, J M

ND1 O’TOOLE, B J

ND1 SIMIC, B B

ND1 SIMPSON, J L

ND1 SMITH, T J

13-40-1C

ND2 BORDEN, V R

ND1 CLIFTON, C B

ND1 CONLEY, R S

ND1 DUNCAN, K R

ND2 DVORAK, M A

ND2 EISENBARTH, B R

ND1 EMMONS, A R

ND2 FOSTER, R T

BM1 FOUCHA, R J

ND1 GARDIPEE, E N

ND1 GREGG, J J

ND1 LESER, P N

ND1 OLIN, J A

BM1 PARTIN, D W

ND1 SCALISE, J K

ND1 ZACHRY, B M

13-20-DMO

CPT ANG, H

LT BENNETT, T L

LT BULL, K L

LT FAY, D P

LTC HALL, B T

LT KIM, S S

LT MAJOR, J W

LT MCINTIRE, S C

LT PUTKO, R M

MAJ RUBIN, A M

CPT SANDBERG, D W

LT SENSES, A L

LT SHAW, J D

LT STANCIL, R D

LT STANGE, C J

CPT TAN, Z

LT TOWNSEND, W B

LT VIER, B R

LT WILLAERT, K R

LT YETTO, T O

13-20-A2C

PFC CLARK, R A

SPC RABE, J R

13-10-A2C

SPC EMORY, B R

SPC HOLDER, Z G

PV2 MILLER, C D

PV1 ROBERTSON, K G

PV2 WINTERS, G

13-10-UCTA

CE2 LEHNE, D B

CE2 MACE, M J

BU1 MEADE, M C

SW1 SLIGO, B W

13-20-A1C

SSG BEVELL, D W

SSG FREDERICK, S D

SSG GIAGNOCAVO, D J

SGT HALL, B L

SSG MORALES, P P

SSG SCHOFIELD, S W

13-40-MDV

NDC BOLEN, R A

NDC CLOUSE, J B

NDCS SUMMEY, B A

13-60-DMT

HN BROWN, Z A

13-50-MDV

NDC WAHL, J T

NDCS WENZEL, W A

13-60-MDV

NDC EBERLE, E A

13-50-DMT

HN CHRITTON, T X

HN LAMBERTSEN, C W

HN RESTREPO, S

13-50-SCUBA

GMSN ABBATOY, J W

ENS BARFIELD, H J

SSGT BLAKE, A R

MMSN CARTER, S A

STS3 DAUTEUIL, D M

SRA DILPORT, C E

EM3 DOLAN, J W

ENS HARTUNG, M R

EM2 HEWITT, J D

MM2 KENNEDY, Z F

GMSN PIENAAR, F

MM2 REMAN, C R

EM2 RICE, C J

FTSN RUBIO, T B

ET1 SINE, D A

MM2 THAMES, M R

LTJG WUNDERLICH,A J

13-30-MEDO

LCDR ANDERSON, T J

LT CASILIO, J F

LT PENROD, R A

LT QUEENER, B D

13-60-SCUBA

MM3 APPLETON, B S

ET1 BETHMANN, K T

ENS BIRNBAUM, M P

ENS CARPENTER, L F

GM3 COKER, R D

LTJG DONAGHY, H J

MM3 GORA, B

MM3 IVEY, A A

FTSN KING, K L

MM1 KLINK, A J

MM2 MATHEWS, B S

ENS MCVAY, M K

SRA NEITZER, S J

MM2 NICHOLAS, C A

YN3 PRIMMER, B R

ENS RAWLS, M T

ENS ROOFNER, B A

FTSN SOLOMON, J

ENS STAMER, S

LTJG VEATCH, R P

MM3 VOLK, W J

13-30-MDV

NDCS OAKLEY, R R

CEC WINTERS, A S

DIVE SCHOOL GRADUATES 2013