2 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 7

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 Richard Hooper, USN

Director of Ocean Engineering

Supervisor of Salvage and Diving

NAVSEA 00C

richard.hooper@navy.mil

Captain John Gray, USN

Supervisor of Diving

Editor-In-Chief

john.g.gray@navy.mil

LCDR Jim Bladh, USN (Ret.)

Managing Editor

jimbladhsr@aol.com

NDCM (MDV) Danny Boyd, USN

NDCM (MDV) Fred Orns, USN

NDCM (MDV) Brian Pratschner, USN

Fleet Liaison Editors

danny.boyd@navy.mil

frederick.orns@navy.mil

brian.pratschner@navy.mil

Zoya Gorbunova

Production Manager

zoya.gorbunova@navy.mil

As I write this article in July, the Work- ing Divers Conference (WDC) held

in May 2007 is still fresh in my mind. The

centerpiece of this year’s

conference was our in-depth

review of what will be the core

of Revision 6 of the USN

Diving Manual. We used the

WDC forum, consisting of a

significant percentage of all the

Master Divers in the Navy, to

review the key elements that

need to be in place to roll out

the Diving Manual Revision.

Specifically, the WDC reviewed three

elements of this rollout and I would urge

all Diving Lockers to make this part of

your in-house training curriculum.

The first and most important element

of the Diving Manual Revision rollout is

already in place. The complete revision

of the air diving procedures and air diving

tables that constitute the new Chapter 9

of the Diving Manual was promulgated

by AIG 07-07, available on the SUPSALV

website at https://secure.supsalv.org/

home.asp. The procedures and tables are

the mature product of ten years of work

including testing, rigorous analysis, and

Fleet Diver feedback. Bottom line is that

these new tables and procedures represent

a quantum step forward in safe diving

practices and correct identified safety

deficiencies in the existing air tables that

have been part of the manual virtually

without significant change for fifty years.

Second, the conference familiarized

the Navy Diving community with the

operation and procedures of the Oxygen

Regulator Control Assembly (ORCA), a

key material element that enables the

proper implementation of the preferred air

diving decompression regime in the

revised Diving Manual: decompression

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

USS BOONE Rudder Replacement .............. 3

Portable Air Monitor ....................................... 6

New Training Facility at NDSTC .................... 7

M/V TONG CHENG ....................................... 8

SAFEGUARD Divers Increase Proficiency . 11

Those DAM Divers ....................................... 12

Working Divers Conference 2007 ................ 14

Survey of WWII Torpedo Bombers .............. 16

MK V Monument Update ............................. 17

EODMU 5 Participate in Thai Diver Night .... 18

Family Donates Squalus Memorabilia ......... 19

USS OGDEN ............................................... 20

From The Managing Editor .......................... 21

DC Divers Charity Golf Classic Update ....... 21

Command in the Spotlight ........................... 22

(“SUPSALV Sends” continued on p. 5)

Otto C. Adams

Graphic Designer

oadams@roh-inc.com

Captain Rich Hooper.

MDV Advancements .................................... 23

34 Years Ago in Faceplate ........................... 24

Captain Chris Murray Retires ...................... 25

The Old Master ............................................ 26

NAVSEA Sailor of the Year .......................... 27

From SUPDIVE ............................................ 27

WDC 2008 Agenda ...................................... 28

Cover photo:

ND1 Josh Moore welds a repair patch on the submerged bow of amphibious transport dock USS OGDEN (LPD5) while the ship was in port at Naval Base San

Diego. ND1 Moore is a member of the Southwest Regional Maintenance Center (SWRMC) Dive Locker’s underwater welding team. (Photo by Mass

Communication Specialist Senior Chief Andrew McKaskle).

with oxygen. SUPSALV is procuring

sufficient ORCAs to outfit Fleet Diving

commands.

Third, the conference reviewed and briefed the training requirements for Oxygen

Worker Training, a necessary

element for commands to

manage the oxygen systems

which will be required for the

Revised Diving Manual.

The final elements that must

be in place prior to issuing the

revised Diving Manual are the

training curriculum and logistics support

material to support the new procedures

and the new ORCA. SUPSALV is working closely with the Naval Diving &

Salvage Training Center to ensure that the

proper elements are in place before

shifting to Revision 6 of the Diving

Manual.

Another notable event for the Navy

Diving Community announced at the

WDC was our shift to the KM37 surface

supplied UBA. After a thorough technical

review, testing at NEDU and operational

testing with Fleet Diving commands, the

Supervisor of Diving has placed the

KM37 on the Authorized for Navy Use

(ANU) list and has issued AIG 07-10 that

provides logistics support details on the

KM37. Effectively, the KM37 is the

replacement surface supplied UBA for the

MK 21. SUPSALV and Navy Diving

commands will be using this helmet as a

replacement for the MK 21 as it becomes

unserviceable. As SUPDIVE announced

at the WDC, NAVSEA 00C is seeking

priorities from Fleet Diving commands to

receive KM37 helmets as part of our FY08

procurement of KM 37 helmets.

Looking to the future, Steven Covey,

the author of The Seven Habits of Highly
S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 7 3

On 30 November 2006,

the Office of the Supervisor of Salvage and Diving

(SUPSALV) received a most

disturbing message from Commander, Atlantic Fleet Naval

Surface Forces (CNSL). USS

BOONE (FFG 28), while deployed to the western Mediterranean Sea to support North

Atlantic Treaty Organization

(NATO) Maritime Operations,

had lost all steering control

and material inspections were

underway to determine the root

cause of the failure. After extensive inspections on the operating systems in the steering gear

room, the root cause was not discovered.

After exhausting investigative efforts

internal to USS BOONE, the investigation turned external to the ship. On-site

Canadian Divers inspected BOONE’s

rudder and verified the worst. BOONE’s

rudder was lost at sea.

BOONE had a very limited amount

of maneuverability following the loss of

her rudder and the ship was eventually

towed to Naval Station Rota, Spain to

commence a complex repair availability.

In order to support the emergent repair

on BOONE, U.S.

Pacific Fleet confirmed that USS

CROMMELIN

(FFG 37) would

provide the replacement rudder. Pearl

Harbor Naval

Shipyard placed

CROMMELIN in

the dry dock on 06

December 2006.

CROMMELIN’s

rudder was removed

and shipped to Rota, Spain within five

days. SUPSALV compiled over 50,000

pounds of equipment and loaded out a U.S.

Air Force C-5 transport aircraft to ship

all of the required equipment from Norfolk, VA to Rota, Spain.

On 14 December 2006, all of the

operational support equipment arrived in

Rota, Spain and the repair operation was

underway. Divers from USS EMORY S

LAND (AS 39), Southeast Regional

Maintenance Center (SERMC), and

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard completed

the rudder installation phase of the repair

operation.

Divers commenced the

repair operation by conducting

several inspection dives to assess

the damage to the rudder stock.

The initial inspection revealed

that the rudder stock had damaged threads, the rudder key

was ripped from the keyway in

the rudder stock, and the key

securing bolts had been sheared

flush with the base of the keyway. Several dives were required

to remove the damaged threads

from the rudder stock and to

remove the sheared bolts from

the keyway. Divers also removed the

fairwater surrounding the rudder stock

hull seal using both hydraulic

and pneumatic cutting tools to

expose the hull seal for inspection.

Proper rigging technique

was essential to ensure the safety

of all Divers involved. Navy

Divers installed four 6-ton

hydraulic chain hoists into the

ship’s lifting tunnels at four

points surrounding the rudder

stock in accordance with the approved

rigging

plan. The

Divers also

installed one

6-ton load

cell in series

with each

chain hoist to

monitor the

load during

the rigging

evolution

to prevent

overloading

any of the chain hoists.

U.S. Navy Divers preparing for diving operations.

U.S. Navy Divers conducting supervisor

checks.

Damaged rudder stock threads.

Cleaned rudder stock keyway with sheared fasteners

removed.
4 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 7

A new rudder key was manufactured

prior to commencing the repair operation.

The new rudder key was manufactured

with a small amount of slack to account

for variations between the actual keyway

and the keyway drawing dimensions. The

key to keyway tolerance was less than

0.002 inches which required precise machining of the rudder key to ensure a

proper fit. Key installation quickly became

an iterative process of measurements and

machining to ensure all tolerances were

met. Divers installed the rudder key and

the four key fasteners into the rudder stock

on 18 December using the specified torque

requirement of 110 ft-lbs.

Divers completed all of the underwater preparations on 19 December, and

the replacement rudder was

ready for installation. Using

the approved rigging plan,

the 30,000 pound rudder was

lifted from the pier and lowered into the water astern of

BOONE.

Using the pier crane,

the Divers moved the rudder

under the stern of the ship

and transferred the load

from the crane to the four

existing chain hoists. A

diesel Hydraulic Power Unit

(HPU) Model 6 provided

the hydraulic pressure to the

four chain hoists and the Divers had

underwater control of all four chain hoists

through remote actuators. Each Diver

controlled two chain falls and the Divers

raised the rudder up and onto the rudder

stock using an alternating process of actuating the port and starboard chain falls.

The rudder was raised to its final position

just below the hull seal and the chain falls

were left in tension to maintain the

rudder’s position.

After successfully installing the

rudder onto the rudder stock, Navy Divers

proceeded to install the rudder nut onto

the end of the rudder stock to secure the

rudder into position. Divers transported

the 700-pound rudder nut to the rudder

stock and commenced the arduous process

of threading the nut onto the stock.

Divers completed the installation

and applied a final torque of 3,000 ftlbs to firmly secure the rudder nut onto

the stock. The Divers disconnected the

four hydraulic chain hoists from the

rudder completing the rudder

installation phase of the repair

procedure on 21 December

2006.

The rudder was successfully

installed onto the rudder stock

by the Divers and the alteration

and welding operation commenced on 22 December. The

alteration and welding phase of

the operation was completed

using Divers from Phoenix International

Incorporated. SUPSALV engineers designed a securing mechanism to be installed into the rudder nut to prevent the

nut from backing down the threaded stock.

The Divers used an underwater hydraulic

drill press to drill two holes through the

rudder nut and into the rudder stock. The

holes were drilled on opposite sides of the

rudder nut to a depth of 4.5 inches using a

1-inch diameter drill bit. One securing pin

was installed in each hole.

Two side mount dry chamber habitats were fabricated on the pier and

installed on the port and starboard

sides of the rudder to enclose the rudder

nut access cavity. The port and starboard

habitats were installed on 24 December

and external rigging was set and tightened

to secure the habitats to the rudder surface and mechanically compress the gasket.

Rudder stock key installed into the keyway.

Rudder lifted from the pier using a three point lift.

Rudder lowered into the water with Diver assistance.

Rudder nut ready for installation onto the

rudder stock.
S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 7 5

LCDR Jay Young is an Engineering Duty

Officer/Diver currently working as a Project

Manager at the Underwater Ship Husbandry

Division at NAVSEA 00C.

The first Diver struck an arc in the

starboard habitat on Christmas Day 2006.

The Divers welded a cover plate over each

of the pin holes to secure the pins in place

and two stopper plates around the nut as a

secondary means of preventing rotation.

Once the alterations were complete, the

port and starboard access cover plates

were fit-up and welded into place leaving

the rudder nut cavity watertight. Divers

1” diameter hole drilled into the rudder nut using an

underwater hydraulic drill press.

Habitat fabricated and installed to complete dry

chamber welding.

Effective People, said in Habit #2 to

“begin with the end in mind.” Toward

that end, Captain John Gray, the

Supervisor of Diving, has already set the

agenda for next year’s WDC based on

the Fleet feedback received this year

(see p. 28 of this issue). Prominent on next

year’s agenda are subjects that were

clearly at the forefront of the Navy Diving

leadership: fielding the Extreme Lightweight Diving System, Contaminated

Water Diving Procedures for present day

equipment, and our fielding plan for

more effective Contaminated Water

Diving Equipment. We have set this

agenda to focus NAVSEA’s efforts on

these critical diving program subjects

but welcome your additional input in

responding to your needs. Specific

input can be provided to NAVSEA’s

Fleet Liaison Master Divers, whose

contact information is listed on p. 2.

This issue of FACEPLATE has some

superb articles illustrating the skill and

peerless mission execution of the Navy

Diving Community. MDSU ONE’s story

of the salvage of the M/V TONG CHENG

is a textbook story of inter-service

cooperation between the Navy and the

U. S. Coast Guard but also of how Navy

salvage should be conducted in the 21st

century. MDSU ONE’s Commanding

Officer, CDR Dan Colman, not only

focused all the appropriate elements of

MDSU’s capability on the salvage but also

called in engineering support and ESSM

equipment support from SUPSALV to

compliment and augment as required.

BRAVO ZULU to MDSU ONE!

Another notable article is about the

waterborne replacement of the USS

BOONE’s rudder in Rota, Spain. This

story illustrates the value of the Navy

Diver. In this case, without the skill of

Navy Divers, a warship of the line of the

most powerful Navy in the world would

have been forced to drydock overseas

to fix damage or to be towed back to

CONUS. Instead, due to the efforts

and innovation of Navy Divers, the

warship were able to get underway

without either an overseas drydocking or

trans-oceanic tow. BOONE’s rudder

replacement not only allowed her to

return across the Atlantic to her homeport

without restriction, but also allowed her

to complete her deployment.

Although articles in this issue of

FACEPLATE detail the exceptional

accomplishments of particular commands, they really speak to the whole

Diver community. Take the opportunity

to provide us all the exploits of your

part of the community by submitting

articles to FACEPLATE so that your

fellow Divers can learn from your

missions and innovations.

Until next time, dive safe.

SUPSALV SENDS.

(“SUPSALV Sends” continued from p. 2)

SUPSALV SENDS

completed the welding operation on 28 December. Divers

removed the dry chamber

habitats, the rudder counterweight, and the rigging equipment to complete the repair

operation.

During the rudder replacement operation, the repair

team worked around the

clock, seven days a week, to

complete the repair and return

BOONE to sea. Twenty-eight

days after BOONE lost her

rudder, the final piece of rigging

was removed from the underside of

BOONE. The Divers exited the water at

12:10 pm on 28 December 2006 and

BOONE was underway at 12:40 pm to

continue operations in support of the

Global War on Terror.

Over a hectic five-week period, numerous individuals worked extremely

hard to complete the emergent repair on

BOONE. U.S. Navy Divers and contractor personnel worked all across the U.S.

and overseas to ensure success. The repair operation flexed the capability

and responsiveness of several activities

and each activity passed the test with

flying colors. Mission Accomplished!
6 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 7

As many of you are aware, thecurrent method for ensuring air

quality standards for compressors in

the Fleet is the Air Sampling Program.

The program involves mandatory semiannual air purity testing of compressors

used to supply Divers’ air. Gas sampling

kits supplied by a contract laboratory are

sent to the field where gas samples are

taken and then returned to the laboratory

for analysis. Analytical results are reported

to the field indicating a pass or fail based

on the specifications for diving air

in the U.S. Navy Diving Manual

(para. 4-3.1).

There are several drawbacks

with this semi-annual approach

and, as some of you may have

experienced first hand, it is a fairly

awkward procedure which must be

performed with great care to ensure

meaningful results. Probably the

most significant drawback of

sending samples to a laboratory for

analysis is the lack of real-time

feedback to the operator. If a

compressor is malfunctioning, the

first you may know of it is when

you have to deploy your standby

Diver to recover an unconscious

Diver. It may be many months

before you realize a compressor is

operating outside of parameters if

the problem is small and you are

not due to sample.

To try and address some of these

issues the Navy Experimental Diving Unit

(NEDU), in conjunction with several

manufacturers, has developed a number

of in-line air quality monitors or PAMs.

Out of these prototype monitors, the

Geotech DIVEAIR2, is currently undergoing field testing with both Mobile

Diving and Salvage Units One and Two.

Dr. Richard Lillo and Mr. Jim

Caldwell from NEDU have been working

hand-in-hand with manufacturers for a

number of years to develop a prototype

monitor with the unique capability to test

for O2, CO2, CO, total hydrocarbons, and

other particulates in one package. When

NEDU was satisfied that the Geotech

PAM could monitor air to a suitable

level of accuracy, the unit was passed to

NDSTC for a more thorough testing

in 2006. Senior Chief Geyman, EN1

Bosland, and EM2 Salazar worked

diligently over many months testing the

monitor. With their help we have been able

to iron out some of the initial problems

with the monitor.

The Geotech DIVEAIR2 pictured

has since been reboxed and now comes in

a small “pelican” style case. It comes with

an audio and visual alarm to alert the

operator if any of the elements being

tested fall outside of permissible limits. It

contains a rechargeable battery and can be

linked to a computer to download test

results. In parallel to field testing the PAM,

NAVSEA is looking at developing a new

reducer which will be both robust and low

maintenance and allow the PAM to be

connected to any in-service compressor.

A portable air monitor will have

several applications in addition to

supporting routine compressor testing. As

seen during diving operations following

Katrina, the ability to test air quality before

running your compressor in a potentially

contaminated air environment would be

extremely beneficial. This same technique

could be used prior to using compressors

on ships or in the vicinity of engine

exhausts. The monitor can be used “inline” allowing compressor air output to

be monitored continuously and alerting

the operator to possible compressor

malfunctions or the presence of a

“bad” air source. It should also be

possible to attach a PAM directly to a

SCUBA bottle allowing Divers to

check air obtained from commercial

sources when the mission demands.

Because this monitor is unique, there

is likely to be interest from other

branches of the military such as

Submariners and Aviators who also

require the ability to test breathing air

in this way. There has also been

interest from the commercial diving

community who can see the benefit of

being able to test their compressor air

output real-time.

Upon successful completion of

field testing, NAVSEA will look at

purchasing a number of air monitors

which can be strategically deployed

where they will be most effective. The

current air sampling program will

continue to run unchanged while the initial

batch of monitors are used to determine

how this new capability can be best

exploited and identify any shortfalls with

the system that may have made it through

field testing.

Thanks to all those that have put time

and effort into testing this unit. Your

efforts are very much appreciated and will

undoubtedly benefit the Fleet when PAMs

hit the front line.

DIVEAIR2 in its original casing.

LT Jim Pearson is a Royal Navy Exchange

Officer currently specializing in contaminated water diving at NAVSEA 00C.
S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 7 7

On 23 February 2007 the Naval Diving and

Salvage Training

Center broke

ground on a 13 million dollar training

and pool facility

to support increased DoD

demand for Diver

training. Military

Construction

(MILCON) project

P-315 will construct

the Joint Aquatic

Combat Diver

Training Facility

(JACDTF) consisting of a 40’ by 75’ by 40’ deep training

tank with support facilities for an overhead 60-ton gantry crane, surface supplied

diving stations, and applied classroom

facility.

The JACDTF was originally conceived as an underwater ship husbandry

training facility. New requirements and

demand for additional trained divers to

support joint DOD Anti-Terrorist Force

Protection (ATFP), home land security

missions, and support of the Global War

on Terror (GWOT) are driving extra stuAOC Ray Davis is currently assigned to

NDSTC in Panama City, FL.

dent through-put beyond what can be

accommodated utilizing NDSTC’s existing training tank. The JACDTF will be a

key training complex preparing military

Divers to conduct vital waterborne missions. These missions range from emergent ship husbandry to keep ships waterborne on-station to direct and indirect

combat actions.

The Naval Diving and Salvage

Training Center (NDSTC) conducts

high-risk Diver training for Joint U.S.

Military Divers and Allied Nations.

NDSTC currently

simulates underwater

diving exercises in

low visibility and turbid

water. This is not conducive to instructing

detailed underwater

tasks which include

propeller blade changes,

masker belt cleaning,

sonar transducer

maintenance, enclosed

space diving, EOD

training, and SDV

training. The new

facility will allow

Conceptual drawing of Joint Aquatic Combat Diver Training Facility.

these detailed

skill sets to be

taught in a

controlled,

high visibility

area. An improvement in

Diver skill

level will provide an estimated 10%

reduction in

costly on-thejob-training

(OJT). This

reduction in

OJT will likely result in

significant

annual cost avoidance and most importantly, a more effective combat force.

The JACDTF will enable NDSTC

to safely train the increased numbers

of students in relevant projects and

underwater Explosive Ordnance Disposal training requirements that will

ultimately support Homeland Defense,

ATFP, and GWOT missions. Diver

manning levels in Navy, Marine Corps,

Air Force, Coast Guard, Army, and

other DOD, Federal, and State organizations will benefit from the JACDTF.

Construction progress, June 2007.

Construction progress, June 2007.
8 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 7

On 19 January 2007, the TONGCHENG, a Chinese Flagged Motor

Vessel en route from Pusan, Korea to the

Panama Canal, reported to the U.S. Coast

Guard Sector Honolulu that she

had a 29-inch crack in her port hull

and was experiencing progressive

flooding in her number two cargo

hold. The vessel requested to enter Honolulu to conduct repairs before continuing on her voyage.

TONG CHENG was down by the

bow approximately eight feet and

getting worse. Her normal draft

forward was 33 feet, but with the

cracked hull and progressive

flooding she was drawing greater

than 43 feet. She was losing stability. To compound the problem

the weather was deteriorating and

the seas were expected to build.

The U.S. Coast Guard

(USCG) sprang into action and

stood up an Incident Command

Center (ICC) to gather the expertise to assess the ship’s problem and weigh

the risks of allowing the ship to enter Honolulu to conduct repairs versus the risks

that the vessel’s hull would fail and the

ship would sink, 26 crewmembers might

be lost, and 150,000 gallons of heavy fuel

oil would be released in Hawaiian waters.

The first challenge the ICC had to address

was that the ship could not accurately report the damage to her hull because the

crew could not enter the affected cargo

hold due to containers blocking the access.

Structural engineers from the Navy’s Supervisor of Salvage and the U.S. Coast

Guard’s Naval Architectural Branch studied the ship’s drawings and pictures taken

from aircraft flyovers. As a result, the engineers grew increasingly concerned over

the structural integrity of the vessel and

the realization that the worst case scenario

would happen if something was not done

to stop the progressive flooding and dewater the vessel to relieve the water pressure on the forward bulkhead of the number two cargo hold— the aft bulkhead of

cargo hold number one. The salvage engineers’ calculations revealed that if

TONG CHENG lost her cargo hold number one, in addition to already losing cargo

hold number two, the ship was certain to

sink. It was no longer a matter of if, it was

a matter of when. Meanwhile the National

Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) conducted spill trajectories to estimate the potential damage to

Hawaii’s fragile environment if the ship

sank. Spill trajectories indicated that the

closer the vessel got to the Hawaiian coastline the greater the impact on the environment if the vessel released its fuel into the

ocean. All of this information made the

risk of allowing TONG CHENG to close

Honolulu too great unless action was taken

to reduce the risk.

 While the ICC studied the problem

and weighed the risks of allowing the

vessel to proceed into Honolulu, TONG

CHENG was directed to remain 80 nautical miles South Southwest of Oahu. This

location, due to the prevailing winds and

seas, was chosen to reduce the threat to

the environment if the vessel came

apart. The ship was escorted by USCGC

WALNUT to rescue the 26 Chinese

crewmembers in case the ship sank while

a decision and a plan were formulated.

The ICC needed a better assessment of the

TONG CHENG’s hull

to see the reported damage and determine the

risk of the ship’s hull

failing. Enter the Heavy

Lifters from Mobile

Diving and Salvage

Unit (MDSU) ONE.

 On 21 January,

TONG CHENG went

dead in the water (DIW)

to allow U.S. Navy

Divers from MDSU

ONE to inspect her hull.

Chief Warrant Officer

Jason Deatrick, a Diving

Warrant Officer, was

sent as part of an advance party to assess the

ship and develop a tag out plan to de-energize pumps and other machinery that

could pose a hazard to Divers in the water. Language barriers compounded the

problem of developing a tag out plan. Fortunately, the ICC dispatched on-scene

translators to liaise between the dive team

and the ship’s crew. Once the ship was

tagged out, Divers entered the water on

the port side to investigate the damage.

The survey was hazardous but the risk was

manageable, as Divers tended from the

surface conducted a thorough hull survey

on a ship rising and falling with the seas.

Divers located the crack 30 feet below the

water-line, but reported that the crack had

grown from 29-inches long to 56-inches

long (1/8-inch wide). Additionally, they

discovered two additional 6-inch “L”-

shaped cracks that were spreading like a

crack in a car windshield. Deatrick’s team

captured underwater video and stills

that were forwarded to the ICC to fill in

information gaps that could help decision

MDSU ONE Det 9 Divers MDV Valentine, ND2 Gerasimchik, and ND2

Smith review hot tap procedures.
S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 7 9

makers decide whether or not

to allow the ship to enter port.

The salvage engineer

team evaluated the underwater

video and assessed that the

ship’s hull was failing and that

it was not a matter of if the ship

would sink, it was a mater of

when the ship would sink if no

action was taken. Meanwhile,

the Heavy Lifters developed a

plan to affect emergency repairs to patch the multiple

cracks. If the cracks could be

patched, the ship could be dewatered and stability restored.

This would reduce the risk of

the ship’s hull failing and the

risk of a catastrophic release of

fuel into the water.

MDSU ONE proposed a plan to apply a temporary patch using a 2-part epoxy. The plan was discussed with Engineering Duty Officers from the Navy’s Supervisor of Salvage, who although skeptical, were optimistic that the plan had

potential for success and could offer no

other options or alternatives. Their concerns were valid since the ship had to make

an 80-nautical mile transit into 4-6 foot

seas with a patch that could be compared

to a temporary filling in a tooth. However,

it was this or nothing.

The following day, with the weather

window for diving operations closing,

TONG CHENG again went DIW and was

tagged out for diving operations. MDSU

ONE Detachment NINE, led by CWO

Deatrick and NDC(MDV) Paul Adams,

deployed SCUBA Divers to install the

temporary patches that required a 4 to 6-

hour cure time to harden. At the four-hour

mark Divers returned to check the integrity of the patch and reported that the patch

appeared to be intact and holding, but

could not be certain until dewatering began and the water level in the cargo hold

dropped.

With that in mind, MDSU ONE

turned their attention to how best to assist

the U.S. Coast Guard Strike Team with dewatering the vessel. MDSU ONE had

transferred several trash pumps (pumps

named for their ability to pump large volumes of water and debris) to the American Islander, a USCG contract vessel.

Two of these pumps were eventually

transferred to the TONG CHENG, but it

became apparent that it would be

difficult to employ them both because

containers crowded the TONG CHENG’s

main deck and only one scuttle to cargo

hold number two was accessible for

dewatering. This scuttle could only accommodate one pump. The good news

was that the ship’s installed pumps and

the one trash pump were able to dewater

the space enough to confirm the temporary patch was holding and no additional

cracks existed.

The ICC considered cutting access

holes in the deck to place additional

hoses and get more pumps running.

However, hot work could not be done

because explosive gases in the cargo hold

could not be ruled out. The pumping

would proceed slowly using a combination of (1) trash pump and the ship’s

installed pumps and eductors. As soon as

a little ground was gained another set back

was suffered. The vessel’s installed pumps

failed from nearly 30 days of continuous

pumping. Now the only pump dewatering the ship was one 350 gallon per minute

trash pump. The options were narrowing,

but the patch was holding and dewatering, although slow, continued with minor

changes in draft and soundings.

With the temporary patch

holding and one pump continuously dewatering the vessel, the decision was made

to allow TONG CHENG to

close Honolulu. The problems

appeared to be passed and

opening. Because of the seawater in the cargo hold the

ship’s forward draft was too

deep (approximately 43 feet)

to enter port and conduct repairs so the ship was diverted

to Honolulu anchorage one

nautical mile off the coast.

Now the challenge was how

to dewater the vessel enough

to raise the ship’s draft to at

least 35 feet forward to allow

the ship to enter Barbers Harbor and go pier side. The challenge remained that the main deck was crowded

with containers that could not be off

loaded at anchor and hot work was still

ruled out because the absence of explosive gases could not be confirmed.

Again, MDSU ONE sprang into action and developed an alternative plan for

dewatering the cargo hold at anchor. With

no other means available, MDSU ONE

briefed the ICC on a procedure called hot

tapping. The procedure is used to remove

liquid loads from sunken vessels that are

inaccessible by normal pumping means.

Hot tapping involves using a hole saw to

cut 4-inch diameter holes in which ball

valves are installed. The valves are connected to suction hoses and pumps that

remove liquid from tanks. Despite the

name, the procedure does not involve any

welding which made it safe for an environment that may or may not have an explosive atmosphere. The only risk was if

the procedure were not done properly, the

contact water from the cargo hold would

escape into the environment. Additionally,

hot tapping on the TONG CHENG at anchor would be more difficult than a hot

tap on a ship settled on the ocean floor

because the ship was swinging at anchor.

The threat still remained that the ship’s

hull or the forward bulkhead in cargo hold

number two could fail. To compensate for

the difficulty, the detachment rehearsed

MDSU ONE Det 9 Diver NDC Richardson inspects damage to TONG

CHENG’s hull 80 nm at sea.
1 0 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 7

the hot tap procedure

topside on a support barge

moored alongside TONG

CHENG prior to attempting the procedure in the

water. MDSU ONE last

used hot tapping in 2003 to

recover nearly 2,000,000

gallons of diesel fuel from

the USS MISSISSINEWA,

a WWII Tanker sunk by a

Japanese torpedo in Micronesia’s Ulithi Atoll in

1945.

With the hot tap plan

approved by the ICC,

MDSU ONE rapidly deployed two short tons of

MDSU ONE Surface Supplied Diving Equipment and Emergency

Ship Salvage Materiel equipment onboard the Maritime Spill Response

Corporations (MSRC) Oil Spill Response

Barge (OSRB). The OSRB was the vessel

to which the contact water in TONG

CHENG’s hold would be pumped once the

hot taps were installed and the pumps were

ready to move water. Simultaneously,

structural engineers determined the best

locations to install the hot tap assemblies

based on locations that would be the most

successful for removing the fuel-contaminated water.

On 24 January Detachment Nine

set up a surface supplied diving station

and made final preparations to install the

hot taps. The installation of the first hot

tap flange and valve was completed in

3 hours, the remaining two hot taps were

completed in significantly less time

with the last hot tap taking little more

than an hour to complete. The hot tap

assemblies were installed on the

starboard side of TONG CHENG’s hull in

cargo hold number two at 14, 21, and 28

feet beneath the waterline.

Once the hot taps were installed the

pumps were rigged. However, a new set

of obstacles had to be overcome. The

OSRB was significantly higher than the

TONG CHENG, which created a static

head in excess of what the pumps could

overcome. The pumps struggled to take

suction and continuously lost their prime.

The MDSU ONE pumping crew worked

tirelessly throughout the night to develop

a plan to overcome the static head. And

finally with a combination of trial by

error and ingenuity they perfected a

pumping configuration that progressively

increased in capacity until they were dewatering at a rate of 8,000 to 12,000 gallons per hour.

The pumping crew continued to

dewater through 25 January and until the

only pump remaining was on the hot tap

located at 28 feet of seawater. The TONG

CHENG’s soundings for cargo hold number two decreased from over 9 meters to 5

meters and the draft decreased from 40

plus feet to 35 feet, the minimum required

to go pier side at the repair facility. At

0430, MDSU ONE Detachment Nine

prepared for the final diving evolution.

They had remained on-station during the

dewatering evolution in order to respond

to a hot tap failure, now they would

secure and cap the hot tap valves and

recover the hoses. This was no more significant than any other part of the operation, however, it was pivotal in that

MDSU ONE had overcome every obstacle

and their success relied on this final

evolution. Should the hot tap fail it could

prove difficult to patch. Fortunately, the

final diving evolution went as smoothly as

every other and TONG CHENG was ready

to enter port. At 0900 the ship weighed

anchor and got underway with her

escorts and safely made the transit to

Barbers Harbor.

CDR Dan Colman is Commanding Officer of Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit ONE located in Pearl Harbor, HI.

MDSU ONE Det 9 Diver ND2 Gerasimchik installs the hot tap flange.

The Heavy Lifters of

MDSU ONE using their core

values of ingenuity, agility and

perseverance, assisted the U.S.

Coast Guard with the emergent

temporary repairs, assisted

the USCG Strike Team with

dewatering the stricken vessel

during the 80 nautical mile

transit to anchorage, developed a plan to dewater

TONG CHENG at anchorage

from below the water line,

overcame the obstacles of

pumping against a high static

head, and had successfully

reduced the vessel’s draft, all

of which allowed her to safely

enter port for permanent

repairs. In doing this MDSU ONE

prevented the catastrophic failure of

TONG CHENG’s hull that would have

released over 150,000 gallons of petroleum liquid load to the environment and

the possible loss of life.

Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit

ONE is an expeditionary diving and

salvage command that is part of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group ONE

and falls under Commander, Navy

Expeditionary Combat Command

(CNECC) which was established in

January 2006. CNECC combines expeditionary forces that include Mobile

Diving and Salvage Units, Explosive

Ordnance Disposal Mobile Units, SeaBee Battalions, and Riverine Combat

Commands under one umbrella to

standardize manning, training, and

equipping of expeditionary forces.

MDSU ONE Det 9 Diver MDV Valentine installs hot tap drill.
S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 7 1 1

SASEBO, Japan – USS SAFEGUARD(ARS 50) completed a series of

training dives over a three-day period

(January 29-31, 2007) off the coast of its

forward-deployed home in Sasebo, Japan.

The training consisted of more than

14 deep sea dives and 10 recompression

chamber dives, testing SAFEGUARD

Divers in a number of situations and

overall increased their proficiency to carry

out the ship’s primary mission: rescue and

salvage.

“The more proficient we are within

our mission area, the better we can

respond to real-world contingencies that

may arise,” said LCDR Doyle K. Hodges,

SAFEGUARD Commanding Officer.

“This type of training enhances

the professional development

and capabilities of all members

of the team.”

Such contingencies are

never far away for SAFEGUARD, which less than a year

ago, salvaged a U.S. Air Force

F-16C fighter jet that crashed

in the Yellow Sea off the coast

of the Republic of Korea.

Over the course of the

three-day training dives in

Sasebo’s outlying waters,

SAFEGUARD Divers utilized

the “mud monster,” a training device that

is shaped in the form of a large cube made

to represent submerged materials, like the

F-16. Dives practiced patching the

monster and also lifting it to the surface.

Amidst the various

practical skill enhancement training dives, SAFEGUARD Dive Crew was

also tested in relation to

responding to medical casualties and general dive

emergencies to further

challenge the crew in those

circumstances.

“The more you dive,

the more proficient you

get,” said Navy Diver 2nd

Class Ryan Steinkemp

of SAFEGUARD. “With

this kind of training you

become more calm and

more certain in emergency

situations.”

Overall, the dives went well, said

NDCS(DSW/SW) Clifford E. Morin, 1st

Class Diver.

During the dives, Morin was not

only able to relay his 17-year Naval

Diving career experience to the

SAFEGUARD Divers, but was also

able to hone his knowledge and

proficiency as he soon departs to

Pensacola, FL, to undergo an examination

to become a Master Diver.

“For me, the biggest thing is

mastering watch management, crisis

management, and solving problems,” said

Morin, who led the Dive Teams through

the majority of the drill sets. “To get ready

for Master Diver evaluations, it has just

been a series of successive learning

experiences, including all the ones from

SAFEGUARD. I think I’m ready.”

And in turn, said Morin, SAFEGUARD crew is ready for whatever

operation may be in the future.

SAFEGUARD (ARS 50) is a rescue

and salvage ship commanded by LCDR

Doyle K. Hodges and serves under

Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group

(ESG) 7 / Task Force (CTF) 76, the Navy’s

only forward-deployed amphibious force.

Task Force 76 is headquartered at White

Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, Japan,

with an operating detachment in Sasebo,

Japan. For more information on CTF 76,

visit www.ctf76.navy.mil.

HMCS(SW/DV) Michael Bowe-Rahming steadies a dive

platform for two Divers of USS SAFEGUARD (ARS 50)

during at anchor dive operations off the coast of its

forward-deployed home of Sasebo, Japan.

HM2(SW/DV) Sam Green of USS SAFEGUARD (ARS 50)

recovers from a training dive.

ND2 Ryan Steinkemp steadies himself on a dive

platform during at anchor dive operations.
1 2 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 7

With all relationships, there is a beginning. In this case, what started

out with a simple phone call and a little

“out of the box” thinking ended with a

strong bond between two Department of

Defense agencies. The Naval Undersea

Warfare Center (NUWC) Division

Keyport Dive Locker has been fortunate

enough to develop a unique working

association with the Portland District

Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) by

providing crucial diving services to

various projects under the District’s jurisdiction. These projects, better known as

dams, span the mighty Columbia River

and include Bonneville, the Dalles, John

Day, and Willow Creek Dams. These

projects are crucial to the national power

grid, and in some cases, have provided

electricity to various regions in Canada,

most notably, during the blackouts that hit

the Northeast in 2003.

Additionally, they are integral

to maintaining the Columbia Basin waterway infrastructure, ensuring commercial

and recreational vessel access, agricultural needs, recreational areas, and

the health of fish and wildlife are maintained at the highest levels. The unique

bond shared by NUWC and the ACOE,

assists in meeting and maintaining these

important aspects.

Like “Big” Navy, the ACOE has

nationwide commands, or districts (i.e.,

Portland District, Seattle District, Omaha

District, etc.) where each has its own Commander, specific mission

statement, and geographical areas of responsibility.

All districts are required

to meet established directives and requirements

but they do have the autonomy to implement and

enforce more conservative diving and safety requirements as they deem

necessary to meet unique

operational situations

and/or distinctive safety

parameters. Guidance for

all ACOE Diving Operations falls under the U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers, Safety and Health

Requirements

Manual (EM385-1-1).

Typically, the Portland

District employs contracted

Divers on and around those

dams previously mentioned. In

regard to safety, one major area

of concern involves the dynamics of differential pressures

associated with the extreme

variation in water levels inherit

with any dam. To give you an

idea, the Dalles Dam has an

upstream water depth of approximately 130 feet, yet the

downstream side of the dam on

the spillway is approximately 15

to 20 feet. Calculate the differential pressure, and you can see the potential for catastrophe, especially if diving on the upstream side of the dam. With

this in mind, the Portland District has developed, by comparison, exceptionally

strict safety and operational requirements

for all diving contractors.

By strict, this means the Portland District requires all contracted diving companies to meet certain administrative and

operational directives that significantly

mitigate potential problems. Any company, civilian or military, goes through a

qualification process with the ACOE prior

to being eligible to dive on Portland District projects. Administratively, contractors

are required to submit the following in

explicit detail: Dive Operational Plan,

Emergency Management Plan, and Activity Hazard Analysis Plan (or Operational

Risk Management Plan in Navy terms).

This is no easy or quick task and involves a substantial amount of information gathering. They are also required to

provide evidence that Dive Team personnel have been trained through an accredited commercial diving course or military

Dive School, are currently certified in

CPR and first aid, have a current medical

exam on file, and can use emergency oxygen systems and Automated External

Defibrillators.

For diving systems, contractors are required to meet nearly the same standards

that any Navy Diving command would in

obtaining system certification from

NAVSEA. This includes, but is not limited to, quality assurance documentation

covering hydrostatic testing of air flasks,

NUWC Keyport Dive Team (left to right): NDCS(DSW/SW/SS)

Todd Manny, ND1(DSW) Mike Barnett, HM2(FMF) Guernsey,

ND2(DSW) Jay Cox, ND1(DSW/SW) Chad Christensen,

ND1(DSW/SW/SS) Benjamin Hill, NDCS(MDV/SW) Brustad,

ND1(DSW) Gray Ladd.

ND2(DSW) Jay Cox is the first Navy Diver to utilize an

ACOE man-basket for diving operations via an approved

NAVSEA Diver handling waiver. This training/prepatory

dive was conducted to verify that the surface interval time

from 30 to 40 fsw could be met.
S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 7 1 3

hoses and umbilicals, gauge calibration,

relief valve testing, and current air sampling results on file. We, as Navy Divers,

are familiar with all of these items and consider nothing less. But for those who are

running a business, meeting those requirements to qualify comes at a price.

Taking this into consideration, there

are a very limited number of commercial

diving companies qualified to dive on

these projects, and when they are, the costs

to employ them can reach anywhere from

$7,000 to $9,000 a day. Given the situation, the ACOE has limited choices from

whom they can secure diving services and

almost no option on the financial costs sustained in hiring them.

This is where NUWC Keyport

Diving Locker was able to provide

another option. That option was to

qualify NUWC Keyport with the

Portland District. In doing so, Keyport

was able to

bring their

abilities and

expertise into

the different

realm of inland

diving. Not

only could we

offer our years

of combined

experience, but

it would allow

us the opportunity to enhance

our own professional development.

This new arena

of diving would also significantly

lower ACOE financial expenditures.

 Once the Keyport Divers were

fully qualified to dive on Portland

District projects, the ACOE had a cost

effective option in their arsenal to complete maintenance items requiring

diving services. With the dams having

a precise and very limited operational

window for conducting scheduled

repairs, largely in part due to the salmon

life cycle and the never-ending power

needs, it is imperative that once a

deficiency is identified that all involved

parties work quickly to

meet the targeted date.

 Changes to a set schedule can adversely affect a

wide array of organizations.

Accurate coordination of all

parties is paramount in

achieving the solution.

To date, Keyport Dive

Locker has conducted six

diving operations (2 of those

emergent) for the Portland

District. These jobs have

included debris removal

from the navigation locks

and the recovery of a Ford

truck that had inadvertently

entered the upstream side

of the Bonneville Dam, an

emergent repair to a “door dog” critical for

locking an “isolation” door to a main turbine unit and a second annual end sill

inspection of the Dalles Dam. These

operations

have all

been successfully

completed

at a cost

savings

of over

$200,000

for the

Portland

District.

Recently

Keyport

respond

-ed to an

emergent

job at the John Day Dam (just east of

the Dalles) to recover a Vertical Barrier

Screen (VBS) that had fallen into the

scroll case upstream of the intake side of

Main Power Unit #6. This VBS is crucial

in managing the health of the salmon

spawning cycle and posed a serious threat

to damage the main turbine. The main

turbine was secured for the obvious

reasons, therefore, not producing

power. With what was at stake, this

critical recovery had high interest

throughout the District.

One significant obstacle for this job

was the physical location of the VBS,

where access was limited. Entrance into

the scroll slot, in addition to the approximate 20 feet of freeboard, made getting

Divers in and out of the water in a timely

manner a concern. Additionally, the VBS

was in an approximate depth of 130-140

feet, therefore a surface decompression

dive using SUR D O2 was planned,

another first for the Navy/ACOE partnership.

In coming up with a solution,

another “first ever” was achieved.

Working extensively with NDCM (MDV)

Pratschner and Rob Warren (NAVSEA),

Captain Harrison (OPNAV N873),

Scott Ichiki (PSNS/OE Crane Engineer),

Jerry Balcolm (John Day Dam Safety

Officer), and Rick Benoit (ACOE

District Diving Coordinator), Keyport

(“DAM Divers” continued on p. 24)

ND1(DSW/SW) Chad Christensen assists NDCS(DSW/SW/

SS)Todd Manny entering the water to conduct an end sill apron

inspection on the downstream side of The Dalles Dam.

Diver prepares for a dive to measure undermining of the end sill apron on the downstream side

of the Dalles Dam located on the Columbia River.

ND2 Kevin Smith and ND1 Gray Ladd are lifted into the scroll

case of Main Power Unit 6 of The John Day Dam to remove a

VBS that had fallen into the intake.

1 6 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 7

J

ALUIT ATOLL, Republic of Marshall

Islands – Divers and other crew

members from USS SAFEGUARD (ARS

50) assisted the Naval Historical Center

(NHC) and the International Group for

Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR)

in a scientific survey of

two submerged World War

II aircraft in waters Oct.

12, 2006.

The submerged aircraft – lost since the early

days of World War II – are

U.S. Douglas Torpedo

Bomber Devastators

(TBDs), which played a

primary role in the war’s

outset, yet no example of

them exists in any museum.

Over the four days of

diving, the survey team

collected data and sampled

material from the TBDs for

scientific analysis to evaluate their suitability for possible recovery and preservation at a later date.

Divers from SAFEGUARD, supported by representatives from Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific

(CLWP) and Mobile Diving and Salvage

Unit (MDSU) One, assisted the

Naval Historical Center through a separate but complementary engineering

and salvage analysis. SAFEGUARD’s

presence provided an additional margin

of safety for both the Navy and civilian

Divers, since the ship carries a recompression chamber and trained diving medical

technicians in the event of any diving-related injuries.

“This was a unique opportunity for

SAFEGUARD to be involved in the

conservation and preservation of an

important part of Naval history,” said

LCDR Doyle Hodges, SAFEGUARD

Commanding Officer. “Just the process of

getting to the wreck site in the Marshalls

gives you a good appreciation for the

bravery of the Sailors who took these aircraft with rudimentary navigation systems

across thousands of miles of open ocean.

Additionally, the diving conditions in the

lagoon were terrific.”

SAFEGUARD, the Sasebo, Japanbased rescue and salvage ship, has

been conducting a regularly scheduled

deployment involving goodwill port

visits and training throughout the

Western Pacific.

The ship conducted a scheduled port

visit in Majuro, the capitol of the Republic of Marshall Islands, during which

SAFEGUARD Sailors were able to visit

a local school. After the port visit, SAFEGUARD was then able to assist in the assessment of the World War II aircraft resting nearby in Jaluit Atoll through diving,

survey, medical, and boat support.

It is not unusual for the Divers of

SAFEGUARD to be asked to examine

submerged aircraft, but it is exceptional

when the aircraft have been submerged for

nearly 65 years and are the last of their

type, said Hodges.

The Naval Historical Center and the

National Museum of Naval Aviation

have been interested for some time in

assessing the condition of these two

aircraft, according to officials of those

organizations.

These planes were lost in the first

U.S. offensive strikes of World War II,

going directly after the Japanese

headquarters on the Marshall Islands

immediately following the bombing of

Pearl Harbor. They were launched from

USS YORKTOWN (CV 5) during

that initial strike, but because of the

weather conditions, the pilots of the

bombers could not make a return from

the sortie, ran out of fuel, and made

emergency landings in the large central lagoon near the Jaluit Atoll.

Although obsolete during the

majority of the war, TBDs served with

distinction at the Battle of Midway.

At Midway, the Devastators suffered

horrendous losses, but by diverting

the Japanese fighter cover, they enabled the American dive bombers to

do their deadly work and contributed

significantly to that critical victory,

one that would turn the tide of the

Pacific War.

The two TBD Devastators that

sank in Jaluit have remained in the

same spot since they were lost in the

war – one resting on a coral ledge at

only 50 feet and the other on the bottom

at 130 feet. The shallower airplane was

found and identified in 1997. The deeper

Devastator was located in 2002. In 2004,

TIGHAR, which is a civilian nonprofit

historical foundation, conducted a survey

of the aircraft to explore the possibility

that one could be recovered and preserved

for exhibition at the National Museum of

Naval Aviation.

Initial results were promising and

this year TIGHAR applied for, and

was granted, permits from both the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the

Naval Historical Center to do a more

detailed evaluation of the state of preservation of the two aircraft, including the

collection of sample material for scientific testing and metallurgic analysis that

made the recent survey successful.

Dr. Robert Neyland, NHC underwater archaeologist, accompanied the

TIGHAR expedition as the U.S. Navy

observer. Neyland recommended that

LTJG Tyler Y. Smith and Navy Diver 3rd Class (SW) Zach D. Dimare of

USS SAFEGUARD (ARS 50) inspect their diving gear and test communications prior to entering the water. Photo by Navy Diver 2nd Class

Morgan B. Wade.
S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 7 1 7

Navy salvage experts also provide support

in order to plan for the logistics of

recovery and transport of one of the

aircraft at some future date. SAFEGUARD would end up providing that

support linkage.

During the recent survey operation,

the TIGHAR team, at their own expense,

mapped the extent of corrosion to both

wrecks and conducted analysis of water

chemistry, aluminum thickness measurements, and site mapping.

The combined TIGHAR and Navy

research will now provide the data for

preservation and potential recovery and

determine if it is feasible and desirable to

lift and restore one of the TBD aircraft,

according to officials of the organizations.

“SAFEGUARD Divers were proud

to be a part of a survey effort that shows

promise of leading to a successful

recovery of a TBD Devastator,” said

NDCS (SW/MDV) Jeffrey Sampson,

SAFEGUARD Master Diver. “The data

recovered while working with TIGHAR

and the Naval Historical Society will be

an integral part of future salvage and preservation operations.”

The Institute of Diving (IOD) MKV Monument Committee would like

to provide you all with an update to the

progress of the project. Committee members have met with local monument companies to discuss the shape, size, and color

of the granite that will make up the base

of the monument.

The production of the initial clay model

is nearing completion. The committee receives pictures on a weekly basis for our

comments and suggestion to ensure the

end product is technically accurate and to

ensure we erect a “JAKE” that all graduates (past, present, and future) of Navy

Dive Schools will all be proud of.

There still seems to be some confusion because of our committee’s previous

association with Homeland Security

Policy Institute Group (HSPIG) and their

endeavor to erect a Man In The Sea Memorial at the Washington Navy Yard.

Without going into a long explanation of

the past, let us say this. “The MK V Monument project is an endeavor to erect an

eight foot tall bronze JAKE monument to

celebrate all graduates of all U.S. Navy

Diving Schools. We are not associated

with HSPIG. We have decided the most

logical place to erect the monument is at

the Naval Diving and Salvage Training

Center (NDSTC) in Panama City, FL.”

On June 12, 2007 the Committee

signed a contract with Divers Gifts &

Collectables to produce the MK V Monument. In addition to the monument, in an

effort to raise the required funding, the

committee has decided to produce 300

each, 18-inch certified, serialized, limited

edition, exact replicas, in solid bronze

statuettes of the monument for sale. There

will only be 300. First come, first served.

The price of these statues is $2,000 each.

Considering the cost of similar small

bronze quality statuettes, this is a great

price! Following finalization of the design,

the first run is expected to be available for

shipping around the beginning of October. We are taking orders now. Reservations require payment in full. The first run

pour of the statues you can reserve (with

payment) a specific serial number if you

wish. After the first pour you will have to

be happy with what ever serial number is

available. At the time of writing this document nine numbers are presently reserved,

#001, #005, #007, #021, #049, #056,

#057, #072, #081, and #300. If you have

any questions please contact any of the

committee members.

We encourage and are still accepting

donations for this effort. However, in addition to the sale of the 300 statuettes, we

USS SAFEGUARD (ARS 50) is

a forward deployed rescue and

salvage ship operating out of

Sasebo, Japan, and is part of Task

Force 76, the Navy’s only forward

deployed amphibious force. For

more information, please visit

www.ctf76.navy.mil.

The MK V Monument Committee

Bob Barth...........(850) 785-6249 or (805) 819-7220 (C)

Dave Sullivan.....(850) 234-4162 or (850) 819-4163 (C)

Ed Delanoy.........(850) 235-5230

Dave Thompson. (850) 234-4697

Kellard Jansen...(850) 235-5264 or (850) 271-3260 (C)

Jim McCarthy....(850) 271-1441 or (850) 819-6360 (C)

have come up with an additional way of

adding to the funds that are required. We

are providing “drawing” tickets at $10

each. We have printed 1,000 of these tickets. The winning ticket will be drawn either at the erecting of the MK V Monument or when the 1,000th ticket is sold,

whichever occurs first. As of today, 142

have been sold. For those of you that have

already purchased tickets, which were

originally “raffle” tickets for the “sitting

Jake”, your tickets are now for the above

described statuette. We will be reprinting

the “drawing” tickets and stapling the corresponding ticket stub to your stubs. The

statuette for this drawing is serial #001.

Please help in spreading the word on

this project. The sooner we sell the 300

statuettes, the sooner the MK V Monument

will be erected. We will be giving the

www.markvmonument.org website a facelift very soon and updating it on a regular

basis.

Additionally, progress of the MK V

Monument project can be viewed at

http://www.diversgifts.com.
1 8 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 7

T HUNG PRONG, Kingdom ofThailand – Four U.S. Navy Diving

specialists and a trio of senior supporters

went through a

small portion of

Royal Thai Navy

(RTN) Diver

physical training

(PT) with Thai

diving students

May 11, 2007. The

dive specialists are

in Thailand to

participate in Cobra

Gold 2007, a multinational exercise

conducted through

May 18, 2007.

ND2 Josh

Amberger, ND2

Curtis Fees, IS1

(SW/AW) Shannon

Blake, and SK3

Kenneth Wieners, all

members of Explosive Ordnance Disposal

Mobile Unit (EODMU) 5, worked with the

RTN on a number of dive and EOD

mission areas and went through seven

hours of intense PT alongside students of

the RTN Diver course.

The training pushed the participants

through rigorous athletic training that

consisted of running nearly eight miles,

swimming 1,000 meters, performing

500 push-ups and sit-ups, and completing

various leg raises, flutter kicks, as well

as about two hours of log drills, which

consist of performing calisthenics with a

log.

“It was very challenging. I don’t

think you see how far you can push the

human body until you put it through that

kind of strain,” said Amberger. “Even

though it was difficult, none of us thought

about giving up, it was a matter of not only

earning the respect of the Thais but also

not giving up on them.”

Throughout the week of Cobra Gold

2007 training, featuring chamber dives

and handling improvised explosive devices

among other lessons, the U.S. Navy

personnel observed the Thai dive students

getting physically trained as part of the

Thai dive curriculum.

Physical fitness is a focus of the Thai

Dive School for about the first month. As

a culmination aspect of the initial physical

training period, there is a 36-hour,

no sleep, all-out push. That push is

what U.S. Navy Divers got a taste

of by participating in all seven

hours of training with the Thai

students.

Leading up to the night of PT, the

U.S. military members, who were

engaged in their own type of

training with already-rated Divers

and EOD, empathized with the

stretched out physical exertion the

Thai dive students were requred to

complete as part of the school’s

regimen.

So when the opportunity presented itself to partake, at least in a

segment of it, a handful from the

U.S. team volunteered to go

through the final portion as a way

to boost the spirits of their

counterparts.

“We just wanted to show that we

support them and also wanted to build

camaraderie,” said Blake. “We’re here

primarily to train and work closely with

their Divers and EOD, but this was an

opportunity to show that in all aspects

of their dive program, we are 100 percent

behind them. I think they appreciated us

being there.”

Through the exercise-intensive night,

the U.S. Navy Divers tried to integrate,

but not interfere, with the training

throughout the night. The four Divers

stood in single file formation next to

the block of students and performed

calisthenics on command with their

counterparts.

Around 2 a.m., the log drills began.

These drills paired each American on

a log team and each American was directly

tied to their Thai counterparts in making

it through this portion.

“I think we reached a point, especially

there, where we weren’t just tagging

along, but right there with them,” said

ND2 Curtis Fees and other dive members of Explosive Ordinance Disposal

Mobile Unit (EODMU) 5 line up next to a formation of Royal Thai Navy dive

candidates as part of an extensive 36-hour physical training stretch of Cobra

Gold 2007.

ND2 Josh Amberger and dive candidates from

the Royal Thai Navy push up a log as part of

an extensive 36-hour physical training stretch

of Cobra Gold 2007.

(“EODMU 5” continued on p. 19)
S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 7 1 9

NAVY EXPERIMENTAL DIVINGUNIT, Panama City, FL – USS

SQUALUS (SS 192), a diesel-electric submarine built at the Portsmouth Navy Yard,

NH and commissioned there on 1 March

1939, suffered a catastrophic valve failure during a test dive off the Isle of Shoals

at 0740 on 23 May, 1939. Partially

flooded, the submarine sank to the

bottom and came to rest keel down in

240 feet of water. Navy Divers and

salvage ships responded quickly, and

the following day began operations to

rescue the surviving 32 crewmembers

and one civilian from the forward sections

of the boat.

CAPT Karl Wheland was the Assistant Officer In Charge of the rescue and

salvage. The operation, led by CDR

Charles B. Momsen aboard the salvage

ship USS FALCON, resulted in the rescue of 32 crewmembers and one civilian.

It has since been recalled as one of the

U.S. Navy’s most renowned submarine

rescue missions.

By the time the job was completed,

four Sailors would receive the Congressional Medal of Honor and 46 would

receive the Navy Cross.

Retired Navy CAPT Bill Trueblood

the son-in-law of CAPT Wheland and his

PO2 Ben Dykes looks on as CAPT Bill Trueblood (Ret.) and wife Karen

discuss artifacts donated by the Trueblood family to NEDU concerning

the SQUALUS rescue and salvage.

And equally, the Americans said

they had ample respect for their counterparts, who endured the physical intensity

until 1pm the next day after starting at

about 6am the previous day.

NDCM (MDV/DSW/SW) Michael

Moser saw the night as a win-win for both

forces.

“I think this sort of Thai-U.S. training

integration will be a bridge for further

integration,” said Moser. “I am proud of

my guys and am equally impressed at the

endurance of the Thais. It was great to see

our Divers and the Thais work through

language barriers and work together to

achieve the evolutions.”

ND2 Curtis Fees and dive candidates from the Royal Thai Navy

hold up a log as part of an extensive 36-hour physical training

stretch of Cobra Gold 2007.

wife Karen recently

donated several

artifacts from the

SQUALUS rescue

to NEDU.

Included in

the artifacts

were newspaper

clippings about

the SQUALUS

rescue and salvage,

as well as Copy

No. 2 of the

FALCON’s operation log, signed by

each of its Divers.

There are also

photographs and a

copy of Peter Maas’ 1999 book “The

Terrible Hours,” which recounts the

rescue and salvage of the SQUALUS.

Trueblood said the Maas book had

been signed by some of the SQUALUS

survivors.

He and other family members had

been trying to decide for years where to

donate the memorabilia, he said, before

making the decision at Christmas.

“My dad would be thrilled that it’s

down here,” Karen said, adding that her

mother gathered the newspaper articles

related to the SQUALUS salvage for

years. Sailors of NEDU looked on with

great appreciation as LCDR David Givey,

the Executive Officer of NEDU, took

charge of the donated items from the

Trueblood family.

“What they were able to accomplish

under those conditions without the aid

of modern tools and methods was

absolutely amazing” NDC John Keller, a

Diver stationed at NEDU, said, adding

“They serve as a true inspiration for

today’s Deep Sea Divers.”

Expeditionary Strike

Group 7/Task Force 76 is

the Navy’s only forward

deployed amphibious force

and is headquartered

at White Beach Naval

Facility, Okinawa, Japan,

with an operating detachment in Sasebo, Japan.

Cobra Gold 07 is a

regularly scheduled ThaiU.S. joint/combined multinational exercise designed

to ensure regional stability

and interoperability among

participating nations.

 For more information

on CTF 76, visit

www.ctf76.navy.mil.

(“EODMU 5” continued from p. 18)
2 0 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 7

From October 2005 through November2005 and again from December 2006

through January 2007, Southwest Regional Maintenance Center (SWRMC)

Divers commenced rebuilding the port

bow section of the USS OGDEN (LPD

5). Structural failure of the bow section

plating caused numerous cracks in the

shell plates.

Utilizing underwater non-destructive

testing (Ultra-Sonic, Visual Aid Magnetic

Particle), SWRMC Divers were able to

provide Naval Sea Systems Command

engineers with an accurate documentation

of the structural breakdown of the

OGDEN bow then proceeded to drill-stop

the cracks.

SWRMC Divers/welders then set-up

a unique wet weld connex box pier side

and commenced wet welding confirmation

T-plates (a NAVSEA requirement for any

underwater welds utilized for repairs

on U.S. Navy vessels). A third party

NAVSEA representative, who scrutinizes

and evaluates all underwater wet welds,

arrived on-site to observe this large scale

underwater ship husbandry endeavor.

Once weld plates passed confirmation, the repair areas were mapped out

and doubler plates were constructed and

fit up to the hull. Hold down brackets were

constructed and tack

welded into place to

assist in holding the

steel doubler plates

in place as SWRMC

Divers fillet welded

the patches onto the

damaged bow section.

These repairs included the construction

of two eight-foot pieces

of half-pipe to provide strength to the

weakened bow section.

Wet weld repairs on

OGDEN took 32 days,

with SWRMC Divers

diving seven days a week,

12 to 14 hours a day with

700 hours of safe bottom

time.

These waterborne repairs allowed OGDEN

to meet its wartime deployment of a Marine

Regiment in support of

the Global War on Terrorism.

Six months later,

OGDEN returned to

port having successfully

deployed to the Persian

Gulf. A post-deployment

inspection

dive of the

repaired bow section

showed all wet weld repairs

made by SWRMC Divers

to be structurally sound.

However, the inspection

also revealed additional

damage to the port and

starboard bow section.

OGDEN was due to

decommission and be sold

to a foreign government for

continued service. SWRMC

Divers were called upon to

conduct these additional

repairs. The same process utilized previously was employed again on the weakened bow section.

ND2(DSW) Moore, ND1(DSW)

Murray, ND1(DSW/SW) Pugh,

ND1(DSW) Perry, and ND1(DSW)

Weber wet welded over 2,800 linear feet

of fillet welds to strengthen the damaged

bow section.

This team of waterborne repair

experts not only ensured ODGEN

deployed to the war zone on time, they

completed wet weld repairs during the

second phase of bow repairs ahead of

ND1 B.J. Perry wet welds a doubler plate to OGDEN’s cracked

bow section.

Finished doubler plate wet welded by SWRMC Divers.

A crack in the bow of USS OGDEN (LPD 5).

(“USS OGDEN” continued on p. 21)
S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 7 2 1

At this time, I wish to announce that this will

be my final edition

of FACEPLATE as

Managing Editor.

I want to thank

everyone for your

support and the

contributions you

have provided to

make FACEPLATE an excellent publication. I have enjoyed my association

with all of you. It has afforded me the

opportunity to stay abreast of the diving

community. I suggest that one of the

Engineering Duty Officers, a Warrant

Officer when available or one of the

Master Chief Petty Officers replace me

as Managing Editor. I will look forward

to assisting the FACEPLATE team in the

future by suggesting articles, editing,

working on the distribution, and in any

other capacity that will help.

In 1995, Captain Chip McCord asked

if I would do whatever it takes to start

publishing FACEPLATE again. This entailed jumping through all the hoops in

headquarters to get authorization. Once

accomplished, our first edition came out

in the spring of 1995 with the banner

“We’re back.” Since then, we have published 21 editions. I believe each one better than the previous under the stewardship of Captain Chris Murray, Captain

Mark Helmkamp and recently, Captain

John Gray, with technical support from

ROH Inc., particularly Zoya Gorbunova,

our Production Manager and Otto Adams,

our Graphic Designer. All of the above

personnel, along with our three Master

Chief Fleet Liaison Editors, have provided excellent support.

A brief of my diving background is

as follows: I went through EOD School

when it was at Indian Head, MD. From

there, I was assigned to EODU 2 when it

was at Charleston, SC and attended 1st

Class Dive School at the Washington

Navy Yard in 1956. I was selected for

W-1 while assigned to the EOD Unit at

Port Layutey, Morocco. Next I went to the

Heavy Cruiser Canberra as the Ordinance

Gunner/Diving Officer. I was also the first

Jim Bladh.

exchange Officer to the British Navy for

diving and served in HMS VERNON at

Portsmouth, England for three years. My

final tour on active duty was in the Office

of the Supervisor in Washington, DC.

I retired from active duty after completing 30 years service while on assignment

in Danang, Vietnam and celebrated my

retirement at the Majestic Hotel at the foot

of Tu-Do Street in Saigon. After returning to Washington, I joined NAVSEA,

Office of Supervisor of Salvage, retiring

again after 28 additional years of service.

There have been many changes. I remember when LT Ed Flynn was making dives,

Bill Milwee was engineering the MK1

Deep Dive System, and Bob Moss was the

Deputy. I have served with all SUPSALVs

starting with Bill Searle to the present,

Captain Rich Hooper.

FACEPLATE has been a wonderful

opportunity. It has allowed me to continue to be player in the diving community. However, I feel that it is time to move

on. Thank you, Bob Barth, for your many

contributions over the years and thank you

Red Diver for your support.

CWO5 Rick Armstrong (a former Master Diver) is

currently the Diving Division Branch Head for

Southwest Regional Maintenance Center Code 990. He

has served at a variety of diving Commands both at sea

and ashore for over 30 years of service in the Diving

Navy.

ND1 Justin Pugh Completes cover passes on a

doubler plate.

schedule, under cost, and ensured ODGEN decommissioned on time as well.

SWRMC Divers are currently the U.S. Navy’s only

NAVSEA certified underwater

welding and NDT Dive Command. Navy Divers looking for

a unique challenge and advanced training in the art of

waterborne weld operations

with a chance to earn an Associates Degree in Marine Technology from the Polytechnic

College of Engineering and

Oceaneering should contact

their detailer for orders to one

of the finest Diving Lockers in

the Navy...SWRMC Dive

Locker.

(“USS OGDEN” continued from p. 20)
2 2 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 7

About one year ago, a United States submarine got itself run over by a

much larger vessel. If there had been a

three-foot deviation of where the screw

of that larger vessel had cut into the

hull of our submarine, the

people tank would have been

breached possibly sending

our submarine to the sea

floor. Would the survivors of

the initial collision have

been doomed on the bottom

to suffer the same fate as

the Russian submarine the

Kursk? No! They would

make it to the surface alive

because of the training they

received at the Submarine

Escape Trainer located at

the Naval Submarine School

in Groton, CT. Also they

would have owed their lives

to the U.S. Navy Deep Sea

Divers stationed there.

Naval Submarine

School trains roughly 30,000

students a year. From Basic

Enlisted Submarine School

to advanced C schools, this training is the

hub of the Submarine force. Submarine

Naval Submarine School

By: NDC Bradley Purple

Escape training is conducted at Momsen

Hall by a small cadre of 12 Divers teaching individual submarine escape and surface survival techniques. Currently there

are two devices with which to conduct an

individual escape, the Steinke Hood

(brought into service 1961) and the MK10 SEIE (Submarine

Escape/Immersion

Equipment) Suit. The

philosophy behind

submarine escape has

never changed but the

ability and equipment

used has change considerably.

For years the sub

escape trainer in

Groton has been

viewed as the place

where all the ROAD

(Retired on Active

Duty) program personnel come to serve

their country. Starting

in CY 2008 this will not be the case. Training will be conducted in a 36ft tower

utilizing the MK-10 SEIE suits. Prior to

attending this training, students will be

medically screened by an Undersea

Medical Officer,

conduct pulmonary

function tests, and

receive a pressure

test to ensure maximum safety for participants.

The class will

encompass two

days, the first being

medical screenings

and classroom and

the second will be

the lab that includes

surface survival

techniques in a

single seat life raft,

conduct an unhooded buoyant

ascent from 15

feet, and the final

evolution will be

an ascent from 36

feet in the MK-10 suit.

Now this is where the pucker factor

comes in. Students will be pressurizing to

depth in a matter of seconds, buoyed up

by 75 pounds of positive buoyancy, and

ascending through the water column

from 36 feet at 625 feet per minute. You

do the math. That is why the facility

comes with two steel double lock chambers, one at the tank top, and one down

the hall. “We bend em, we mend em.”

To test the MK-10 escape system’s

operational feasibility, three NAVSUBSCOL Sub Escape instructors participated in ESCAPEX 2006 (see article in

FACEPLATE, April 2007). The goal was

to escape from a U.S. Navy submarine

safely, conducting a single man escape and

multiple two-man escapes. Being the

subject matter experts, each escape cycle

All escapers on the surface (right to left): HM2 Holsapple, NDC Daoust, NDC Purple,

CDR Bates, NDCM Knudson, Bill Leigh and center front, FT2 Halsey.

NDC Purple being escorted to trailer for observation after successful escape.
S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 7 2 3

was conducted with a NAVSUBSCOL

instructor. The initial run was conducted

as a single man escape, conducted by

NDC Sean Daoust. The other two instructors were HM2 Riley Holsapple and

NDC Bradley Purple. This historical escape, which had not been attempted in

over three decades and never from a

nuclear powered submarine, belongs to the

men of the Deep Sea. Hoo-yah!

Submarine Escape is not the only

thing Navy Divers do here in Groton.

We maintain a Submarine SCUBA Diver

Preparatory Course, which enables us

to interact with the Fleet and have a positive effect on how submarine SCUBA

Divers conduct themselves on the water

front. This course allows us to be the

“check valve” and only recommend the

most capable candidates to go to Panama

City, FL.

Now the question hanging on every

Deep Sea Diver’s lips is ... do they

go TAD? Yes, we do. We visit other

escape trainers around the world, from

the United Kingdom to Australia. We

learn from other trainers as well to be

subject matter experts on the full realm

of submarine escape.

We also TAD to other Fleet concentration areas to teach MK 10 familiarization classes. As if that was not enough,

due to our relationship with the submaTwo Escapers on the surface signaling Ok to surface support personnel.

NDC Daoust being escorted to trailer for observation after successful single man escape and

the inaugural escape of the exercise.

rine force and proximity to the Naval

Submarine Research Laboratory, the

Escape Trainer frequently participates

in studies conducted by the lab, which

can range from prolonged exposure in

a disabled submarine to the effects of underwater sonar to Divers.

To sum it up, the Submarine Escape

Trainer in Groton, CT is a dynamic

evolving asset to the Fleet that needs

Deep Sea Divers to come to and show

these submariners how business is done.

So when things go wrong, they rely on

the training they got from U.S. Navy

Deep Sea.

NDC Bradley D. Purple is currently the

Leading Chief Petty Officer at the Submarine

Escape Trainer at the Naval Submarine

School located in Groton, CT.
2 4 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 7

requested and received a waiver to

use the Portland District’s man-basket

and weight handling gear to deploy and

recover Divers. This significant collaboration between inter-service agencies involving multiple personnel, required numerous hours reviewing technical and operational documentation,

conducting performance and load testing of the applicable crane, and cross

referencing various safety standards

(OSHA, ANSI/ASME, ACOE, and

Navy). This major undertaking was

accomplished in an unheard of time

frame due to the phenomenal work done

by all.

Success would come quickly again.

Prior to putting Divers on the bottom,

ND2 Jay Cox did a trial run in the

man-basket to ensure that the Dive Team

could make the five minute surface interval time from thirty to forty feet in

the chamber. Proving this was not an

issue, ND1 Gray Ladd and ND2 Kevin

Smith quickly located and rigged the

VBS in less than sixteen minutes of

bottom time. While they were decompressing in the chamber, the John Day

personnel (riggers) were coming up

with the VBS and loading it onto a

truck. One more subsequent dive by

NDCS Todd Manny to clear the scroll

slot of any excess debris and Keyport’s

mission was accomplished.

Spanning the course of just over a

year, NUWC Keyport Dive Locker and

the Portland District Army Corps of

Engineers have developed a solid bond

that has produced exceptional results.

This unique relationship is something

thought about often here at Keyport.

From having a cup of coffee in Portland to conducting dives on National

power grid dams, there is something to

be said about “DAM Divers.”

BEWARE OF THE SLEEPING GIANT

Here is his description:

I am a compressed gas cylinder.

I weigh in at 175 pounds when filled.

I am pressurized to 2200 psi.

I have wall thickness of approximately 1/4-inch.

I stand 57 inches high.

I am 9 inches in diameter.

I wear a cap when not in use.

I wear valves, gages, and hoses when at work.

I wear many colors and bands to tell what tasks I perform.

I am ruthless and deadly in the hands of the careless or uninformed.

I am too frequently left standing alone on my small base with my cap removed and lost by an unthinking Diver.

I am ready to be toppled over – where my uncapped valve can be snapped off and all my power released through

an opening no larger than the diameter of a pencil.

I have been known to jet away at great speeds.

I smash my way through bulkheads with the greatest of ease.

I fly through the air and reach distances of 1/2 mile or more.

I spin, ricochet, crash, and slam through anything in my path.

I scoff at the puny efforts of human flesh, bone, and muscle to alter my erratic course.

I can, under certain conditions, rupture or explode. Beware!

You can be my master ONLY under my terms:

Full or empty – see that my cap is on straight and snug.

Never leave me standing alone.

Keep me in a secure rack or tie me so I cannot fall.

TREAT ME WITH RESPECT: I AM A SLEEPING GIANT.

A Ford F-150 is recovered from upstream

side of the Bonneville Dam. The truck had

inadvertently entered the river creating a

potentially catastrophic hazard to several

main power units.

NDCS(MDV/SW) Jason M. Brustad is

Master Diver at NUWC Keyport.

(“DAM Divers” continued from p. 13)
S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 7 2 5

CAPT Murray was born in Washington,DC and raised in Oxon Hill, MD,

graduating from Oxon Hill High School

in 1972. He enlisted in the Navy at the

Washington Navy Yard and was appointed

to the Naval Academy in 1973. CAPT

Murray received his commission from the

United States Naval Academy in 1977.

He attended Dive School in 1980

and then completed shipboard salvage

tours onboard USS CONSERVER,

XO on USS RECLAIMER (1982-1984),

and then CO of USS BOLSTER (1987-

1990). During his shipboard tours,

CAPT Murray participated in numerous

aircraft recoveries, refloating of grounded

vessels, and raising of USS BLUEGILL,

off Maui, HI.

In July 1997 CAPT Murray relieved

as the Commanding Officer of Mobile

Diving and Salvage Unit TWO in Little

Creek, VA. During this tour he led

numerous salvage and diving operations

including recovery of victims from a

sunken Haitian ferry, Titan missile

recovery off Cape Canaveral, raising of a

sunken ferry in Puerto Rico, numerous

aircraft recoveries, and recovery work on

USS MONITOR off Cape Hatteras, NC.

CAPT Murray was assigned to Naval

Sea Systems Command as Supervisor of

Diving in 1999. In this capacity he led and

participated in three missions with USS

MONITOR, raising her engine, aft engine

spaces, turret, and cannons, was the

NAVSEA on-site representative for all

diving operations during the F/V EHIME

MARU recovery and was responsible for

all diving operations during the Space

Shuttle COLUMBIA recovery in East

Texas.

After completing this tour of duty,

CAPT Murray relieved the Deputy Director of Deep Submergence Systems (Diving Program Sponsor) in Washington, DC.

Here he focused on submarine rescue and

escape as well as overseeing instructions

for all Navy Divers. He worked closely

Captain Chris Murray reads a letter of

appreciation from NASA to the Space Shuttle

COLUMBIA search and recovery team at the

Fin and Feather Fishing Village in Hemphill,

TX in April 2003. Nice hat, Captain!

with many NATO nations and other countries such as Russia improving the U.S.

Navy’s submarine rescue systems, diving

systems, policies, and procedures.

For many years this Sailor has stood

the watch. While some of us were in our

bunks at night, this Sailor stood the watch.

While some of us were in school learning

our trade, this Sailor stood the watch. Yes.

Even before some of us were born into

this world, this Sailor stood the watch.

In those years when the storm clouds

of war were seen brewing on the horizon

of history, this shipmate stood the watch.

Many times he would cast an eye ashore

and see his family standing there, needing his guidance and help, needing that

hand to hold during those hard times. But,

still he stood the watch.

He stood the watch for thirty years.

He stood the watch so that our families,

our fellow countrymen and we could sleep

soundly in safety, each and every night

knowing that a Sailor stood the watch.

Today we are here to say “Shipmate...

the watch stands relieved. Relieved by

those you have trained, guided, and lead.

Shipmate, you stand relieved. We now

have the watch...” “Boatswain. Standby

to pipe the side... a Shipmate is going

ashore.”

WE WILL MISS YOU!!!

JAKE’S

CORNER

By: CWO5 Rick Armstrong
2 6 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 7

Alright, all you newly-pinned 2nd Class Divers. You have

proven yourself worthy of becoming a Deep Sea Diver, denizen

of the deep, qualified to a bonecrushing 190 fsw, a Hard Hat

Diver, a task that required a lot of

mud, sweat, and pain. Many came,

few survived. “If it was easy,

anybody could do it.”

All the rest of you, Deep Sea

shipmates, should be working

toward goals. One of them is to

qualify as Diving Supervisor.

That is the requirement for all 1st

Class Divers: large and in charge,

punching watches, running the side,

fine-tuning your skills as a Diving Supervisor, getting ready for the show. What is

the show you ask? Well, let me tell you. It

is the top of the Navy Diver career path. It

is what you should be focused on and

working toward each and every day.

What are the prerequisites for MDV?

Two years as a Chief. Knocking out at

least four tours as an ND. Qualified to

the highest level of Diving Supervisor at

current command. DSWS qualified. No

marks below 3.0 and promotable. Written

test taken and package submitted to

PERS401DC. Recommendation from

the Commanding Officer with emphasis

placed on the candidate’s leadership

and technical expertise. Now we have the

complete package.

Now your time has come. The MDV

Candidate is expected to report aboard

NDSTC fully qualified and prepared for

the evaluation. Currently the candidates

are evaluated in the following rigs:

SCUBA, MK 16, MK 20, and MK 21.

The Master Diver test plan establishes

procedures to use when evaluating the

candidates performance in attaining

course objectives.

The test plan has been laid out in three

phases:

PHASE ONE AND THREE – Knowledge test in the following areas: Roles and

Responsibilities

of the Master

Diver, Advanced

Medicine, DLSS

QA, DORAs,

Safety Surveys,

Mission Planning

and Procedures.

PHASE TWO –

Performance scenario based tests

requiring the candidate to plan, organize, and supervise diving operations. Candidates

are evaluated on their performance

through five diving scenarios. Every aspect of each scenario is weighted according to its relative criticality within the

dive.

Additional points of interest in the

test plan:

Board Chairman: CMC of NDSTC is

the board chairman. His function is to

oversee the performance test board,

academic review board, inform each

candidate of his passage or failure of

the course, and make the final recommendation to PERS for the candidate’s return

to the course if he fails.

Project Master: The Project Master

Diver will oversee the execution of the

course and supervise all at-sea evolutions

and at-sea board deliberations. He does

not grade and is responsible for ensuring

fair and impartial grading by evaluators.

Project Diving Officer: Qualified

NDSTC Diving Officers CWO (7201) are

preferred. His function is to provide a

sounding board for the candidates to

express their thought processes behind

their actions during the diving operations

and guide the scenario in a predetermined

direction.

Fleet Evaluators: Oftentimes I hear

complaints as to how someone did or

didn’t make it, the drills were good or

bad, maybe it had something to do with

Project Master, and the list goes on. We

at the school house have continuously

requested positive input whether it is for

drill submitting, how drills should be

run, or any other way to improve the

process. Our attitude is, this is our program and we want to put the best of the

best in the Fleet with the fat pin on his

chest.

With the exception of NDSTC

personnel, an evaluator cannot evaluate

a class in which one of the candidates

works directly for the evaluator, is currently stationed at the same command,

or has been permanently assigned to the

same command as the evaluator in the

last two years.

Board of evaluators will consist of

5 or 7 Fleet MDVs. Pinning will be held

at the completion of the course. We will

not pin the candidate after PHASE TWO.

Candidates will be briefed the preceding day on the diving equipment, technique, and mission objective. Candidates

will completely plan and supervise their

dives. Set up your dive station exactly the

way you want it. Trust your Divers and

team, let them do their job, don’t anticipate a drill, and supervise your dive.

Now the game begins. A man is

judged best when he is under pressure.

You will be tested on the side when the

watches feel like 100 pound clumps

around your neck and decisions have

to be made.

Minimum passing grade for all phases

is 80. Academic Review Boards will be

held on candidates who fail to meet the

minimum passing grade.

 For those of you in the zone, it is time

to step up, the Community needs you.

The Navy and our diving program are

changing and we need new MDVs to

lead the way during this critical time of

change.

QUALIFIED TO SUPERVISE DIVING OPERATIONS TO MAXIMUM DEPTHS ON BOARD ANY

UNITED STATES NAVY DIVING ACTIVITY.

MDV John T. Reiss.

MDV John T. Reiss is currently the Command

Master Chief of Naval Diving and Salvage

Training Center in Panama City, FL.
S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 7 2 7

WASHINGTON, DC — NavyDiver 1st Class Timothy T.

Alexander was selected as the Naval

Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA)

2007 Sailor of the Year. Alexander

works as a Diving Supervisor at Naval

Surface Warfare Center Panama City

Division.

NAVSEA Commander VADM

Paul Sullivan announced the results

of the competition at a ceremony held

at the Washington Navy Yard Catering

and Conference Center on March 9,

2007. Alexander was chosen from a

group of five finalists.

Sullivan congratulated all of the

finalists for their accomplishments and

for being the 21st century leaders that

the Navy expects them to be.

“You are all here because you

excel at what you do. As your Commander, I can tell you that I am proud to

serve with you,” said Sullivan. “But, I also

need to remind you that we’ll continue to

expect great things from each of you.”

Alexander, who has been in the Navy

for nearly 16 years, attributed his success

to the diverse nature of the Navy and

strong mentors who helped him grow as

an individual and Sailor. One particular

mentor stood out for Alexander.

“I had the honor of working for

HTCM(MDV/SS) Lamount King, the fifth

African-American Master Diver in the

Navy,” said Alexander. “I worked for King

almost eight years and in that time I was constantly aware that the level of commitment

to his junior Divers was foremost in his mind.

“He allowed me to make mistakes that

led to valuable lessons learned,” he continued. “It’s important to challenge our Sailors

with more than they are used to handling.”

 “Master Diver

Gaillard has been

the more recent

mentor. It’s been a

privilege to have a

Master Diver who

is clearly respected

throughout the

Fleet. In my mind

that respect has

been born not only

from professional

accomplishments

but the way in

which he allows junior members to

own a piece of the community.”

Alexander was one of the four

Sailors to advance to the final round of

the Navy Sailor of the Year competition,

which was held in Washington, DC in

May 2007.

ND1 Timothy T. Alexander.

From SUPDIVE... CDR John Gray

Fellow Divers:

If you haven’t already, take a look

at the back cover of FACEPLATE.

OK, now that you have recovered, yes

it is true, you are seeing the Working

Divers Conference (WDC) notional

agenda for 2008 nine months in advance. I want to talk about a few of

the changes we made this year and

what you can expect next year.

We at NAVSEA are attempting

to “Begin with the end in mind.” Every change we have made is an example of that concept. Most of these

changes are Fleet-inspired but a few

are just a matter of common sense.

All WDCs will be thematic in

nature based on our pulse of what the

Fleet wants, needs, and is interested

in. In 2008 we will have three themes.

First theme is contaminated water

diving. The Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) has identified

this as its number one interest item.

Contaminated water is truly the 500 lb

gorilla in the room that no one wants

to talk about. Well that is going to

change. NAVSEA is actively working

with multiple agencies (EPA, NOAA,

and FBI), NEDU, and commercial industry to obtain the tools, procedures, and

situational awareness necessary to address

this issue. If you haven’t already, you will

soon see written interim guidance. If you

want to know the latest and greatest for contaminated water, come to the WDC. You will

get to touch the equipment and, if you like,

possibly dive it as well.

The second theme is XLDS. The NECC

has identified this as its second highest area

of interest. By WDC 2008, one way or another, we will be talking procurement plan.

Third theme is interagency operations.

Notice that I have not given you a WDC date

yet. It is likely to be in May or June. I am

ensuring that NOAA is available. I will go

far out of my way to make sure that we pick

dates that are conducive to NOAA participation. There are several federal agencies with

fully-developed dive programs and we have

to learn how to work better with them. That

means diving with them on the SAME Dive

Team, not us on the fantail and NOAA on the

bow. I have found the folks at NOAA to be

gifted Divers, and in some areas, like

NITROX, they are ahead of us. Other big

non-Navy players include the Army Corps of

Engineers, the Coast Guard, and NASA. Yes,

NASA. True, they do most of their dives in a

40-foot pool (big enough to be an ocean if

you have ever seen it) but they are

all brilliant and know an awful

lot about decompression. We can

benefit by working with them.

Another issue that I would

like to address about the next WDC is regarding break out sessions. We are happy

to work with other commands and facilitate meetings pre- and post-WDC but

break outs during the WDC are, as you

saw this year, essentially over. This was

based on two major observations from the

Fleet. One, if you have multiple simultaneous break outs then I cannot attend them

all. Two, at the WDC, we should be talking about big picture thematic issues that

apply to all hands.

Real life demonstrations were a big

hit this year. Being able to touch a real

ORCA was highly rated. We intend to

have interactive displays in the future.

Although not a major theme of the

conference, the Fly Away Saturation Dive

System will be in the midst of the Cert

Dive. If you want to know the latest

about this one-of-a-kind capability, come

to the WDC.

Finally, this is a notional schedule.

If we missed a major Fleet interest item,

please let us know.

We can help ...
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