2 D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8

SUPSALV SENDS

In This Issue

FACEPLATE is published by the Supervisor

of Salvage and Diving to make the latest and

most informative news available to the Navy

diving and salvage community. Discussions

or illustrations of commercial products do not

imply endorsement by the Supervisor of

Salvage and Diving or the U.S. Navy.

Articles, letters, queries and comments should

be directed to the Commander, Naval Sea

Systems Command, NAVSEA 00C, 1333

Isaac Hull Ave. SE Stop 1070, Washington

Navy Yard, DC 20376-1070. (Attn:

FACEPLATE). Visit our website at http://

www.supsalv.org. To view an electronic

version of Faceplate in PDF format go to our

website and click on the word “Faceplate”

located in the left hand column. This link will

direct you to our list of Faceplate issues.

Captain Patrick Keenan, USN

Director of Ocean Engineering

Supervisor of Salvage and Diving

NAVSEA 00C

patrick.keenan@navy.mil

Captain John Gray, USN

Supervisor of Diving

Editor-In-Chief

john.g.gray@navy.mil

NDCM (MDV) James Costin, USN

NDCM (MDV) Kent Johnson, USN

NDCM (MDV) Henry Stark, USN

Fleet Liaison Editors

james.costin@navy.mil

joseph.k.johnson@navy.mil

henry.j.stark@navy.mil

Kelly Stokes

Production Manager

kstokes@roh-inc.com

Otto C. Adams

Graphic Designer

oadams@roh-inc.com

SUPSALV Sends ........................................... 2

Dynamic Positioning: Appendix 2B ................ 3

Death By AIG ................................................. 4

Certification Notes ......................................... 5

TC7-734 Norfolk, VA

Lamberts Point DEPERM Facility Demolition... 7

Re-Enlistment at 165fsw in Dive

School’s New DSF ........................................ 7

Bringing Our Heroes Home ........................... 8

Words from the Detailer .............................. 11

Air Detachment Bravo Field Exercise ......... 12

Manufacturer Materials Audits .................... 13

Navy Diving Organizational Chart ............... 14

USNS Carl Brashear .................................... 16

The New Frontier in Navy Hyperbarics ...... 18

Juliette 484: Fleet Divers Salvage ............... 20

Captain Rich Hooper

UCT ONE Divers Training Exercise ............. 24

Dr. Bob Whaley Retires ............................... 25

The Navy’s Swiss Army Knife .................... 26

Navy Diving School Pearl Harbor: ............... 28

The Old Master ............................................ 32

2008 Dive School Graduates ...................... 33

SUPDIVE ...................................................... 34

Letters to the Editor & WDC ........................ 36

Cover: The Military Sealift Command auxiliary dry cargo/ammunition ship USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE 7) launches into San Diego harbor during her

christening and launch ceremony at General Dynamics NASSCO.

Greetings Navy Divers. As I write thisarticle for FACEPLATE, I am in

process of turning over with

Captain Patrick Keenan, who

will be your future Supervisor of Salvage & Diving. As

we change the watch, let me

share with you the items that

I shared with Captain Keenan

that the whole Navy Diving

Community can build on and

those items that we all need

to work to improve.

There are two items that

are on both the list of accomplishments

to build on and items that need to improve.

First, and most importantly, are the

efforts that we all have made and need to

continue to make in recruiting, training,

and sustaining the Navy Diving Community. The “human capital” that Navy

Divers represent is an essential tool for

the Navy and the nation to execute the

national will and the national military mission. Due to all of our collective efforts,

but especially due to the leadership provided by the Military Personnel Command,

Center for EOD & Diving, and the Naval

Expeditionary Combat Command, the recruiting rates for Navy Divers and the process for training Navy Divers have successfully reversed previous trends that

would not have sustained the community.

BZ to all! But, we cannot rest on our

laurels. Navy Divers are a tough, driven

group of hoo-yah achievers but without

continuous attention to recruiting, training, and sustaining, we run the risk of surprising ourselves as to how fragile our

force structure can be. We all need to collectively adopt the mindset that every

Navy Diver is a recruiter, every Navy Diver

is a trainer, and every Navy Diver needs to

act as a mentor to others to sustain the

force. When we are out on jobs support- (“SUPSALV ” continued on p. 6)

ing the Fleet and the warfighters or if we

are visiting our hometowns, opportunities

always present themselves to

talk to Sailors or people who are

interested in becoming Navy

Divers. Take advantage!

 A close second to Navy Diver

human capital is Navy diving

safety. Our accomplishments are

enviable. Navy diving has an

outstanding safety record spanning many years. This is not luck.

Safety is the cumulative result of

research, development, policy,

training, certification, testing, improved

equipment, and (most importantly) the

direct leadership demonstrated on the dive

side by the Dive Supervisor and Master

Diver. Break any one element that contributes to diving safety and we risk the lives

of our brother/sister Navy Diver. Sounds

obvious, but the importance of all of our

roles in diving safety has to be at the forefront of our efforts every day. Fail, and we

lose our fellow Diver (!) and our collective

reputation.

So, what accomplishments have occurred that we all can build on to improve

diving safety and the Navy Diving career

path?

Revision 6 of the USN Diving Manual

represents bedrock policy that will enable

the safest air diving anywhere in the world.

The incorporation of in-water oxygen decompression using ORCAs and the improved tables for surface decompression

with oxygen have reduced the risk experienced during the TWA 800 salvage and

the incidents experienced by commercial

Divers who used the Navy air diving tables.

The changes embodied in Revision 6 were

not made lightly. Biomedical modeling validated by extensive empirical testing/analysis at the Navy Experimental Diving Unit,
D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8 3

Before we discuss Appendix 2B, let usdiscuss what is not there. If you have

been around awhile, you probably have

been involved in laying a moor, either for

training or real world operations and you

will remember how back breaking, labor

intense, and logistically challenging it was.

Rigging anchors, dragging die-lock chain

on deck and faking out miles (or at least it

seemed that way) of one and five-eights

inch wire rope was always an enjoyable

experience that led to a lot of sweat and

sometimes blood. Now imagine diving

from a Dynamic Positioning (DP) vessel, a

vessel that doesn’t have to be moored to

stay on station. You plan your operation,

set up your dive side either Saturation or

Surface Supplied, and inform the ship’s

Captain of the coordinates that you desire.

Then get on dive station and go to work.

Yes, there is a little more to it than that, but

that is what Appendix 2B is all about.

DP vessels have been around for

decades, but they are not limited to

diving. They are found in everything from

cruise ships to exploration drilling. The

commercial diving industry has used

them extensively in the offshore oil and

gas industry for years. Today well over

1,000 ships world wide use this technology. As mentioned above, the biggest

advantage of a DP vessel is not laying

a moor to stay on station. The major

disadvantage of this type vessel is that

thrusters could be a hazard to the Divers.

A DP vessel is defined as a vessel

actively using its propulsion to maintain its position and heading. Ship’s

propulsion systems include thrusters,

main propellers, rudders, and the

machinery and controls required to

provide power to them. DP systems

consist of position references (GPS,

DGPS, taut wire, and acoustic

transponders), gyrocompasses, vertical

motion sensors, environmental sensors,

ships propulsion systems, and all the

cables associated with these components.

A computer is used to integrate these

subsystems into the total DP system. The

computer monitors the desired position

against the output of the position

references, gyrocompasses, environmental sensors, and vertical motions sensors.

When there is a difference it directs the

necessary thrust direction to get the

vessel back in the desired position.

Appendix 2B provides guidance for

diving from a DP vessel that includes the

correct type vessel to use, whether the

vessel is suitable for use, how to establish

an operational plan, and specific guidelines

to be used during surface supplied diving.

DP vessels used for U.S. Navy

diving operations must meet IMO

equipment class 2 or 3, meaning that the

vessel can maintain automatic or manual

position and heading control under

specified maximum environmental

conditions, during and following any

single-point failure of the DP system.

Single point failures are those failures

that would cause the vessel to lose

position. A waiver is required for DP

systems meeting IMO Equipment Class 1

to be used for certification, training, or

qualification dives where the Diver does

not interact with the bottom or a fixed

structure.

Now that you know what class vessel

you can use, and you have determined

which vessel you would like to use,

then you must ask yourself is this

vessel suitable for my operation. A risk

assessment must be developed and all

foreseeable emergencies relating to the

diving operation must be identified and

contingency plans established. Each class

certified vessel must undergo a through

inspection by one of the certifying

authorities and part of that inspection is

the development of a Failure Modes and

Effects Analysis (FMEA). This is a vital

tool for Navy personnel to determine if

this vessel meets their needs. Just a few of

the things that the FMEA identifies are,

back up or compensating equipment for

each failure, a description of the major

components, and the capability of position

references for the depth of water at the

dive site. Using the FMEA along with more

detailed guidance in Appendix 2B and its

associated references will let you know if

this vessel meets your needs.

Now that you have the vessel for

your operation, establishing an operational plan with the vessel in mind is

essential. Determine if all your emergency

procedures are practical or do they need

to be modified to the vessel. Establish clear

means of communication between the

ship’s crew and Navy personnel, including

the Chain-of-Command. Make sure the

ship’s crew and Navy personnel know

that their actions could affect each other

and they must work together. Keep

everyone informed of any changes that

affect the operation. The operation plan

should include expected weather

conditions, along with a detailed

description of the work site, the

requirement to move the vessel while

Divers are deployed, the location of

position reference sensors, and the time

to recover Divers back to a safe location

or the vessel. These are just a few of the

factors to consider during your operational

planning phase, again, use Appendix 2B

and the associated references to develop

a thorough operational plan.

Surface supplied diving while

operating from a DP vessel poses several

major concerns that we in the Navy are

not accustomed to. Deploying Divers

while thrusters or propellers are running

is a whole new ball game for us, so great

care is needed in the planning and

execution of these dives. Diving in shallow

water from a DP vessel poses the greatest

threat and every precaution should be

taken to eliminate possible dangers to the

Divers. A detailed diagram of the work site

along with a detailed diagram of the

 thrusters in relationship to the dive side

is imperative. Diver umbilical lengths and

the manner of deploying them should

be so chosen that Divers and their

umbilicals are physically restrained from

going to positions where they could come

in contact with thruster units or be affected
4 D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8

By this time you should have received a total of seven of what I would call “foundational” AIGs.

They are:

D E ATH BY AIG...CAPT Gray

First, I want to let you know that we did everything we could to limit the administrative

burden of making changes to your brand new Diving Manual by posting the changes for you on our

SUPSALV.org website. All that being said, it was a burden no doubt.

· 08- 20 (24 SEP 08) Diving from dynamic positioning vessels

· 08-18 (12 AUG 08) Introduction into service of the Portable Air Monitor (PAM)

· 08-17 (30 JUL 08) Use of KM 37 (NS) in Contaminated Water Diving (CWD) and deletion of

 chemical and biological contamination diving procedures

· 08-16 (15 JUL 08) Dive computer way ahead in the United States Navy and Marine Corps

· 08-15 (14 JUL08) Approved use of Interspiro Divator SCUBA and Divator DP1 light weight

 diving apparatus

· 08-14 (02 JUL 08) Diving MK 16 in non-MCM environments

· 08-13 (30 JUN 08) Chamber requirements when conducting air diving operations

So why did we do it? The answer is simple: We wanted the Fleet to understand why we

were making a change. What was the rationale? If it’s a big decision, we have an obligation to

explain it to those that will be actually affected in the field. Now maybe you agree with all the

rationale, maybe you don’t but at least you are not asking yourself, “What were they thinking

when they came up with this one?” Now you know.

Change A to Revision 6 will be promulgated in the near future. Historically, we have

cancelled AIGs once the change is formally in the Diving Manual. We are going to keep these

seven active for few more months. You will find that there are wording differences between the

messages and Change A. Change A reigns supreme.

by their wash. Use of a stage is strongly

recommended. The umbilical should be

attached along the stage wire and the

appropriate amount of umbilical should be

coiled up on the stage allowing one Diver

to tend the other. The Diver’s umbilical

should also be marked every 10 feet. The

Diver and standby Diver must be in direct

communication with the Dive Supervisor

at all times, failure of communications is an

abort criteria. The guidance given in

Appendix 2B and the associated references

are only guides. Each operation must be

looked at individually in regard to the

safety of the Diver, keeping in mind the

operational risk in relationship to the

projected outcome.

To conduct diving operations other

than surface supplied or saturation diving

operations, all forms of motive power, i.e.,

thrusters or propellers, within 50 feet of

diving operations shall be de-energized

in a manner to prevent inadvertent

operation. Care must be taken to ensure

current and drift conditions carry the

Divers away from the DP vessel and the

Divers remain down current and greater

than 50 feet from all operating equipment

and forms of motive power throughout

the dive. Tending rules shall follow the

same guidance of paragraph 7-3.1.7 of

the U.S. Navy Diving Manual. If a

tending line is considered mandatory,

Divers may be tended from the DP vessel

or from the waterline via small boat or

stage. In the event the Divers are tended

from the DP vessel, ensure the Divers

tending line remains outboard of the

DP vessel’s hull and well clear of all

forms of motive power throughout the

dive. Constant communication with the

DP vessel’s Master or Helmsman must be

maintained throughout the dive, and the

DP vessel must secure all forms of motive

power in the event of Divers inadvertently

surfacing within the 50-foot exclusion

zone.

Before committing to an operation

involving a DP vessel, study Appendix 2B

and the associated references thoroughly,

ask questions, become familiar with

whichever platform you plan to use.

Remember for a safe and successful

operation, preparation and planning is

essential.

MDV Kent Johnson is currently assigned to

NAVSEA, responsible for SPECWAR systems

and SATFADS development.
 D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8 5

The development of standardized

portable Recompression Chambers

(RCC) and Surface Supplied Diving

Systems (SSDS) and apparatus has led to

the increased use of High Pressure Oxygen

(HPO2

) by the Navy and Marine Corps.

The most recent addition to the growing

list of equipment using HPO2 are the

Oxygen Regulating Console Assemblies

(ORCA I and ORCA II). MIL-STD-1330

requires all personnel maintaining O2

systems to be qualified as O2 workers.

However with the implementation of the

Vval-18M Dive Tables and the resultant

use of ORCA for in-water O2

decompression, NAVSEA 00C thought it

prudent to examine how Navy Divers were

being trained in the maintenance of Divers

Life Support System (DLSS) oxygen

components. The result of this examination

led to the implementation of diver specific

oxygen worker training, the development

of a Process Instruction (PI) for removal

and reinstallation of dive system oxygen

components and a practical process to

qualify Divers as DLSS O2 Workers. The

new PI contains detailed procedures to

support the removal and installation of

DLSS O2 components. The PI, NAVSEA00C3- PI-007 (Component Removal and

Installation Procedures for Divers Life

Support Oxygen Systems) was generated

specifically for use by divers on Navy

diving and hyperbaric systems only.

The current formal MIL-STD-1330,

Navy Course of Instruction for Training O2

 Workers, includes discussions

surrounding the cleaning of O2 components. The NAVSEA 00C decision to

develop a Diver specific training on-line/

practical demonstration course was based

on the knowledge that virtually all DLSS

O2 maintenance, performed by typical Fleet

Divers will be limited to removing an O2

component from a clean system and

replacing it with an already O2 clean new

or refurbished component. Rarely, if ever,

will a Diver be required to actually clean

an O2

 component. If O2 component

cleaning is required, it can only be

accomplished by personnel who have

taken the formal MIL-STD-133D O2

Worker training course. NAVSEA 00C

also recognized that many commands

were not complying with the existing

MIL-STD-1330D initial training requirements because it was difficult to send

dive locker personnel to the formal

training. We assumed that by providing

a simplified training course, along with

the PI and practical factors proficiency

demonstrations, Fleet Dive Lockers could

train significantly more Divers in the safe

maintenance of DLSS O2 components. To

this end NAVSEA-00C3- PI-007 focuses

on six areas:

1. DLSS O2

 Worker Initial Qualification

 Requirements

2. DLSS O2

 Worker Re-qualification

 Requirements

3. Maintenance Documentation

4. O2 Component Removal and Installa-

 tion

5. Guidelines for Determining Level of

 Contamination During

6. Component Removal using White and

 Ultra-Violet Light

7. Procedures for Dealing with Contami-

 nation

NAVSEA-00C3- PI-007 was developed

by Mr. Robert Abrams at ESSM Cheatham

Annex (in conjunction with NAVSEA

00C3 and 00C4 personnel) and presented

at the 2007 Working Divers Conference

(WDC), as part of the DLSS O2

 Worker

Course. To support dive commands

implementing this PI into their training

programs, “O2 Worker Starter Kits” were

also distributed at the 2007 WDC. These

kits contained, not only many of the tools

required for working on an O2

 system, but

also the NAVSEA O2 Worker Refresher CD

and the NAVSEA O2 Safety DVD. The

NAVSEA O2 Worker Refresher Training

Course is available on the SEA 00C

Secure website in the 00C4 section. If

your command needs a copy(s) of the

NAVSEA O2 Safety DVD please contact

Mr. Ryan Webb (00C35).

Commands are required to have a

sufficient number of qualified DLSS O2

Workers to support their mission.

System Certification Authority (SCA)

representatives are auditing training

records during System Certification

Survey’s to ensure DLSS are being

maintained by qualified O2

 Workers.

Commands failing to comply with this

training requirement will be issued a

System Certification Survey Card, and will

have 30 days to complete training of dive

locker personnel. Please do not hesitate

to contact NAVSEA Diving Programs

(00C3) or Diving System Certification

(00C4) with any questions or should

you require further clarification of, or

assistance with this requirement.

While we are on the subject of O2

Hazards, Paul McMurtrie and I recently

completed a Fundamentals and Advanced

Concepts in Oxygen System Design and

Analysis Course in Las Cruces, NM.

During the course we discussed the

specific hazards relating to HPO2

 and

also learned a great deal about ways to

limit these hazards. We also witnessed

numerous “controlled experiments”

demonstrating the explosive and potentially lethal effects resulting from the

use of improper components in O2

 systems

or poor maintenance practices. Prior to

attending the course I really thought I

understood the potential hazards of using

HPO2. I could speak intelligently about

ignition mechanisms, particle impact,

adiabatic compression heating, flow

friction and promoted ignition. In a pinch

I could even spice up the conversation by

debating which factor was more important

when evaluating oxygen compatibility of

non-metal valve seats; Auto-ignition, O2

Index or Heat of Combustion? However

during the controlled experiments, as my

ears rang and the building literally

shook on its foundations, I was reminded

that big words and book smarts are no

substitute for the real deal. In these

cases, the real deal was often watching

eight pounds of stainless steel (which up

until a nano second before had been a

HPO2 regulator) be vaporized by a speck

of aluminum roughly the size of a pin

head, riding a plug of 2000 psi O2

. One

evening, after a day of particularly

disturbing but impressive HPO2 generated

explosions, Paul and I agreed that had we

(“Certification Notes” continued on p. 6)
6 D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8

SUPSALV SENDS

known then (while serving in the

Navy) what we know now, we would

have been a whole lot more careful

around O2 components. To quote

Niel Antin, the NAVSEA Technical

Warrant for O2 Systems and the

author of MIL-STD-1330D, “Never

confuse luck with proper design and

maintenance”.

(Continued from pg.5)

Brendan Murphy is a Diving System

Certification Manager at NAVSEA 00C.

reviewed independently by diving and

medical experts were behind the disciplined

process that produced the most significant

change to the Diving Manual in fifty years.

During the past year, SUPSALV has

fielded a number of new techniques and

technologies for Fleet use that will enable

talented Navy Divers and operational commanders to perform greater deeds for national security. The Extreme Lightweight

Diving System (XLDS), otherwise known

as the DP-1, is being issued to Fleet units

and will allow a new era of diving operations without a crushing logistics burden

to transport heavy diving air systems for

all but the most demanding jobs. Coupling

the XLDS with the newly fielded Air Monitor will allow operational commanders the

flexibility to use lightweight diving systems

with external Diver’s air sources provided

those air source parameters measured by

the Air Monitor are within the acceptable

limits stipulated in the Diving Manual. This

will open up new vistas in diving with foreign navies using their air sources. This

new technology and the enabling guidance

in the Diving Manual are extremely important in a world driven to increasing reliance on joint and multinational military diving operations.

In the arena of techniques, SUPSALV

has recently promulgated a number of

changes to Revision 6 of the Diving Manual

that increase the flexibility of diving commands to conduct operations. Most recently, guidance was provided for operational commands who could be asked to

dive from Dynamically Positioned (DP) vessels. The Diving Manual was previously

silent on any potential USN diving operations that could be conducted from DP

vessels, which are increasingly available

on the commercial market and are increasingly being used by the Navy to support

naval operations. The consolidated guidance represents the best of commercial standards and checklists used in the diving

industry to enable operational commanders to manage risk when diving from DP

vessels without the need to submit any

waiver requests to OPNAV.

 Another technique recently incorporated into the Diving Manual is a change

to the requirements for the availability of

decompression chambers for air diving.

For decades, chamber requirements were

driven by an arbitrary standard: 130 FSW

depth required a chamber; anything less

did not. Although simple to remember, this

rule had no basis in risk to the Diver based

on the entire dive profile. The new chamber requirements for air diving are completely based on risk to the Diver based

on the entire depth and duration of the

dive profile, clarify some previously ambiguous definitions, and give added flexibility to the operational commander to

manage his risk.

In the arena of contaminated water

diving, SUPSALV has issued a combination of techniques and technologies that

improve the ability of the Navy Diver to

conduct business in harsh underwater environments. A recently revised edition of

the Contaminated Water Diving Manual

coupled with the authorization to use the

KM-37 diving helmet in all but the worst

contaminated water conditions are major

improvements to the toolkit. SUPSALV

continues to focus R&D resources on the

testing and validation of the Paragon system modifications to the KM37 helmet for

the harshest contaminated diving environments.

Enough accomplishments, where do

we need to improve both as a community

and as SUPSALV?

The wars fought by our nation since

Gulf War I in 1991 have almost exclusively

been fought by the Army, Marine Corps,

and Special Operations forces. The Navy

and the Air Force’s roles have either been

in a support role or no role at all. Not surprisingly, the Navy has shrunk precipitously from the nearly 600 ships that existed in 1991 to less than 280 ships in 2008

and still declining. A significant part of

this decline was the elimination of commissioned Navy salvage ships. Today,

there are none; albeit four salvage ships

and four ocean-going tugs remain in the

Military Sealift Command. SUPSALV’s

role has changed dramatically during this

period and is increasingly called upon by

the Navy and the nation to perform missions and support roles that were previously performed exclusively (or with minor support) by Fleet units.

Despite the overall decline, the U.S.

Navy is the dominant naval power in the

world. However, the naval picture is changing. The Russian and Chinese navies are

ascending at a rapid rate along with the

continuing threat of maritime terrorism or

rogue navies directed at our Navy. Coupled

with the continuing decline of the U.S.

Navy, we can expect a direct challenge to

the U.S. Navy during my lifetime and during your careers. Given these trends, we

can expect future conflicts to have a naval

dimension and that means U.S. Navy ships

damaged during the conflict that require

salvage by Navy Divers.

Despite the dramatic change in the U.S.

Navy organic salvage capability, the

Navy’s salvage organizational structure

remains unchanged, even without any

Navy salvage ships as part of the structure. Without organizational reform to

match our present capability, the Navy will

be left unprepared for the inevitable salvage incidents that will accompany future

naval conflicts. Captain Keenan will need

the assistance of all Divers and Diving

Commands as he works with Fleet Commanders and OPNAV to recommend a reformed structure for our remaining salvage

capability including our Navy Divers for

the future.

To close, it has been my honor and

privilege to serve with you as a Navy Diver

and as the Supervisor of Salvage & Diving. I wish you all fair winds, following seas,

and safe diving. Hoo-yah!

....(Continued from pg.2)

CAPT Richard Hooper served as Supervisor of Salvage and Diving, NAVSEA 00C, from September 2006 to September 2008.
D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8 7

Underwater Construction Team One(UCT ONE), Air Detachment Charlie

performed demolition of the Lambert’s

Point Deperm facility from 10 October – 20

December 2007. This project was tasked

by Naval Facilities Engineering Service

Center (NFESC) East Coast Detachment

in support of Lamberts Point Norfolk, VA

Magnetic Silencing Facility (MSF), which

provides degaussing services, ranging,

and deperming for U.S. Navy, U.S.

Government and friendly nation ships.

This involved removing and recapping

all 148 existing medium and deep

underwater arrays of magnetometers

located at depths exceeding 55 fsw and

buried by an average of 12 feet of mud

and silt. The tasking also included the

removal of 50,000 linear feet of associated

sensor cable.

The equipment used to conduct the

removal of the sensors was the MK-21

Hard Hat rig with Surface Supplied Air/

Oxygen Diving procedures. Divers worked

on the sea bottom in zero visibility

conditions to jet away the mud and silt to

find the six-inch tube tops where each

sensor was located. Divers used a fire hose

fitted with a zero thrust jetting nozzle to

jet away the 10-15 feet of mud covering

each sensor top using 250 gpm of

pressurized sea water. Each sensor

required an average of 1.5 hours spent at

depth. Some dives lasted more than two

hours. Removal of the sensor cables was

conducted using a 200-ton floating crane

supplied by Naval Facilities (NAVFAC)

Norfolk. The Divers used lifting straps to

get the cables to the surface before

discarding them.

200-ton floating crane

preparing to pull a

bundle of sensor cables.

Photo by UT1 (SCW/

DV) Martin Stacy.

LT Li Sung is the Executive Officer for UCT-1

in Norfolk, VA

O n June 2, 2008, HM2 Fred Brodie, arecent graduate of Diving Medical

Technician (DMT) training at the Naval

Diving and Salvage Training Center

(NDSTC) underwent a non-traditional

re-enlistment. CDR Smithwick, NDSTC’s

senior Diving Medical Officer officiated

as HM2 Brodie recited the re-enlistment

oath while raising his right hand at a

depth of 165 FSW in the newly certified

Diving Simulation Facility (DSF). The

DSF is the new name given to the old Pressure Vessel Assemblies (PVA) built in

Dave Sullivan is an Engineering Officer at

NDSTC in Panama City, Florida.

 This project was

successfully completed ahead of

schedule in support of a $21 million program to

upgrade the existing facility to a

more advanced

system. Underwater Construction

Team One is currently assigned

the task of installing the upgraded

system in late

2008.

Left to Right: CMDCM (MDV) Sandy Bell,

HM2 Brodey, CDR MC DMO Joel Smithwick.

the late 70’s. Through

the efforts of numerous

NAVSEA, NAVFAC, and

NDSTC employees and

four NDSTC Commanding Officers, an in-depth,

three-year long Engineering Study was conducted to determine the

feasibility and cost for

End Of Life Obsolete

Equipment Replacement (EOLOER). The

results overwhelmingly confirmed that

an EOLOER program was sound from

an engineering and fiscal viewpoint. The

Engineering Study confirmed that in

excess of $20M of repair funding could be

avoided through FY 2020 by the

replacement of obsolete and archaic

equipment, EOLOER would not only

advance our capabilities using today’s

technology, but also greatly enhance safe

and efficient training at NDSTC. A threeyear overhaul transformed the archaic PVA

to a state-of-the-art DSF. Touch screen

monitors have replaced valve

wheels and the number of operators has been reduced from

seven to two. Civilian government service personnel (retired

Navy Divers) within NDSTC’s

Engineering Department are the

primary operators of this sophisticated system. The DSF is the

best chamber at NDSTC for

treatment of one or multiple patients and allows multiple medical personnel to attend to the patients. This benefits

the training of large groups of DMO,

DMT, and Advanced Diver training. The

DSF allows alternative treatment gasses

and is in close proximity to medical personnel in actual medical emergencies. The

DSF is certified to a depth of 300 fsw and

has the capability of wet dives utilizing

various diving equipment. Transformation

of a second PVA to 21st century technology is presently underway.

DSF operated by the crack civilian staff (retired Navy Divers),

under supervision of CMDCM

(MDV) Sandy Bell.
8 D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8

A B-24J Liberator Bomber, tail number 42-73453, was shot down by

Japanese anti-aircraft fire over the Republic of Palau on September 1, 1944.

It came to rest in 40-70 feet of water

off the south coast of Aimeliik state,

undiscovered and untouched for more

than 60 years.

The mission of the Joint POW/

MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) is

to account for missing Americans from

the United States’ past conflicts.

During the period January 16 –

March 3, 2008, a JPAC underwater recovery team returned to Palau with a

group of augmentees that included a

detachment of Navy Divers from the

Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit One

(MDSU ONE). Their objective was to

account for the men aboard “Tail

453”and return their identified remains

to their families.

Preparations for this year’s mission began in early October 2007. The

team from JPAC was led by Dr. Eric

Emery, JPAC anthropologist and diving certified recovery leader, and

CAPT George Mitroka, the Palau team

leader and in charge of the safety and

overall coordination of operational

and logistical requirements for the

mission.

The JPAC team also included: explosive ordnance disposal technicians, a life support investigator, a

medical independent duty corpsman,

a mortuary affairs team sergeant, an

investigation team leader and underwater photographer.

The main effort of diving support

was tasked to MDSU ONE Company

1-8 that included a Medical Diving

Officer, a Diving Officer, a Master

Diver, and four divers from the Pearl

Harbor Naval Shipyard, Hawaii. The

team also had one EOD augmentee

from Operational Support Unit 7, San

Diego, California. The last member of

the team was from Fleet Combat Camera Atlantic, based out of Little Creek,

VA. He provided the professional photographic support to document the

recovery site requirements. This team

of augmentees provided the bulk of the

manpower and diving expertise that

supported the underwater recovery/

investigative effort.

The operation was unique and

called upon a well trained group of

Divers to utilize their technical abilities to support archaeological principles applied to underwater recovery

and investigation operations. This has

been an ongoing JPAC effort over the

last four years to recover remains from

the B-24 bomber crash site.

“Underwater missions of this type

are few and far between; a Navy

Diver’s dream,” said Warrant Officer

Randy Duncan, Officer in Charge of

Det. 13. “It was easy to motivate my

team and prepare them for the noble

task at hand in support of JPAC’s ongoing effort in bringing these men

home to their families.”

The JPAC underwater equipment

load out and pack out list was developed from the experiences of previous

missions working with military diving

organizations. JPAC and Det. 13

worked together in the months leading up to the deployment to further

refine the load out list for the two specific missions.

The underwater recovery team

load out, the largest effort, included a

recompression chamber, Kirby Morgan

37 surface supplied diving hats, two

100-foot flexible dredges and fire

hoses, 25-horsepower pumps and three

90-cubic foot salvage baskets. All of

the equipment had to be set up and

tested prior to palletizing for a military

air flight. The Underwater Investigation Team (UIT) load-out included

technical remote sensing equipment,

Side Scan Sonar “fish,” Marine Sonic

hardware and software, magnetometer

and SCUBA load-out requirements.

After months of preparation, the

team loaded onto a Air Force KC-135

and departed Hickam Air Force Base,

Hawaii on January 15 for the nine-hour

flight to Palau. The gear departed

ahead of the main body of personnel

so that the team could set up immediately upon arrival. The set up operations were directly coordinated with a
D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8 9

local contractor

who would support the entire

45-day operation. They provided the team

with the diving

platform – a 120-

foot x 80-foot

barge with fourpoint moor

capability for

Surface Supplied

Diving operations,

two 30-foot

shuttle boats and

operators for

water taxi and

medical response

boats, 24-hour

security and a

25-ton crane and

operator.

Prior to diving, the team conducted briefs on safety, working hours,

liberty policies, and off limits establishments while in Palau.

Dr. Emery also conducted his

anthropology brief. He explained that

after bombing runs, two or more bombers would circle back to record and film

the damage. It was on this fateful reconnaissance run, that this B-24 was

struck by anti-aircraft fire. Dr. Emery

mentored the team on the intricacies

of underwater archaeological procedures. All operations, in accordance

with our permits, were watched and

directed by Dr. Emery through the

communications and video system

attached to the Divers’ helmets.

During the almost two-month

recovery, Dr. Emery shared stories of

the final flight and some background

on the surviving family members that

kept the team inspired during the

long, hot, grueling workdays on

the barge and

tough underwater

recovery. Despite

the long hours,

every one was

focused on the

task at hand.

Before the

recovery and

dredging operations could begin,

the Divers lined

the three salvage

baskets with 1⁄4

inch mesh screen,

the industry standard in archaeology

for sediment collection. The sediment

collecting salvage baskets were lowered 70-75 feet to the sea floor using

the 25-ton crane and placed approximately 50-75 feet laterally and down

slope from the project site. To collect

the sediment and deposit it into the

salvage baskets, the team relied on the

“Venturi Effect” to create the suction

or vacuum effect at the end of the

dredge hose nozzle at the project site.

The effect is initiated by pumping water through flexible fire hose to the salvage baskets using a 23-horsepower

pump located on the surface of the

barge.

The flexible fire hose is connected

into a Venturi “V” fitting that is

strapped into the sediment collecting

basket on the sea floor. The disposal

end of the dredge hose is also connected to the Venturi “V” fitting while

the remainder of the hose and nozzle

end is run out to the Diver at the

project site.

When the team turns on the pumps

on the barge and sends water through

MDSU ONE Diver recovering wreck remains.

MDSU ONE Diver gains access to wreck.
1 0 D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8

the fire hose connected to the Venturi

fitting, it creates a suction effect at the

dredge head where the Diver is working, giving the Diver the ability to ‘dig’

through the sediment buildup at the

project site.

The JPAC recovery team maximized

efficiency by having two Divers work

underwater at the same time. Each

worked a portion of the respective grid

around the project and had their own

separate sediment collecting basket in

order to eliminate any confusion as to

what part of the site the sediment was

coming from.

The team also added a third Diver

to the recovery, appropriately named

the “Extreme Diver.” This Diver utilized

an experimental surface supplied diving rig called the Extreme Light Weight

Diving System.

This rig was distributed to MDSU

ONE by the Navy Experimental Diving

Unit for field testing in Palau before

the Navy could place it on the Authorized for Navy Use list. This system,

a hybrid of both SCUBA and surface

supplied diving

modes, utilizes

lightweight fiber

composite SCUBA

jugs that function

as the Diver’s air

bank on the surface. The SCUBA

jugs are charged to

4200 psi of air

which is then channeled through a

small suitcase console on the barge that delivers the air

to the Divers in the water column

through an umbilical.

The “Extreme Diver” cleared clogs

in the dredge hose, emptied bins of

coral into collection baskets and performed maintenance on the baskets and

hoses at deeper depths. The “Extreme

Diver” also allowed the Divers digging

at the nozzles to stay at a shallower

depth thus keeping them on longer

tables and schedules. This increased

productivity as the team was able

to maximize their bottom time while

keeping decompression

stop times to a reasonable amount.

As the baskets filled

up with sediment or

Dr. Emery determined

that a grid unit was

closed, he instructed

the team to pull the

baskets up and over

onto the barge. The

crane operator, Diving

Supervisor and Divers

worked together to hook

the baskets in so that

they could raise them through the water column and begin the wet screening process.

It was during the screening

process on the barge that the team

discovered most of the possible

human remains, teeth, identification

tags, and other personal items.

The team cataloged and photographically documented all of the

significant life support equipment

that was associated with the crew

including oxygen

hoses, flight masks,

pieces of boots and

wallets, a .45 caliber

pistol, and aviator

glasses. The JPAC

team treated all of the

evidence as if they

were clues to a crime

scene investigation.

Every little piece was

a different part of the

puzzle that could help

support the ultimate Confirmation of serial number on 50 caliber gun.

Master Diver Atherton briefs the dive plan.

Recovered 50 caliber gun.

goal of a future identification of the

crew at the Central Identification Lab

at JPAC Headquarters in Hawaii.

By the end of the mission, the hard

work had paid off and JPAC officially

closed the site so that the Central Identification Lab could start the identification process. The men of “Tail 453”

were one step closer to coming home.

CWO3 Randy Duncan is currently serving at

MDSU ONE in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8 1 1

I

 will have been on station for nearly 10

 months when this issue of Faceplate

is published. I officially relieved NDCM

(MDV) Westbrook as the Fleet Diving

Detailer in Jan 2008. I want to extend a

BZ for all his effort and wisdom in guiding

our community for the past four years.

My intentions are to help our sailors

with their career progressions and

advancement, but I need the support of

our Senior Enlisted Divers in the Fleet.

This means to follow the Navy Diver

Career Continuum so they can relieve

us in the future with a well rounded

background. I will continue to support

our Sailors with their concerns regarding

quality of life, family needs and financial

burdens.

With our efforts in recruiting, our

Second Class Diver manning has

increased to 98%. We are currently

manned at 73% in First Class Divers. This

will be a slow process to increase these

numbers but I will work with each

Command Master Diver or Senior Diver

on the manning issues. As stated in the

MILSPERMANUAL the minimum requirements to go to First Class Dive

School are two tours as 5343 (one of

those tours must include UWSH or

Salvage), be qualified Diving Salvage

Warfare Specialist at current command,

a current Dive Physical (less than five

years from your graduation date), and

finally be recommended by your Master

Diver/CO. We have no room for third

term Second Class Divers so we have to

provide leadership and motivation for

those members that do not meet this

criteria. I do entertain PRD extension

on a case by case basic, but realize that

you have to meet your other career progression and this may slow you down.

My biggest goal is to ensure clear

communication and eliminate rumors. So

please feel free to call me for any questions or concerns you have. Remember

“money” is not why Navy Divers step out

of their comfortable lives into diving, a

world of hard work and long hours. It is

the pride and job satisfaction that makes

us unique.

Dive Pay: As of March 2, 2007 (DFAS

Message DTG R 031400Z OCT 07)

*Second Class Diver Student $150

NDCM (MDV) Michael Troedel is the Diving

Detailer for Pers-401 DC in Millington, TN.

Lastly, as of 2006 we became

our own rating, before we benefitted

from other ratings to advance and now

you are competing against the Diver

in the water with you. With this being

said, your advancement will depend

on your personal initiative. This

means getting your qualifications

and learning your job as soon as possible

to make you more beneficial to your

command.

I hope this gets even the newest

Diver educated about our community.

Remember we are our best recruiters.

We know what it takes.

*Second Class Diver $ 150 to $215

*First Class Diver $215 to $315

*Master Diver $340
1 2 D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8

As Air Det Bravo heads toward their deployment season, they must

complete a series of training exercises.

First of which was a tactical exercise held

at Camp Lejeune, NC in February 2008.

The Special Operations Training Group

(SOTG) administered this training which

focused on small arms marksmanship,

Close Quarters Combat (CQB), detainee

handling, convoy operations, and Improvised Explosive Device (IED) training.

Small arms marksmanship started

off the two-week field exercise which

included firing the M16 rifle and M9

pistol. Air Det Bravo sharpened their

weapon handling skills by transitioning

from the M16 to the M9. Det members

were allowed to fire on the move and

conduct magazine changes while maintaining positive control of their weapon.

Small arms familiarization allowed them

to prepare for the close quarters combat

portion of the training.

With most operational areas being

in an urban environment, the Det moved

from small arms to CQB Operations on

Urban Terrain. The

Air Det members

worked hard learning correct and

current detainee

handling procedures and performing several walkthru drills before

moving to SIMUNITION (training

ammunition). The

Air Det learned

that communication and teamwork

are what it takes to

succeed in a close

quarter’s environment.

The Air Det moved on to convoy

operations after their extensive CQB

training. Air Det Officer in Charge, EOC

(SCW/DV) Eckroth led his team on

several simulated convoys, which allowed

his troops to work on their convoy tactics

and SOP’s. Chief Eckroth rotated personEOC Eckroth and Air Det Bravo fire the M16 during weapons transition drills.

Photo by EO1 (SCW/DV) Patton.

nel and gave them the opportunity to take

charge and lead the Det through convoys.

Next they moved to the final phase of training, IED recognition. This course helped

them to understand what to look for and

how to deal with potential IED’s. The

course included a live convoy movement

with low yield explosive IEDs to help reinforce the training.

In exchange for the tactical training

provided by SOTG, the Air Det provided

the base with some much needed light

construction around the barracks and galley at Stone Bay. Over 370 linear feet of

broken sidewalk were removed and replaced with reinforced concrete. Before

the concrete was poured, Air Det Bravo

compacted and leveled the ground, installed forms, and laid rebar to ensure a

high strength product that will last for

many years to come.

Air Det Bravo will be participating

in an Offshore Petroleum Distribution

System (OPDS) training exercise and a

Divers Training exercise. That will wrap

up their training phase and give them all

the skills needed to have a successful

deployment phase.

EO1 Jarrell Patton is a First Class Diver stationed at Underwater Construction Team One

currently in the training department LPO.

EA1 Christopher Munch is currently serving

at UCT-1 in Norfolk, VA.

EA1 Munch leads his fire-team during CQB training.

Photo by EO1 (SCW/DV) Patton.
D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8 1 3

I

n 1946, William I. Stieglitz, a noted safety

 expert at a major airline, said, “The evaluation of safety work in positive terms

is extremely difficult. When an accident

does not occur, it is impossible to prove

that some particular design feature

prevented it”. That maxim is still true

today. It is impossible to say whether,

taken individually, any one thing, such

as design, approved manufacturing

procedures, personnel qualifications for

welding, NDT, assembly, re-entry control,

and cleaning ever helped prevent an

accident. Collectively, these system

designs, fabrication procedures, and

personnel qualifications provide the

Fleet with maximum assurance that the

certified diving systems they are using

have been designed, fabricated, and

tested to stringent standards, ensuring

that these systems will provide decades

of safe and reliable operation.

NAVSEA 00C is committed to

providing the Fleet with safe, reliable

diving and hyperbaric systems that are

designed to support their varied missions

in the harshest environments. A well

designed product is only as good as

the quality of the components and

workmanship that goes into building it.

To ensure the quality of Navy diving

and recompression chamber systems,

the NAVSEA System Certification

Authority (SCA) performs Manufacturer

Material Audits. A final Diver Life

Support System construction Material

Audit is performed at the manufacturer

of every certified system in the Fleet.

This review takes an in-depth look

at all aspects of production and

fabrication, each component, each

welded and mechanical piping joint,

every step of the fabrication, inspection,

and testing process and all of the

paperwork that is used to document

the quality of those components and

the manufacturer’s workmanship.

Almost every Manufacturer Material

Audit performed has revealed discrepanSteve Smith, a retired Master Diver, now

works for NAVSEA in the Diving Certification branch.

Every Manufacturer Material Audit is methodically accomplished, using a

checklist generated for the specific Diver Life Support System under review.

Typically, the audit steps are:

TYPICAL Certification Audit Steps

1. Compare drawing material with matching procurement documents to ensure

 proper parts were purchased, received, and inspected by the manufacturer.

2. Review the structural, electrical, and piping installation in the existing

 system to ensure that it is in accordance with the approved drawings.

3. Verify welding procedures are NAVSEA approved.

4. Verify all welders are qualified for every approved procedure they perform.

6. Verify non-destructive test (NDT) procedures are NAVSEA approved and NDT

 inspectors are currently qualified.

7. Verify proper assembly and approved torque procedures of all unions and

 installation of sub- assemblies are accomplished properly.

8. Verify all required hydrostatic testing of pressure vessels and piping is complete

 and satisfac tory.

9. Verify all system components were properly cleaned and that system cleanliness

 was maintained throughout the fabrication and testing process.

10. Verify all valve seat tightness and all piping joint tightness testing is complete

 and satisfactory.

11. Verify all other mechanical, electrical, and structural testing is complete and

 satisfactory.

12. Conduct unmanned operational system testing to ensure that the system operates

 correctly and will be safe for manned use when it arrives at the Fleet command.

5. Review all weld records to verify that every weld, including any repair weld is

documented properly.

cies that require builder correction. Most

of these are minor in nature (loose panel

screws, missing component labels, etc.).

Occasionally, the discrepancies found

could have caused a failure (incorrect

component pressure rating, loose pipe

fittings, missing NDT, cleaning, test

records, etc.). It is possible and likely that

finding and correcting these discrepancies

may have prevented a system failure

and subsequent injury to a diver. That is

a metric that is impossible to prove or

verify. However, one thing is clear. Every

manufacturer of Navy certified diving

life support systems understands that

the equipment they provide to the Navy

will be thoroughly inspected and tested

to ensure that it meets all of the Navy

requirements before that equipment leaves

their facility. Navy Divers can

be assured that the NAVSEA System

Certification Authority has conducted

an in-depth Manufacturer Material Audit

on every new diving and chamber system,

before manned certification dives are

authorized. Once the system is sent to the

Fleet, it becomes the responsibility of the

Diving Command to operate and maintain

the system in accordance with approved

procedures. By maintaining the same tried

and true standards, processes, and maintenance procedures, the Command can

be assured that it will have a safe system

for many years that it will safely support

them in performing their mission, whenever and whenever they are called upon.

1 6 D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8

Unless you have been trapped in aballast tank for the last seven

years you have heard of or seen the

movie Men of Honor, a movie that

depicts portions of Master Chief Master Diver Carl Brashear’s life in the

U.S. Navy. There is a quote from that

movie that takes place toward the end

where Master Chief Brashear, portrayed by Cuba Gooding Jr., says “The

Navy is not a business. We have many

traditions; in my career I have experienced most of them, some good, some

bad. However I would not be here today if it weren’t for greatest tradition

of all.... Honor Sir.” This was touched

on again by Master Chief of the Navy

Master Chief Campa when he said,

“Although our Navy core values were

adopted in 1992, I believe they very well

could have been born the day Carl

Brashear refused to give up being a

Navy Diver. He made us see the value

of staying true to ourselves and true to

what we know to be right and just. He

proved to us all that when a Sailor is

given the opportunity to succeed and

they have the will, nothing is beyond

their reach.”

Webster defines honor many ways,

one of those is: an evidence or symbol

of distinction. That is what brought so

many to San Diego on September 18,

2008. “The ship honors Master Chief

Petty Officer Carl Brashear, who

joined the U.S. Navy in 1948 and was

a Navy pioneer, becoming one of the

first African-Americans to graduate

from the Navy Diving School and the

first to qualify and serve as a Master

Diver on active duty. After being severely injured in a diving accident,

Brashear’s leg was amputated. Almost

two years later, after strenuous rehabilitation and rigorous testing, he became the first person to be certified

or recertified to dive as an amputee.”

There are other names assigned to

this class of ships that share this mark

of distinction with Master Chief

Brashear. Names like Peary, Byrd,

Earhart, Lewis and Clark. These pioneers, men and women, answered the

call to go into the unknown so our nation could prosper. They dared to

dream of what was over the horizon,

beyond the veil of the familiar and

mundane. Often knowing the sacrifices it would take, Carl’s family accepted it. They knew that much of his

career was going to be spent at sea.

They understood his desire to serve

our nation and looked up to him as a

military man devoted to preserving the

freedoms we enjoy as Americans.

Among the nearly 3,000 in attendance were Chief of Naval Operations

Adm. Gary Roughead, Master Chief

Petty Officer of the Navy Joe Campa,

and actor Robert De Niro, who starred

in the movie Men of Honor.

“This ship will stand for the same

values of honor, courage and commitment that inspired and motivated Master Chief Brashear,” said MSC Command Master Chief Kenneth Green,

one of the ceremony’s guest speakers.

Many will ask why did we name a

support ship and not a diving vessel

after Master Chief Brashear? The

answer is easy. Navy Divers play a

huge supporting role in the mission of

the Navy and U. S. military. What is

more fitting than that a Navy Diver

who pushed through diversity to be

thought of one our nation’s great pioneers. Like a Navy Diver, this ship is

multi-faceted and will provide a huge

capability to the Fleet. The dry cargo/

ammunition ships are operated by the

Navy’s Military Sealift Command and

provide multi-product combat logistics

support to the Navy Fleet. This class
D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8 1 7

of ship is a new Combat Logistics

Force (CLF) underway replenishment

vessel intended to replace the current

capability of the Kilauea-class (T-AE

26) ammunition ships and Mars-class

(T-AFS 1) combat stores ships. TAKEs may also operate as battle group

station ships when accompanied by a

Henry J. Kaiser-class (T-AO 187)

oiler. As an auxiliary support ship, TAKEs directly contribute to the ability

of the Navy to maintain a forward presence. In its primary mission role, the

T-AKE provides logistic lift to deliver

cargo (ammunition, food, limited quantities of fuel, repair parts, ship store

items, and expendable supplies and

material) to U.S. and allied Navy ships

at sea. In its secondary mission, the TAKE may operate in concert with a

Henry J. Kaiser-class (T-AO 187) oiler

as a substitute station ship to provide

direct logistics support to the ships

within a Carrier Battle Group.

The 689-foot ship slid into the water for the first time as Lauren

Brashear, granddaughter of the ship’s

namesake and the ship’s sponsor, broke

the traditional bottle of champagne

against the ship’s bow, christening it

USNS Carl Brashear. With a maximum

speed of 20 knots, she is 210 meters in

length, with a 32-meter beam, a 9-

meter draft, and a displacement of

41,000 metric tons. Ms. Brashear was

presented with multiple gifts and the

ship’s new captain received many gifts

as well for display including a MK-V

dive helmet from SUPSALV, Captain

Richard Hooper. Further diving memorabilia paintings designed by Chief

Warrant Officer Rick Armstrong were

also presented.

Master Chief Petty Officer of the

Navy Joe Campa’s closing comments

on that day are an appropriate end this

article: “Ladies and gentlemen, we

honor a great man today and in doing

so we pay tribute to a great American

family. To the Brashears, I’d like to

leave you with this: his honor is yours.

Just as you share his name, you share

the immense respect of the entire

United States Navy. We will forever

remember Carl Brashear as a Sailor, a

Diver, and a devoted father. But on this

day, with the christening of this ship,

we remember him as a good Chief, a

proud American, and a man of honor.”

Contributing authors:

MCPON Joe Campa,

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy

CWO3 Chip Sentor,

SWRMC Code 300

Sarah Burford,

SEALOGPAC Public Affairs

NASSCO Public Affairs Office.

MDV James Costin is a Command

Master Diver at NAVSEA 00C.

Photos left to right: Sandra Brashear, Joy

Harris and Lauren Brashear launch USNS

Carl Brashear during ceremony; Retired Master Divers, Lamont King, Mike Washington

and JJ Fenwick with CWO5/MDV Rick

Armstrong at post-commissioning reception;

Eldest granddaughter, Lauren Brashear holds

a ceremonial bottle of champagne before

christening the ship; Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Admiral Gary Roughead delivers

his remarks; USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE 7)

christening and launch ceremony at General

Dynamics NASSCO shipyard; Master Chief

Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Joe R.

Campa Jr. speaks with actor Robert De Niro.
1 8 D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8

Diver Simulation Facility-2 CAD Layout.

Advances in computer technology, coupled

with stability of current operating systems, have allowed

designers to think of all

kinds of new ways to operate

critical systems. Fly-by-wire

is being integrated into all

types of advanced weapons

systems, from aircraft to

nuclear submarines. We

stand at the edge of a new

frontier, and this is now

true for U.S. Navy Certified

Hyperbaric Systems.

Over ten years ago, the

concept was introduced to

change the way trainers

operate the three Pressure

Vessel Assemblies (PVA-1, 2, 3) at the

Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center

in Panama City, Florida (NDSTC). For

decades the procedure to operate these

assemblies required a team of up to seven

personnel, manually turning valves in a

precise order to ensure proper pressure at

the manned positions within the assemblies. This approach required extensive

training of support staff and careful scheduling of dive simulations, to ensure that

all key execution elements for an exercise

would be in place at the necessary time at

the PVA.

The logistical complexity of that

approach, and the great team camaraderie

that it inspired among PVA operators,

led to a close-knit core within NDSTC

and the Naval diving community. But the

pioneering nature of the modern Navy

constantly prompts the evolution of its

practices and procedures. From these realities emerged the concept to re-engineer

the entire diving simulation process. Replacing obsolete systems with new technology in the name of safety and efficiency

became an ascendant paradigm within

the diving community, and automation

quickly emerged as a core concept to the

budding revolution.

This concept took hold in the mind

of Alin Schmutz, Hyperbaric Facilities

Program Manager at Naval Facilities

Engineering Service Center (NFESC) in

Washington, D.C. Schmutz initiated design

work on prototype Computer Aided Design (CAD) layouts and began developing operational concepts for a fully automated dive simulation facility. In taking

ownership of the vision, he quickly realized the need for an alliance with Dave

Sullivan, Engineering Department Head

NDSTC, who immediately became a close

collaborator on the initial groundwork to

improve the process. Sullivan quickly identified the opportunity to modernize the

aging pressure vessel assemblies at the

same time as automating their operation.

In this way, a dual approach to the

effort was adopted. Its goal was identified as turning the existing NDSTC Pressure Vessel Assemblies (PVA 1-3) into

Diver Simulation Facilities (DSF 1-3).

Funding for this project was obtained

through significant effort on the premise

of a $20M cost savings by FY2020. The

idea was thought to be simple to sell:

replace the obsolete equipment on the

existing PVAs such that three operators

could conduct training vice 10, and along

the way replace aging equipment that in

many cases could no longer be refurbished without replacement, all while

reducing the number of components by

half. Simple as this concept was, a tremendous effort in engineering would follow to pursue the goal.

After a lengthy funding and procurement process that involved considerable

compromise among multiple parties, the

effort to secure funds for this

expansive and visionary project

finally resulted in success.

Flush with that victory, the

team moved forward immediately

toward a contract to pursue this

mission. The award was won by

Tecnico Corporation, whose experience in supporting NDSTC in

Panama City and whose overall

expertise with hyperbaric assemblies set them apart from a number

of competitors. This contract

award put the final piece in place

to proceed with the ambitious

overhaul.

The real work could now begin.

In summer 2004, certification of

PVA 2 was terminated. All the

aged piping and control consoles were

ripped out, and the pressure hull was

inspected via Non-Destructive Testing

(NDT) and refurbished to “as-new” condition. From 2004 to 2005, numerous

design discussions took place, as well as

project pre-staging. Starting in 2005, a

design team was established. The principal members included:

NDSTC – Dave Sullivan, Dave Thompson,

Ed Delanoy

NAVFAC ESC – Alin Schmutz, PE and Colin

McDonald

Tecnico – Bob Kirk and Dave Randall

During the following months numerous Design Review Boards were convened, not only to hammer out the vision

for design of the overhauled system, but

also to question every aspect of that

design from a safety and reliability standpoint.

Critical to the safety aspect is the heart

of this complex facility, the computer

control system. Tecnico subcontracted

this important portion to Orion Engineering, Inc. A sub-design team was formed

with the following Orion personnel:

Project Engineer – Jason Barbera, PE

Instrumentation and Electrical Design –

Jack Johnson

Computer Programmer – Floyd Lawrence

NAVFAC SCA – Bob Bauer
D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8 1 9

Pressure Vessel Assembly-3 Old Console.

With a control systems team in place,

the safety/reliability reviews turned their

focus to redundancy and Failure Modes

and Effects Analysis (FMEA). The expanded design team would now dive

deep into determining how many layers of

back-up systems would become necessary

to ensure that manned operations could

be safely conducted.

Meanwhile, as the design spiral

continued, fabrication and procurement of

piping components ramped up. Throughout 2006 and into 2007, the primary challenge became completing the detailed design through additional team reviews. This

initiated the process of verifying all aspects of Diver Life Support Systems

(DLSS) Quality Assurance (QA). Continual

efforts to review the Objective Quality

Evidence (OQE) of component parts of

the new assemblies became incumbent on

the team as production rapidly proceeded.

But the production schedule for such

an intricate system was so complex, that

awaiting the end of production to initiate

the start of the OQE review would leave

a nearly insurmountable challenge. Once

this inescapable fact became obvious to

the team, the NAVFAC Hyperbaric Acquisition Manager’s database emerged as the

most important tool in the QA process.

This database became the charge of Colin

McDonald, a project engineer at NFESC

who would earn his reputation as a trusted

member of the NAVFAC Hyperbaric Team

through many hours spent populating the

database that would be used for certification reviews.

During the fall

and summer months

of 2007, several unforeseen schedule

setbacks were encountered. These

were mostly beyond

the control of the

entire team and

were typical of setbacks that are often

encountered with

ambitious engineering projects. The effort to prevent the

derailment of the

overall project hinged upon completion

of existing production modules in spite

of the unforeseen delays. This effort was

felt most heavily at the execution level

where Tecnico Corporation was performing the brass tacks work. It was they, perhaps more than any other group in the

overall process, who kept the project on

course and on schedule.

During November 2007,

everyone’s hard work finally culminated in unmanned and manned

demonstration dives. During a

two-week testing phase of this

program, induced failure modes

were tested to determine if the

FMEA reviews performed during

the design phase were valid. Setting an outstanding example of cooperation, the NAVFAC SCA

worked shoulder to shoulder with

the contractor (Bob Kirk –

Tecnico) and the NAVFAC Acquisition Manager (Alin Schmutz) to

hammer out the Integrated Operating Procedures, including Emergency Back-Up Procedures.

After one particularly intense

weekend of effort, a comprehensive set of procedures was formally created. NDSTC used its

staff to validate these procedures

which were then executed repeatedly by

the team during the course of many unmanned demonstrations leading up to

the manned demonstration. This overall

effort resulted in initial certification of

DSF-2. Over the next eight months,

redline drawings and other associated

software were completed, along with extensive operator training.

Today DSF-2 is fulfilling its hyperbaric training mission as planned. It

stands as the world’s most modern, technologically advanced, fully automated

hyperbaric system that is Navy certified

and operational.

At present, the Fleet Diving Support

Division, comprised of government service

employees (retired Navy Divers), are the

primary operators of DSF-2, which was

delivered as Phase 1 of the three-phase

project. The military staff is favorably impressed by the technological advances

and simplified operation of the new system. This has inspired an increased

usage of the DSF and a more missionready diving community. The success of

this phase and the continuing quest for

total overhaul has inspired intense pride

and a sense of great achievement in everyone who has played a part in its creation and operation.

Bob Bauer is an Ocean Engineer working

in the Ocean Facilities Program Office

Hyperbaric Systems Certification Authority

(SCA) Naval Facilities Engineering Command

(NAVFAC).

DSF-2 Control Console.
2 0 D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8

As dusk approached on July 25, 2008, the Juliett 484, a 2400 ton former

Soviet guided missile submarine, smelly

and covered with sea growth, broke free

from the muddy bottom and resurfaced

after fifteen months beneath the Providence River. After endeavoring for almost

two months to refloat the sub, the salvage

team, led by MDSU TWO and supported

by SUPSALV, Army, Navy Reserve, and

British personnel, looked on with satisfaction and knew that the project’s end was

near.

The diesel powered Juliett 484

(J-484), known to the Soviets as K-77, led

a colorful life. After her cold war service

and the fall of the Soviet Union,the Russian government sold the vessel to a Finnish businessman who turned J-484 into a

bar and restaurant. The businessman later

listed her for auction on E-bay, with a starting price of $1 million (US). Without serious bidders, Juliett 484 was then leased

for the movie K-19: The Widow-maker

starring Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson

where she “played” the ill-fated K-19 submarine. Then in 2002, the Saratoga Museum Foundation, Inc. purchased the

vessel, opening it to the public

as a museum at Collier Point Park in

Providence, RI.

 A nor’easter on April 17, 2007 served

as the catalyst for the sub’s sinking. At

the storm’s height, the aft most compartment within the pressure hull began taking on water, which led to

progressive flooding as water cascaded

to the other internal spaces. Eventually, with her stern already submerged,

the vessel parted her mooring lines,

heeled to port, and sank. Later, surveys

would show that she came to rest at

about a 45o port list with half of her

hull buried into the river’s muddy bottom. The pressure hull, referred to by

submariners as the “people tank”, was

fully flooded with over 600,000 gallons

of water.

 When the museum requested DoD

assistance, the Secretary of Defense’s

Innovative Readiness Training (IRT)

Program viewed the chance to refloat

J-484 as an ideal training opportunity.

IRT funds civil-military projects geared

to improve unit level training while concurrently benefiting U.S. communities.

For the Navy’s salvage community, a

chance to refloat a sunken submarine is

among the rarest and most valuable training possible. The Providence community

would benefit as that they would regain

access to valuable waterfront asset. The

IRT Program agreed to sponsor and fund

the salvage effort.

MDSU TWO agreed to lead the

project. To assist, the Little Creek based

salvors assembled a team that included

SUPSALV, the Army’s 569th Dive Company,

Navy Reserve, and an LCU craft and crew

from the Expeditionary Support Unit.

Even the British pitched in, sending two

salvors for technical support.

Refloating and stabilizing the sub

proved to be a formidable undertaking.

The greatest challenge was the complete

lack of technical documentation available

on the submarine given that the Russian

Federation still considered such information to be classified. Further, the museum

had not adequately tracked the vessel’s

condition prior to the sinking. The most

essential pre-sinking information such as

the vessel’s displacement, draft, liquid

loading, etc. was unknown. Any plan to

raise the submarine had to be robust

enough to account for a wide range of

possible conditions.

 This is where the SUPSALV (NAVSEA

00C) salvage engineers came in. Taking

A Diver uses an exothermic cutting torch to remove interference from J-484’s external hull.
D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8 2 1

lead in the salvage plan

development, they used

naval architecture calculations and salvage modeling with Program of

Ship Salvage Engineering

(POSSE) software to develop an executable salvage plan. Although this

project was considered a

“heavy” salvage operation which typically calls

for derrick barges, sheer

legs, and tugs, instead

the plan relied on the

expertise of Fleet Divers

and Emergency Ship Salvage Material (ESSM)

equipment such as pumps,

patches, and salvage pontoons. Engineers also designed specialized equipment to patch the

pressure hull, monitor the ship’s condition,

and attach salvage pontoons.

Over the next year, to improve the

salvage plan, several surveys were conducted. CWO4 Pete Sharpe led a team in

Providence that conducted a thorough

post-sinking salvage survey and harnessed cable pullers to the hull to stabilize

the vessel. CDR Chip Chase led a team of

engineers to Peenemunde, Germany to

survey Juliett 461, the last floating vessel

of the class. MDV Arne Phillips led a team

of MDSU TWO and Army divers during a

fit test of pressure hull patches.

In June 2008, with preparations complete, the salvage team assembled in Providence. The operation required one of the

most extensive deployments of ESSM gear

to date, transporting eighteen tractor

trailers full of

equipment to

provide everything from pullers to generators to pollution gear to

floating barges.

 After meeting

with the Coast

Guard, state

environmental

agencies, and

the museum, it was time for the Divers to

hat up.

The first goal was to right the submarine within its muddy underwater

cradle; about a 45° starboard rotation. To

do this, Divers harnessed six beach gear

legs with pullers high on the vessel’s hull

to provide over 10,000

ft-tons of righting moment. This alone was

insufficient to move

the submarine. For additional righting moment, the pressure hull

had to be partially dewatered; not an easy

task. To accomplish

this, Divers placed 4”

hydraulic pumps in the

bottom of each of the

eight watertight compartments within the

pressure hull.

 This called for challenging dive profiles.

Divers had to traverse

cramped, dark, and oil

coated compartments at

a 45° list and descend

two decks within the

pressure hull in near

zero visibility while

managing equipment,

umbilicals, and over

4,000 feet of hydraulic

and discharge hoses in

order to set each pump. Each dive’s success was critical to the overall project, given

that if even one of the eight pumps was

not in place and operational, the vessel

could not fully resurface.

 After Divers set each pump, pulling

operations began. Through a combination of six hydraulic cable pullers operating in tandem, dewatering the pressure

hull, and dewatering four large missile

tubes, the salvage team reduced the

vessel’s ground reaction and imparted

enough rotation to bring the vessel back

to a near zero list. This was the first concrete sign that the project could be completed successfully and allowed the salvors to begin preparations for refloating

the sub.

The next step, installing salvage pontoons along the vessel’s hull, ultimately

proved to be the most difficult. The ponComputer modeling improved the salvage team’s understanding

of vessel’s condition and stability.

NDC Sawyer doffs his helmet after a long dive of jetting away the muddy

soil underneath the submarine.

Divers operating from a joint Navy/

Army dive side enter water from

bow of the Landing Craft Utility

(LCU).
2 2 D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8

toons were needed to impart enough buoyancy to bring the submarine to the surface

after dewatering the pressure hull. These

pontoons augmented the submarine’s ballast tanks which had deteriorated due to

advanced corrosion (in many locations,

divers could actually poke holes in the

tanks with their fingers). For the pontoons

to provide enough buoyancy to replace

the ballast tanks, most of the sub’s hull

had to be surrounded with these inflatable

bags.

To meet the workload demand, the

salvage team divided into two shifts to

allow for 24 hour, 7 day a week operations.

Often, two surface supplied dive sides and

one SCUBA side were operating simultaneously. Significant bottom time was

required because of the vast amount

of underwater labor required to set the

pontoons. Divers had to make ten tunnels underneath the vessel’s hull using a combination of jetting and air lift

operations. Lifting straps had to be

passed through each tunnel to connect the pontoons to the hull and

complete the salvage pontoon lift

system. To pass each strap, Divers

often had to dig almost 20 feet beneath the coal crusted river bottom

to tunnel across and underneath

the sub only by feel. All told, divers

eventually installed ten salvage

pontoons and 16 large lift bags for

a total of over 400 tons of buoyant

force.

When the day arrived to refloat

the sub, many questions were still

unanswered. Would the untested

salvage pontoon system hold together? Were all the hull leaks

sealed? Did engineers

accurately estimate the

amount of lift needed

for refloat? Would the

submarine be able to

overcome the suction

effect caused by the

mud cradling the vessel? What MDV John

Coffelt referred to as a

summer’s worth of “extremely hard work,

frustration, sweat, and

tears” was on the line.

Six hours after starting the dewatering pumps and inflating pontoons, the

questions were answered. At 6:02 pm on

July 25th, almost on cue, J-484 lifted off the

river bottom and returned to surface as onlookers cheered and the local news stations broadcast the event live. The vessel

took about ten seconds to transit the water column; resurfacing bow first and

stable.

Further stabilization efforts were required. Divers entered the pressure

hull to change out hydraulic pumps and

dewater most of the internal tanks and

voids. More durable and reliable steel

pontoons were installed near the vessel’s

stern to replace the temporary flotation

SSG Prater supervises an initial assessment dive.

J-484 rapidly returns to

the surface ten seconds

after leaving the river

bottom.

J-484’s sail emerges as salvors right the sub

with cable pullers.
D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8 2 3

devices. By the project’s

end, Divers logged over

700 dives and 1500 hours

of bottom time.

The summer’s efforts

culminated on September

6th, when, with the Coast

Guard’s concurrence, the

submarine met MDSU

TWO’s turnover criteria

and custody of the vessel was officially transferred to the museum.

In terms of training and

execution, the salvage of

the Juliett 484 was nothing short of a monumenPictures from Left to Right: MDSUTWO makes time to advance YN2 Tia

Garrard to YN1 under the Command Advancement Program CAP; In late August, salvors installed four steel modular barges near the stern

to improve the vessels’ stability; NAVSEA Salvage Engineer LT Robert Williams identifies

flooding into a port regulating tank; With J484’s listing sail in background, a Diver returns to the surface after attaching rigging a

salvage pontoon near the vessel’s stern; New

lightweight 4” hydraulic pumps from ESSM

were used to dewater over 600,000 gallons of

water within J-484’s pressure hull; A Diver installs a plywood patch over the access the sub’s

aft escape scuttle.

tal team win. On a strategic level,

the project demonstrated the

strength of the interdependent

components that make up the

Navy salvage capability. On a personal level, this was a rare opportunity for sailors and soldiers, all

of whom provided important if

not critical contributions. CWO2

Kasztelan may have said it best,

“Recovering a 300’ Soviet sub is

never easy, but I am deeply proud

of the guys. They accomplished

the mission, gave back to the

community, and learned along the

way. This truly was an experience

of a lifetime.”

LT Robert Williams is an Engineering Duty

Officer/Diver serving as the Assistant for

Salvage at NAVSEA 00C.
2 4 D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8

UCT ONE Divers enter the water from the stage of the USNS Grapple, as EO1 (SCW/DV)

Patton and SW3 (DV) Michael provide aid and CUCM (SCW/DV) Moxley provides supervision. Photo by EA1(SCW) Musgrove.

From November 26 to December 142007, UCT ONE Air Detachment

Alpha (Air Det A) conducted Diver’s

training exercise aboard the USNS

GRAPPLE (T-ARS 53). Diving from

aboard this ARS 50 SAFEGUARD class

salvage ship was a unique opportunity

for many new Seabee Divers of UCT ONE

and a nostalgic experience for others.

The GRAPPLE is associated with many

historical salvage operations including

the recovery of TWA Flight 800 in 1996.

For the Diver’s exercise, Air Det A

sailed from Little Creek, VA to the coast

of Florida to conduct Recompression

Chamber, SCUBA, and Surface Supplied

diving.

The skills of each member of Air Det A

were reviewed and assessed to ensure maximum training effectiveness. The Air Det

was able to accomplish a total of five days

of chamber training, four days of SCUBA,

and six days of Surface Supplied diving.

While off the coast of FL, Air Det A also

exercised their capability to use the side

scan hydrographic survey equipment to locate and mark objects on the ocean floor.

A Diving Operations Readiness

Assessment (DORA) was included in the

exercise. A team of inspectors from

NAVFAC conducted assessment of diving

practices and procedures. A series of dive

scenarios were carried out to evaluate the

dive team’s capabilities to safely execute

emergency procedures in and out of the

water. These dive scenarios also provided

diving supervisors “in training” an opportunity to complete specific watch station

qualifications needed for the eventual

qualification as an “Unlimited” Diving Supervisor, a large milestone in a Navy Diver’s

career.

The Divers training exercise proved

to be an very productive evolution. It

allowed the SEABEE Divers of Air

Det A to validate their diving abilities

to the DORA assessment team, hone

their skills, gain new qualifications,

LT Li Sung is the Executive Officer for UCT-1

in Norfolk, VA

and prepare for a supervisor board.

The completion of the Diver’s training

for Air Det A was the culminating event

for their training cycle and proof of

their ability to effectively work together

as they transition into deployment.
D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8 2 5

Dr. Bob Whaley retired on the 16thof August 2008 after 25 years of

service to NAVSEA. He was the mentor

and good friend to ten SUPDIVES during

his career. His impact on the Navy was

not only wide spread but far reaching as

well. His influence will be felt for

a generation. Dr. Whaley served as a

complete person. Not only did he serve

his country while at NAVSEA but also

as a father, a husband, and an Elder of

his church. Sure to continue contributing after he left the office, he fostered a

housing repair program serving Indian

Reservations, using the youth of his

parish, for the last 15 years. He is either

the single toughest diver I have ever seen

or cold blooded. I personally witnessed

him exit 35-degree water in a failed dry

suit without so much as chattering his

teeth. Intelligent in a way that scares me,

I have watched him solve complex

calculus based algorithms by hand while

seemingly scribbling and simultaneously

fully participating in a staff meeting.

In his capacity as Director of Diving

Programs he led the design/development,

acquisition and fielding of numerous

systems such as the Fly-Away Dive

System (FADS III), Fly-Away Mixed Gas

System (FMGS), Emergency Evacuation

Hyperbaric Stretcher (EEHS), EXO 26 and

KM 37 Diving Helmets and the Standard

Navy Double Lock (SNDL) Recompression

Chamber, that today form the core of the

Navy diving equipment inventory. In

addition to fielding these systems, he led

the effort to complete the Navy’s transition from installed low pressure diving life

support systems and recompression chamber systems to portable high pressure

systems.

Under his leadership, NAVSEA

completed Revisions 4, 5, and 6 to the

U.S. Navy Diving Manual; Revision 6

being the most significant change in decompression procedures used by the

U.S. Navy in over 50 years. Dr. Whaley

also established a formal Navy diving

equipment research and development program to advance the state of the art in

diving technology. Finally serving as the

technical warrant holder for the design

of the Navy’s first Fly-Away Saturation

Diving System.

Dr. Whaley has significantly advanced Navy diving capabilities in contaminated water diving. In the wake of the

recovery efforts following Hurricanes

Katrina and Rita, Dr. Whaley moved aggressively to identify technology and procedural gaps that prevent the Navy from

diving in contaminated waters and took

swift action to close those gaps. He led an

aggressive effort to develop environmental evaluation techniques, establish standard contamination levels, test commercial

off the shelf diving equipment, develop

safe diving and diver/tender decontamination procedures and produce the first

Navy Contaminated Water Diving Technical Manual. Additionally he reached out

to federal agencies and coalition partners

and formed interagency and international

partnerships. Hosting the national contaminated water diving workshop, he led

efforts to develop common equipment

specifications for diving systems.

His expertise is sought by Navy and

other Federal Agencies including NOAA,

FBI, EPA, Coast Guard, Army Corps of

Engineers, National First Responders,

Smithsonian Institute, etc. Whether responding to program changes, accident

investigations, training requests, or just

fielding the hundreds of calls each year

seeking guidance and information,

Dr. Whaley is singularly responsible for

the excellent reputation the Navy has

as a leader in diving and hyperbaric programs.

Prior to his achievements in diving,

Dr. Whaley made significant contributions in the SUPSALV Salvage mission

where he developed AUTEC Range

search techniques, participated in the

search and recovery of voice and flight

data recorders for a South African

Airways 747 aircraft which crashed off

the coast of Mauritius, led the search

for an aircraft cargo door which separated

in flight from a United Airlines flight

(UAL 811) off the coast of Hawaii, recovered a Navy P-3 that crashed off the

coast of California and managed development of Deep Drone 3. In each of the aircraft search and recovery operations

identified above, success was essential

to permit the accident investigation

boards to determine the root causes of

each accident.

His early career efforts to develop

towing procedures for unmanned nuclear

submarines, polyester towing hawsers,

Kevlar lift lines for deep ocean salvage,

Fly Away Deep Ocean Salvage Systems

(FADOSS) and ROV umbilicals with Kevlar

strength members provided SUPSALV

with salvage tools that remain in use today.

Largely owing to Dr. Whaley’s

outstanding technical expertise and

skilled leadership, SUPSALV has rightfully earned the reputation as a Team that

can overcome difficult technical challenges. When the job is unusual, unique,

or appearing virtually impossible – but

failure is not an option – Dr. Whaley was

there without fail to formulate a solution,

identify resources, and overcome seemingly insurmountable technical difficulties

to get the job done. Fair winds to the Legend, we have the watch.

CAPT John Gray is the Supervisor of Diving

for SEA 00C at NAVSEA.
2 6 D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8

Military Sealift Command (MSC) res- cue and salvage ship USNS GRASP

departed St. Georges, Grenada, September

10, 2008 completing a three-month international outreach and maritime security mission to the Caribbean that began when the

ship arrived in Antigua and Barbuda July

4. At seven ports in as many nations,

GRASP’s crew of 26 civil service mariners

(CIVMAR) and 14 embarked Navy Divers

conducted coordinated dive operations

with partner nation defense forces, safely

disposed of an underwater World War IIera unexploded ordnance, assisted host

nations with goodwill projects ashore, delivered donated goods and mentored two

groups of young sea cadets from the Barbados and St. Vincent Coast Guards.

Many of these activities fall outside of

GRASP’s traditional missions – recovering

large objects from the sea, towing,

firefighting and de-beaching – but for a

ship nicknamed “the Navy’s Swiss army

knife,” it was little challenge for both crew

and platform to adapt to this new set of

circumstances.

“This is a great opportunity to demonstrate the range of missions that this ship

is fully capable of doing, from recovering

gear to assisting a ship in distress to towing vessels and, now, hosting dive operations in coordination with our international

partners,” said Captain Jose Delfaus,

GRASP’s Civil Service Master for the first

leg of the deployment. In a routine crew

rotation, Captain. Doug Casavant took the

helm as Master of GRASP in late July.

Typically, GRASP and MSC’s three

other rescue and salvage ships deploy on

specific salvage or towing missions. Before this deployment, GRASP’s most recent

missions included recovering two downed

U.S. Air Force F-15C fighter jets from the

Gulf of Mexico earlier this year and recovering more than 90,000 pounds of debris

from the harbor in La Maddalena, Italy, in

2007.

This mission, however, had a different

set of goals. The deployment, called Navy

Diver – Southern Partnership Station, was

a U.S. Southern Command initiative designed to enhance maritime security in the

Caribbean. To do this, GRASP and a

complement of U.S. Navy Divers deployed

to conduct dive operations and joint training evolutions with their colleagues from

the defense forces, police departments

and coast guards of each nation visited –

Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis,

Dominica, St. Lucia, Barbados, St. Vincent

and The Grenadines, and Grenada.

GRASP is operated and navigated by

civil service mariners, while specially

trained rescue and salvage Divers conduct diving operations. The Divers were

from the Navy Expeditionary Combat

Command’s Mobile Diving and Salvage

Unit Two, based out of Norfolk; Explosive Ordnance Disposal Expeditionary

Support Unit Two, based out of Norfolk;

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Operational

Support Unit Seven, based out of San Diego; and Underwater Construction Teams

One and Two, respectively based out of

Norfolk and Port Hueneme, Calif. GRASP

also has a permanent detachment of four

Navy Sailors who operate the communications suite.

Because of the unique nature of this

deployment, a mission commander, Navy

LCDR Bobby Greene from EODOSU

 Seven was also embarked to coordinate

the overall effort.

dive schedules for each country. “From

there, I was able to develop a schedule

that addressed the specific needs of the

groups we were working with.”

Gilbert and the other planners determined that two levels of joint training were

needed: basic and advanced joint training.

Each had elements of classroom indoctrination and dive operations. The two, twoweek basic training evolutions covered

emergency diving procedures, dive planning, hull and pier inspection techniques,

and search methods.

The first basic course was held in

Antigua and Barbuda with 13 Divers from

Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and St.

Lucia. The second basic course was held

in Barbados with 22 Divers from Barbados, St. Vincent and The Grenadines, and

Grenada.

During the follow-on, two-week advanced course, held in Barbados, U.S. and

local Divers shared information and techniques on more in-depth topics including

self-contained underwater breathing apparatus, commonly known as SCUBA, maintenance, operational planning, and advanced medicine. They coordinated on

dive planning and also gained hands-on

experience with the recompression chamber to treat dive-related illnesses.

This advanced course included a total of 27 Divers from Antigua and Barbuda,

Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and The

Grenadines, Barbados.

“I have learned an exceptional amount

about diving over the last month,” said

Jihan Lampkin, a Regional Security Service

Diver from St. Vincent. “This has been a

very pleasant experience, and I look forward to working with the U.S. again in the

future.”

Gilbert noted that there were tangible

results to the joint training. In Antigua and

Barbuda, two days after GRASP’s departure, local Divers used procedures they

had practiced with GRASP’s dive team to

locate some small arms that had been lost

in Antigua’s coastal waters. “This makes

me feel like we really gave them something

they can use,” said Gilbert.

Partnerships with Host Nation Divers

At the core of GRASP’s mission were

the joint maritime security dive operations, which included two main components: trading diving procedures with host

nation Divers and completing maritime security projects in each nation. All operations were requested by and coordinated

with the partner nations so that the

projects could be specifically tailored to

meet regional needs.

 “As I was developing our joint training schedule, I went on an advance team

visit to each country to find out what their

particular needs were,” said Navy Senior

Chief Billy Gilbert, a Master Diver from

Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit Two who

was one of the primary developers of the
D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8 2 7

In addition to the joint training, in

each nation, GRASP’s Divers conducted

requested maritime security operations. In

most nations, the Navy Divers worked with

local Divers to conduct and videotape antiterrorism/force protection pier surveys.

In St. Vincent and The Grenadines, two

specially trained U.S. Navy Divers from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit

Two joined GRASP to detonate an

unexploded World War II-era ordnance

that had been located by a recreational

Diver.

Reaching Out to

the Community –

Projects Ashore

With the Navy

Divers conducting

continual, joint dive

operations,GRASP’s

CIVMARs and permanent military detachment led the effort to conduct community relations

projects ashore.

The ship’s Masters

and Chief Mate

Sean Tortora coordinated with the U.S. Embassy in Barbados to identify and organize shoreside infrastructure repair

projects in Antigua and Barbuda, St. Lucia

and Grenada; the delivery of donated

goods in Barbados and Grenada; and an

interactive tour of GRASP for sea cadets

in Barbados and St. Vincent. The embarked

Divers – occupied most days with dive

operations – also assisted with all of these

projects as available.

“CIVMARs have been front and center in community relations, which is outstanding,” said Tortora.

In Antigua and Barbuda, GRASP’s

crew spent three days and more than 445

man-hours doing improvement projects at

a 60-year-old school for the blind and deaf.

The ship’s crew pressure washed the

building’s exterior, painted all interior and

exterior walls – a surface area of more than

11,000 square feet, – removed twenty-one

55-gallon lawn bags of trash and landscaped the school’s courtyard.

“This project is important to me because I am happy when I see my students

happy, and they appreciate these things,”

said Natasha Frances, one of the school’s

teachers.

About three weeks later, GRASP’s

crew spent two days is St. Lucia partnering

with Peace Corps volunteers, local residents, and St. Lucian Forestry Service representatives to clear a nature trail on a

mountain that had been littered with industrial debris by a cell phone company

when it constructed towers in the area.

“It took us about an hour or so just to

hike up there and it was really hot, humid

and rainy,” said Deck Machinist Joel

Tano. “It was worth it, though.”

In Barbados, GRASP delivered two

pallets – about 1,500 pounds – of donated

Project Handclasp toys, skateboards,

rollerblades, knee pads, and safety helmets, as well as toiletries and personal care

items, to Auntie Olga’s Needy Children

Fund. The fund was founded in 1953 by

“Auntie Olga” Lopes-Seale, who has been

accepting donations and distributing

them to local needy children for more than

55 years.

“These things will not only bring joy

and happiness to the children’s lives but

a sense of relief for the parents,” stated

Lopes-Seale. “I can’t tell you enough how

grateful I am for all the donations the USNS

GRASP has made here.”

Also in Barbados, GRASP hosted 13

sea cadets and two officers from the Barbados Coast Guard for an interactive tour

of the ship. The cadets, ranging in age from

11-20, got a comprehensive, hands-on look

at the deck department, engine department,

and dive locker.

With the ship’s Master, Chief Mate,

and First Engineer providing direction, cadets on the bridge and in the engine room

started up the main engines,

shifted power from one generator to another, and communicated with each other

throughout the process.

“Our goal was to not just

take the cadets around the

ship like a museum tour, but

also to get them some handson experience with what it’s

like to work aboard a T-ARS,”

said Captain Casavant.

On deck, several cadets

got to don full firefighting

gear and immersion suits as

well as the 25-pound deep-sea

dive helmet.

“It was so cool to have

the cadets on the ship,” said Engine

Utilityman Vincent Ransom. “We’re away

from home all the time so we miss our families, and being around those kids was a

plus.”

In fact, the day was such a success,

that GRASP’s crew organized a similar

event with 19 sea cadets from the St.

Vincent Coast Guard.

In Grenada, the ship’s crew conducted

repairs to a battered women’s shelter. They

also donated 750 pounds of remaining

Project Handclasp goods to the shelter and

to local government officials for further

distribution.

“We want these people to look at the

United States as friends, so for the

CIVMARs to lead the charge in organizing and completing these projects has

added greatly to the success of the mission,” said LCDR Greene.

Laura Seal is a Public Affairs Specialist at the

U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command.
2 8 D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8

A considerable amount of research

was done in preparation for this article,

including when the school was established as well as significant accomplishments over the course of time. While nearly

impossible to obtain any information prior

1960; a considerable amount of treasure

was uncovered deep

within the pages of various

books, articles and manuals. Additionally, many

former Pearl Harbor instructors were kind

enough to recount and

share their own personal

experiences. Finally, significant aspects of our history have been included in

this article that would have

otherwise been lost to the

depths of time. Hopefully

this brief look back into the

world of Mud, Muscle and

Miracles is as enjoyable for

you to read as it was to

write.

The early history of

diving in the US Navy parallels that of the other navies of the world.

It has been suggested that the first helmet

diving school began in 1882 at Newport,

Rhode Island (1); in support of recovering

torpedoes which were being tested and

developed there (2). Originally, Navy Diving was a collateral duty for the Gunners

Mate rating. Training was two weeks in

length and a divers job consisted mostly

of torpedo recovery at depths of 60fsw or

less. In 1898, the battleship USS MAINE

(ACR 1) was sunk by a mysterious explosion while anchored in the harbor at Havana, Cuba. Navy Divers were sent to inspect the damage on the wreck. They also

recovered the battleship’s cipher code and

keys to the munitions magazine, thus preventing them from falling into enemy

hands (1&3).

During this period of time it was believed that 120 feet was about as deep as

anyone would ever be able to work effectively because divers often lost consciousness below this depth. J. S. Haldane

discovered carbon dioxide was building

up to dangerously high levels in Diver’s

helmets and correlated carbon dioxide toxicity with decompression sickness. The

problem was solved by establishing a standard flow rate of 1.5 cubic feet of air per

minute and providing pumps with a capacity to maintain this flow. An immediate result of Haldane’s research was the extension of the effective operating depth for

helmet Divers to 200 feet. This limit was

imposed because the limited ability of hand

pumps to provide air. However, increasing the working depth for divers created

another problem. It was discovered that

the heavy concentration of nitrogen in

helmet rigs would cause divers to behave

strangely in deep water. At first, employers thought they should have their Divers

tested for sanity but when reports of this

behavior became more widespread, the

cause was identified as nitrogen narcosis,

or rapture of the deep. The narcotic effect

of nitrogen in the air supply would cause

Divers to lose all sense of danger. Death

often resulted when Divers, unaware of

what they were doing, cut their air lines or

removed vital parts of their equipment (1).

Concurrently, the United States Submarine fleet was growing rapidly. The development of Navy submarines between

1912 to1939 was marred by a series of accidents, collisions, and sinkings (3). Navy

Divers were primarily trained for submarine rescue work during this period. However, a qualified Diver was usually in the

complement of very capital ship for emergencies of collision, fouled props, or lost

anchors (1). The responsibility and method

of qualifying Second Class Divers usually

fell upon the ship. The following story; as

told by Master Diver (MDV) Joseph

Karneke gives a good example:

“I think it was 1938, I was stationed on

board the USS SAVANNAH (CL-42). The ship

just arrived and anchored

in Gonaives Bay, Haiti.

The word was passed for

volunteers to qualify for

diving, about 24 men

stepped forward eager to

explore the bottom of the

ocean. For a couple of

days the fantail became

the center of interest as

these Diver candidates

practiced putting on the

suits and received instructions on how to use

them. Then a rumor got

out that barracuda had

been seen in the water

and almost all the wouldbe Diver candidates disappeared. It was my turn and I was told to

get my physical so I could make my dive

the next day. I expressed concern over the

sharks and barracuda but was told not to

worry about it. The next morning we rigged

a motor launch for diving and went to

approx 30 feet of water. There were 16 men

in the working party to operate the pump

sending air down to the man in the water,

manning it in 4 man relays. The first candidate entered the water. Moments after he

had disappeared, he came scrambling back

up the descending line. He was spitting

up blood, and blood was oozing from his

nose, ears and eyes. He had been lowered

too fast and the pressure of the water had

increased faster than the pumpers topside

had been able to offset it with the air they

were pumping down into his suit. He had

gotten a squeeze. Now it was my turn but

I was still hesitant; I asked, what do I do if

I don’t get enough air? Give three jerks on

your air hose was the reply. What if I’m

getting too much air I asked next. I was

told not to worry about that, because it

was so hot outside there was no way the

pumpers could pump that fast. So I made

One of the first graduating classes at Pearl Harbor Dive School.
D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8 2 9

my first dive. When I reached surface the

crew was in awe and as I was pulled into

the boat they were pounding me on the

back. By chow time I was the best known

man aboard. My second dive called for

doubling the depth to 60 feet and staying

down an hour. For this dive I wore a shallow water helmet, forerunner of the mask

for shallow water. The helmet worked on

the same principle as the diving bell, the

air in the top keeping the water from rising

around the Diver’s face. Once I reached

bottom I began to move out. Next thing I

know I am looking into the face of an enormous fish just inches away. He was staring at me through eyes the size of a chow

plate and slowly opened and closed his

mouth, which was wide enough to take me

in at one gulp. As I stood staring back the

fish slowly drifted backward, I was starting to unfreeze when the drifting reversed

and the fish began to come forward again.

I stopped breathing. He kept coming until

he touched my helmet. Then he shot backward and disappeared so fast he roiled the

water around me. My final two dives were

uneventful and I became a full fledged

Second Class Diver. To qualify as a Second Class Diver took four dives, each

deeper and longer than the last and the

Diver was limited in his descents to 90 feet.

I went on diving for the next couple of

years, going down hundreds of times. I

was then asked if I wanted to make a full

time job of it, dropping my regular duties

as a gunner’s mate and so I did. Pearl Harbor: At the time of the attack, I was attached to the submarine escape training

tower at Pearl Harbor, as instructor and

Deep-Sea Diver and it fell on to me to go

down and have the first look at the USS

WEST VIRGINIA’s (BB 4 8) injuries.” (4)

There has been a long standing relationship between the Submarine and Deep

Sea Diving communities. In fact, the establishment of the Navy Diving program

was born from the trials and tragedies suffered in the early years of our Submarine

Force. The following was written by a

former Submarine Sailor, Bob ‘Dex’

Armstrong. It is a colorful representation

that embodies the relationship and trust

between early Submarine Sailors and Navy

Divers. It is titled “Angels in Lead Boots”:

“One night when we were sitting

around in the After Battery some lowerorder citizen in raggedy dungarees and a

four-week old beard looks over at the chief

and asked, ‘Hey Dutch, you believe in

angels?’ ‘Sure, horsefly but not the kind

with wings. The kind who wears rubberized canvas suits and bronze helmets. They

descend from above to save you, Navy

Divers. When you hear those magnificent

bastards clomping around on your walking deck, you can go back to issuing liberty cards.’ Nobody respects and honors

Navy Divers more than the lads who ride

underwater ordnance platforms. Any man

stupid enough to speak ill of a hardhat

Diver in the presence of a smoke boat sailor

could count on the next thirty seconds of

his future being filled with activity specifically designed to place his dental work

flush up against his spinal column. There’s

a line in an old vaudeville song, it goes,

‘Be down to getcha in a taxi, baby.’ They

should paint that on the side of every ASR.

That’s what they do for a living, they come

and get you. If you can reach bottom with

watertight integrity, they will come get you.

You can make book on that. If you are beyond the continental shelf, you will end

up wearing your pressure hull as a pea coat

and spending eternity with your crew. Either way, God and the United States Navy

have removed all doubt about the ultimate

outcome. Our rescue vessel was the USS

KITTIWAKE (ASR 13). She was always

tied up aft of whatever nest we happened

to be in. There was something very comforting about her being there. They used

to do something with those big ugly looking diving suits. I think the proper name

was deep-diving dress. God did not provide me the size testicles it would take to

use the term Navy Salvage Diver and the

word dress in the same sentence. They

would hang those deep-diving suits up

and perform some kind of maintenance on

them. Looking at them gave a kid riding

submarines a good feeling. They were a

silent symbol of a Navy that gave a damn

about her undersea bluejackets. If you

could be gotten, men who wore those canvas suits would come get you. You knew

that and it made you feel good about the

outfit you belonged to. Salvage Divers

hold a very special place in our hearts, as

well they should. There are boat sailors

alive today who got the opportunity to

grow old, compliments of Navy Divers. The

ones I had the honor of meeting were big

burley rascals, with hands the size of a

picnic ham and fingers like half smokes. I

never shook hands with the Jolly Green

Giant but it has to be like shaking hands

with a diver. The rascals splice steel cable.

I was a leading seaman; I know how to

splice 3 and 5 lay hemp line but steel cable?

You’ve got to be out of your mind! That is

how they get those oak bark fingers. You

spend your career getting wire cuts all over

your fingers and God compensates you

for your trouble with hands like a junkyard

crane bucket. Fine brave unselfish bastards, God’s weirdest emissaries, who descend from above in bronze helmets with

lead belts and heavy boots to save

mother’s sons who make their living riding

this nation’s submarines. I work with a

gentleman named Bill, he is an executive

engineer with the federal government. The

other day, I learned that Bill was once a

Lieutenant, a Navy Diver and OPS officer

on a salvage ship. This means I am obligated to buy this old saltwater breathe

through a hose bronze helmet soul-saver

a cold beer and listen to his sea stories.

Seamen learned early that if you failed to

buy a hardhat Diver his first beer, you ran

the risk that he would splice your toes together and hang you upside down in his

paint locker. But the best thing about learning that Bill was a Diver is that it lets me

say a long overdue thank you to men who

took incredible risk on our behalf. And Bill

is the kind of man you expect a Diver to

be, a big smiling rascal with those vice grip

mitts and an I-beam spine built to haul a

couple of hundred pounds of working gear.

God bless all Deep-Sea Divers.” (5)

The collision and sinking of the S-51

in 1925 killed 32 Sailors including a good

friend of a young Lieutenant named

Charles Momsen. LT Momsen learned that

his friend had died slowly while trying to

escape from the stricken submarine. Determined to find a way to rescue other submariners who may find themselves

trapped, he developed the Momsen Lung

in 1929, which was the first escape device

successfully employed by Submarine

crews. Sadly, several Sailors lost their lives
3 0 D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8

while practicing with the device while unsupervised. These incidents contributed

to the establishment of two Submarine Escape Training Tanks. The first tank was

built in New London, CT in 1930 and the

second one was built in Pearl Harbor in

1932.

The US Navy Diving Manual published in 1943 describes the process and

method of qualifying Navy Divers. It

states: “Master Divers and Divers, First

Class, are qualified at the Deep Sea Diving

School. Salvage Divers are trained and

qualified at the Navy Salvage

Training and Diving School,

New York City. Divers, Second

Class, are qualified within the

fleet, ordinarily on board the

submarine rescue vessels.

Qualified Master Divers and

Divers, First Class, are permitted to dive to 300 feet. Divers

Second Class, are prohibited

from diving to depths in excess

of 150 feet.” The Physical Qualifications of Divers is also interesting: “The physical standards

are necessarily high because of

the rigorous nature of a Diver’s

duties. The ideal physical type

is the young, slender, wiry, phlegmatic individual. The most favorable age for training in Deep Sea Diving is from 20 to 30

years. Candidates for diving training should

not be favorably considered if over 30

years of age. Divers, First Class, becoming

over 40 years of age or becoming unfit to

dive in depths in excess of 90 feet are automatically disqualified as Diver, First Class,

but may continue as Diver, Second Class.

The respiratory exchange in young men is

faster than in those of middle age; hence

the former can rid their bodies of excess

nitrogen more rapidly, and therefore are

less susceptible to compressed air illness.

Divers are not allowed to dive if any alcohol has been consumed in the last 24 hours.

Constipation seems to have a debilitating

effect on the Diver and lack of bowel movement in 24 hours may predispose to an attack of caisson disease. When long salvage operations are in progress, it has been

found that better results are obtained if the

Divers are relieved periodically from duty

and removed from the existing environment. Accordingly, where daily diving over

long periods of time is involved and there

are sufficient Divers, liberty in individual

cases should be given as often as practicable. However, the Divers should be cautioned as to the detrimental effects of the

loss of sleep, alcohol, etc, to their well

being in diving. If admonishment does not

suffice, it is best to prohibit liberty in individual cases the day preceding the dive.

If the number of Divers permits, division

into three groups is advisable, two groups

diving for a period of a week while one

group is given leave. Each group, however, should be sufficiently large to enable continuous diving in medium depths,

in relays of three Divers, who under ordinary salvage procedure, are usually submerged simultaneously.

Navy Standard Diving Outfits: The

new standard shallow water outfit consists of a Victor Berge type face mask, a

shallow water Diver’s air pump, volume

tank, hose, underwear, sneakers,

nonreturn valve, instruction manual and

stowage box. Deep diving outfits are supplied to auxiliaries and combatant ships,

which would only need a diving outfit to

perform minor repairs or inspections.”(6)

Regarding the Victor Berge face mask. The

Navy issued guidance for converting Gas

Masks into Shallow Water Diving Masks.

The following guidance was provided:

“Shallow-Water Diving Mask-Use of Gas

Masks,” 24 August 1943.

1. In order to provide a shallow-water diving outfit that would overcome the limitations of the helmet outfit, a face mask was

adopted for shallow-water diving. With

the new mask, a diver is able to assume

any position and accomplish work that

could not be done with the helmet.

2. Due to the delay caused by changing to

a new outfit, it was impossible to furnish

the new shallow-water outfits to a great

number of activities requiring them. Therefore, various activities improvised diving

outfits from service gas masks.

3. The Bureau does not recommend the

use of the shallow-water diving mask below 36 feet, except in special cases, and

then only by trained Divers. Ascent from

depths of 36 feet or less may be made up

the ascending line at a rate not greater than

50 feet per minute. Divers are cautioned

against throwing off the mask

and swimming to the surface.

4. In addition to diving on air,

pure oxygen may be used as a

breathing medium up to 40 feet.

However, pure oxygen should

not be used to greater depths,

due to the toxic effect of oxygen. Individual tolerances vary

greatly, and individual susceptibility should be determined.

5. Shallow-water outfits are furnished to activities that do not

have specific diving duties assigned, but have small and necessary jobs to accomplish at infrequent intervals, such as

clearing a hawser from a ship’s screw, cleaning strainers and scuppers, cleaning the

ship’s bottom, searching for objects lost

in comparatively shallow and warm water.

However, during extensive operations,

such as battle-damage repair, salvage, or

any work that necessitates the Diver working inside the ship a deep-sea diving outfit should be used. When diving in areas

where there is extensive damage, or where

wreckage exists, the Diver wearing a ‘shallow-water’ mask is very likely to sustain

serious physical injuries, particularly

about the head. ‘MDV Gaillard must always wear Deep Sea gear!’

6. All masks should be equipped with the

nonreturn or check valve on the supply

line at the same or lower level than the

mask, since squeeze resulting in rupture

of the blood vessels of eyes, nose and

lungs, etc., can occur at any time the pressure in the mask falls below the surrounding water pressure.

7. When diving in cold water the objective

is to reduce the circulation of water around

the skin. This can be accomplished by

Last graduating class Pearl Harbor Dive School.
D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8 3 1

wearing heavy underwear or by using a

coating of heavy grease.

8. While very satisfactory results have

been obtained with the gas mask, it should

be remembered that the gas mask diving

outfit is an improvisation, and the mask

has been furnished for a definite purpose

other than diving. However, the Bureau

does consider the gas mask to be a very

satisfactory substitute for the standard

mask. — BuShips.P.W. Hains.” (7)

The Bureau of Ships Diving manual 1

July 1952 stated the following: “In addition to the Deep Sea Diving School and

the Naval Training School (Salvage) there

are diving schools within the fleet and at

various naval shipyards. These schools

are used for the training of Second Class

Divers.” I learned the Navy also had Second Class Diving Schools in Bremerton,

WA, and Subic Bay, Philippines.

Perhaps one of the best articles covering Navy Diving School was written in September, 1944. It described the course of

instruction at Pier 88 during the salvage of

the Lafayette in New York City. Here is an

excerpt: “There’s a difference between an

ordinary Diver and a salvage man. Perhaps

the best explanation of the difference is

given by Captain Manseau; who was in

charge of the salvage operations on the

Lafayette. ‘I’d rather take a good mechanic

and make a Salvage Diver out of him than

take a Diver and try to make a mechanic

out of him.’ Diving is manual labor combined with savvy. No sluggards, either

physically or mentally can make the grade.

Down there on the bottom you can’t goldbrick, and you have to do your own thinking. There’s nobody to kibitz, no book to

look into, and seldom a chance to correct a

bad boner. The course in Navy Salvage is

four months and the school operates 24

hours a day in three shifts. Two weeks of

classroom instruction familiarize the trainee

with diving gear, diving math, diving matters, and signals. All signals between tender and Diver are answered as they are

received. The tender feels the Diver at his

work and can tell almost instantaneously

when he is in trouble. Of course the Diver

is always in telephone communication

with the topside but the Divers are taught

to rely as much as possible on hand signals on the line. Telephones can go out

but the hand line is almost fool proof.

There are 37 training jobs listed on the

student’s record sheet, including, tunneling, searching, and the point ketch; which

is when a ‘problem’ is lowered to the bottom, maybe a section of the bulkhead of a

ship with a port and a valve or flange to

make its physical aspects complicated. The

student must measure the distances between points, determine the size of any

openings, the number and size of any bolts

and diameters and any other vagaries of

the object. He surfaces and makes a sketch

of the thing as nearly as possible including every measurement he has made on

the bottom. Then there are wrecking jobs,

bulkhead jobs, tongue and groove job,

cement jobs, and wood auger jobs. In the

advanced stages of training the student

learns underwater welding. Care of diving

gear and equipment is early taught and

continuously stressed. A Diver’s life depends on the proper conditioning of his

gear and he soon learns to treat it with the

greatest respect. In the motor shop the

advanced students are given a detailed

analysis of internal combustion engines

so they can maintain and make emergency

repairs on the big air compressors and

pumps. Compressors and pumps returning to the salvage school from the various

theaters of war are given extensive overhaul by the students. Seamanship is an

important part of the salvage man’s training, and when he leaves Pier 88 he can

make most Boatswain mates take a back

seat when it comes to knots or wire rope

work. The instructor who provides this

training is one of the Navy’s best. BMC

Crandall, who holds the Medal of Honor

while serving as Master Diver during the

rescue and recovery of the USS SQUALUS

(SS 192). It is necessary that a salvage man

be proficient in the rigging of blocks and

tackles, the construction of cofferdams

and many other fine points of lifting ships

from the bottom of the sea. Some of these

graduates are aboard our men-of-war as

part of the ship’s company. Those assigned

to warships will probably have little recourse to their new specialty and will work

at the duties of their regular rate. But these

men must re-qualify every six months in

order to maintain their standing at whichever of the two qualifications they gained

at the school. A man leaves the school as

either a Second Class Diver or Salvage

Diver, depending on his proficiency during the course. Second Class Divers draw

an additional pay of $10.00 a month, Salvage Divers get $12.00 dollars a month.

Yes, it is a great game for a guy who likes

hard work, cold water, responsibility and

who gets a kick out of using his initiative.

It’s doubtful if there’s any job in the Navy

that can bring a man as much pride as this

one. When he’s gone down in the sea, put

a patch on a warship, watched her come

up, he can forget his aching muscles, the

times he got the bends, the narrow escapes, the chills and weariness. It’s all his

job. No gold braid looked over his shoulder. He played a lone hand. He had the

artist’s touch.” (9)

Unfortunately, it is unknown when the

Navy Diving School at Pearl Harbor Dive

School was formally established but it existed and trained Second Class Divers prior

to 7 December, 1941. The same instructors

working at the Submarine Escape Training Tank trained the hardhat Divers and

also participated in the salvage effort of

Pearl Harbor between 1942 and 1943. By

1958 the Escape Training Tank was teaching SCUBA to Submarine Sailors.

Stay tuned for part 2 of the Navy Diving School Pearl Harbor, which will be published in the next issue of Faceplate magazine.

References:

(1) Into the Deep (The History of Man’s

Underwater Exploration) By Robert F. Marx

(Copyright 1978)

(2) Torpedo from Wikipedia

(3) Early History of US Navy Diving Department of the Navy Historical Center 805 Kidder Breese SE Washington Navy Yard Washington DC

(4) Navy Diver: The Incredible Undersea Adventures of a Master Diver By Victor Boesen

(Joseph Sidney Karneke, Master Diver) copyright 1962-2001

(5) Angels in Lead Boots By Bob ‘Dex’

Armstrong: Story found at: www.olgoat.com

(6) US Navy Diving Manual 1943

(7) Shallow-Water Diving Mask: Use of Gas

Mask. Navy Department Bulletin. (Cumulative edition, 1943): 1118-1121 Department of

the Navy — Department of the Navy Historical Center 805 Kidder Breese SE Washington

Navy Yard Washington DC

(8) Bureau of Ships Diving Manual 1 July

1952

(9) Salvage Diver: Men Who Wear the Iron

Hat Who Lighten Our Ship Losses By Robert

C. Fay Our Navy Magazine Mid-September

1944
3 2 D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8

The “Professional Diver” — that is what we are now; although there are still many Divers that had a previous rate,we are all “Navy Divers”. To some, it is what we called ourselves long before the rate. For others it is the only rate

they have ever known. We are no longer made up of many ratings that had enabled us to do more with less, fix

anything anytime, and gave us the connections to acquire whatever we needed. So now the real challenge comes with

ensuring we will always be the “Professional Diver, Rigger, Outboard Mechanic/ Engineman, Coxswain, Welder,” ready

to go in harm’s way — in and out of the water, anytime, anywhere in the world.

This is a top-down challenge that will forge our future. As Senior Enlisted and Master Divers, it is incumbent

upon us to recognize our charge to lead and train our troops. Their training needs to enable them to succeed; whether

on the waterfront stateside, or in a combat zone clearing waterways and providing emergent ship repair to ensure the

combatants can complete their missions. The “Navy Diver” is, and will always be, a force

multiplier. The “Navy Diver” is up to the challenge — as we have always been.

It is up to the leaders of today to develop the leaders of the future. As “Master Divers” we

are very focused on the mission at hand and the management of our Dive Lockers. We must not

forget that at any given time, our nation WILL call on us, and as we all know, we are not called

unless the situation is dire. It is then we need to be the best-trained, most well-rounded combatready Divers in the world.

The Navy’s long-standing charge to “train your relief” has been a sensible guide to the

leaders who preceded us. Within the new rate structure, we have a new imperative to “pass on

as much knowledge as possible.” If we don’t, it won’t be long before lockers are filled with

Divers whose only professional skills as a Diver are learned by completing dive school at

NDSTC.

The amount of training days allotted at NDSTC and the long ton of skills to learn can

overload a new Diver. The First Class Divers of today have the corporate knowledge and the

foundation of their prior ratings to help develop as a “jack-of-all and the master-of-one”. It is

imperative that the “1 Chucks” pass on every bit of knowledge to the “2 Chucks” as we grow as

a rate and continue to develop the best diving force in the world.

To our new Navy Divers — you are considered “Professional Divers.” As a new Diver, it is your job to know as

much as possible as soon as possible because you are the leaders of tomorrow. In this issue of Faceplate you’ll find a

matrix outlining how Navy Divers provide direct support to the Fleet, Specwar, EOD, and the Marine Corps. No other

rate in the Navy has this many opportunities to be at the leading edge of our nation’s combat power. Every day should

be a challenge. And if you think you’ve learned all there is to learn, just step into the Master Diver’s office and play a

round of “stump the chump.” Not only will you leave a lot stronger from all the push-ups, but you’ll realize that the

learning NEVER stops.

The need for Navy Divers has never been more important than it is today as we increase our ability to support

our nation and fight the Global War On Terrorism. It may be a challenge to stave off complacency and continuously

strive to be the best. But the employment of the “Navy Diver” continues to evolve, just as it has over the last 100+

years. It must continue to be our mission to be the best military Divers in the world. If you embrace the challenge of

change, you will be more effective at its implementation.

To the “2 Chucks” — Be the best Diver, topside and in the water.

To the “1 Chucks” — Train your troops and be the best leader, both on and off dive station.

And “Master Divers” – Let’s keep our focus strategic so we can prepare our troops to execute whatever mission they

are tasked.

By: MDV Henry Stark

MDV Henry Stark is a Command

Master Diver at NAVSEA 00C.

HOOYAH AMERICA!
D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8 3 3

2008 Dive School Graduates 2008 Dive School Graduates

Sawyer, J HM3

Sharp, G HM3

Lopez, J HM2

Dixon, M HM3

Quill, P HN

Fitzgerald, J SSGT

Adam, A SGT

ARC 8-25

DMT 8-40/70

Bass, Charles ND1

Buschner, Richard ND1

Dilley, Jeremy ND1

Heddins, Caleb ND2

Juelsgaard, Chris ND1

Lopez, Jesus ND1

Nodine, Jeff ND1

Roy, Joshua ND1

Slack, Joshua ND1

Splinter, Nathan ND1

Erdem, Okan LTJG

Wiley, Curtis ND2

Class

08-60-1C

Class

08-60-2C

Miller, Edwards O-1

Valladerez, Nicholas O-1

Ferris, David O-1

Gerlach, Jacob O-1

Watters, Edward O-1

Weber, Alexander ND3

Wright, Nicholas ND3

Sharp, Joel ND2

Hanni, Anthony ND3

Hatch, Jason ND3

Quesada, David ND3

Cabral, Brayden ND3

Coats, David ND3

Crue, Ward ND3

Roeder, Lukas ND3

Gerace, Thomas ND3

Gallert, Brady ND3

Gardipee, Adam ND3

Seija, Anthony ND2

Simpson, Jeremy ND3

Smith, Ryan ND3

Somers, Eric ND3

Sowell, Edwin NDSN

Starner, Steven ND3

Oller, Justin ND3

Harper, Donavan ND3
3 4 D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8

Fellow Divers: As I have said in the past at many WDCs, I don’t want there to be any secret about

what we are working on here at NAVSEA. You deserve to know. I encourage you to first read the

Article “Death by AIG” on page 4. That article covers what we have done and why. This article is

about where we are going.

Dive Computers (AIG 08-16 is germane). Those of you who know me won’t be surprised that I

started here. We have Dive Computers available for SPECWAR, ship’s husbandry and salvage. A Configuration Control Board has been established at NAVSEA.

Way Ahead:

· The Marine Corps will purchase several hundred computers under the NAVSEA umbrella.

· Invite the Army and the Air Force to join.

· EOD is taking the initial steps to field the EOD III, a non-magnetic version of the Dive Computer.

· NAVSEA is currently funded to purchase Dive Computers at the rate of 200 per year starting in

FY10. An additional 50 will be purchased in FY09.

· NAVSEA and NEDU, working with the Safety Center, will develop a better method of dive data

collection based on the Dive Computers.

· NAVSEA will continue to develop a probabilistic algorithm to replace the deterministic algorithms

currently driving most of our tables. That sounds like Greek to most folks but trust me, it’s a

big deal. We are leading the world here.

DP1 Light Weight Diving Apparatus (AIG 08-15 is germane). After field testing, we finalized the

configuration that best suited Divers. We defined the maintenance and altered the “Stand By” rules

in the Dive Manual to allow a Diver with at least 100 cubic feet of air in SCUBA to sit standby.

Way Ahead:

· Mate with the air monitor to provide true fly away lightweight capability.

· Upgrade the units (6) used during field evaluations to the approved configuration.

· Distribute to the Fleet. There are six units being purchased plus the six being upgraded for a

total of 12 units in FY09. NAVSEA has funding programmed for an additional 28 units and will

evaluate that number yearly.

Air Monitors (AIG 08-18 is germane). Field testing complete and units are being distributed to the

fleet. As I write this a unit is being prepared to be sent to the 5th Fleet.

Way Ahead:

· Initial purchase 25 units

· Evaluate calibration requirements after one year

Contaminated Water (AIG 08-17 is germane). The Paragon surface exhaust addition to the KM 37

has been funded. An initial operating capability for decontaminating a Diver after surfacing has been

established. Seeking a universal NATO standard.

Way Ahead:

· Compute safe stay times in various contaminated environments

· Validate procedures

· Update Contaminated Water Diving Manual (2009)

· Develop Category One, fly away contaminated water diving system to be stored at ESSM

· Develop training plan to support diving in the most contaminated water (Category One)

Dive Manual Revision Six By now Revision Six has been out for eight months. Change A to Revision

Six will be released in the near future. Revision Six was the largest change in 50 years. The background is too long to list here. Visit www.supsalv.org for more information.

Way Ahead:

· Technical Rewrite (Revision Seven)

· Probabilistic Algorithm
D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8 3 5

ORCA II Upgraded from ORCA I (only four units) to ORCA II. Training has been provided to the Fleet.

Way Ahead:

· NAVSEA has programmed funding for 40 ORCAs

· NAVSEA will evaluate demand every year

Chamber Rules for Diving (AIG 08-13 is germane). We have moved to a risk based approach. “Onsite” and “On-station” have been removed as applicable terms.

Way Ahead:

· Evaluate after one year

· Work with ABCANZ and NATO to standardize requirements

· Look at MK 16 risks

Diving From Dynamic Position Vessels (AIG 08-20 is germane). Studied commercial procedures.

Change A to Revision Six will be released in the near future.

Way Ahead:

· Validate procedures

· Develop vessel’s list

Fly Away Saturation Diving System Final fabrication is complete. Beginning system integration.

Way Ahead:

· System delivery March 2009

· Manned testing April 2009

· Initial operating capability August 2009

Diving with Nitrox Diving with Nitrox offers increased capability without increase in manpower.

Way Ahead:

· Validate appropriate cleaning requirements for 32-percent O2

· Validate appropriate equipment

· Validate appropriate procedures

Dive Planner Through stage one of the ANU process. Currently operated under waiver. Software

validation will be required.

Way Ahead:

· Conduct analysis of recently completed “No Stop” study

· Adjust algorithms as appropriate

· Tailor versions to meet individual community needs

· Further develop training

· Conduct software validation

Topside Decompression Monitor The Topside Decompression Monitor is dependent, in large part, on

the dive planner.

Way Ahead:

· Procure a transducer that can withstand the environments we operate in

· Begin the ANU process

· Conduct software validation

Joint/Interagency/Multinational Diving There have been many data exchanges. Joint diving has

occurred with the Army. Other countries procedures have been studied in detail. Extensive work has

been done with the Coast Guard.

Way Ahead:

· Continue to work closely with the Coast Guard

· Support interagency exchanges and diving

· Support joint diving with the Army and Air Force

· Work for standardization with ABCANZ and NATO

· Support COCOMs requirements for international diving
3 6 D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8

The 2009 Working Divers Conference

This is a “Working Divers”conference.

Bring your working Divers and let’s

continue to improve our efficiency in

supporting the “Warfighter”.

Panama City, Florida

TBD May 2009

For more information please visit

www.supsalv.org, or contact

MDV Henry Stark, MDV James Costin, or

MDV Kent Johnson

(see p. 2 for contact information)

FACEPLATE announces a new feature,

Letters to the Editor!

Keys to getting your letter published:

· Be brief. Try to limit all letters to 250 words or less.

· Stay on topic, stay focused.

· It doesn’t have to be all facts; opinions are great but make sure

there is a clear distinction between your facts and your opinions.

· Refer to topics published in FACEPLATE.

· Keep in mind you are writing to Divers, no need to explain the

basics.

To submit:

· Go to http://www.supsalv.org/

· Left column under ‘Publications’, click on “Letters to the Editor.”

FACEPLATE appreciates feedback on our entire publication. So

if you want to sound off about

something that we have written

please do.

Day One:

• Kick off

• NAVSEA 00C comments

• Briefs from the following: NEDU, NECC,

 SOCOM, Detailer/ECM, NDSTC/CEEOD,

 NAVFAC and various Dive Lockers

• Working group break-outs (working

 groups TDB)

• End of day working group back briefs

• MDV/CWO meeting

Day Two:

• Working groups brief WDC on way ahead

• Working group break-outs

• End of day working group back briefs

Day Three:

• Working groups finish

• Working group present to WDC

• NAVSEA 00C closing comments

Notional Schedule for 2009