Army engineer diver The Army Engineer Divers are members of the United States Army Corps of Engineers who are trained to undertake reconnaissance , demolition , and salvage tasks underwater . These divers have similar skills and qualifications as professional divers . History . Deep sea divers have been a part of the United States Army since the Spanish American War . In 1898 , they constructed a cofferdam around the USS " Maine " to facilitate the ship ' s inspection and determine the cause of its sinking . Later , during World War I , Army divers built and inspected bridges , tunnels , and port facilities . As part of the US Army Port Construction and Repair Groups , US Army divers operated throughout the European and Pacific theaters during World War II . Divers performed salvage , demolition , pier construction , and bridging support . As part of the Normandy landings , US Army divers were participated in operations at Utah Beach . They were also employed in rebuilding the port of Cherbourg following its capture . Later they were employed to reopen the Albert Canal from Liège to Antwerp and assisted in the construction of the first Allied railroad bridge across the Rhine River , while in the Philippines they undertook salvage operations in various ports and rivers . During the Korean War , Army engineer divers worked with Port Construction Companies to build and maintain pipelines in the ports of Inchon and Pohang , and reconstruct the locks in the port of Inchon . Later , during the Vietnam War , Army divers constructed ship - to - shore petroleum distribution and port facilities in Cam Rahn Bay and Qui Nhon ; they also constructed ammunitions piers and conducted body , helicopter and vehicle recoveries throughout the theater . In 1991 during Operation Desert Storm , divers deployed to Kuwait to engage in recovery operations after the ground war , clearing the Kuwaiti port of Shuaibah by removing debris and damaged Kuwaiti and Iraqi boats from the port . Since then , US Army divers have also supported port opening and reconstruction efforts in military operations in Somalia and Haiti . After 2002 , US Army divers have been continuously deployed foreword to the CENTCOM area of operations , including Iraq , Afghanistan , Qatar , Oman , United Arab Emirates , Bahrain , and Jordan . In these areas , Army divers have provided commanders on the battlefield with maneuver support , conducting operations such as search and recovery , river reconnaissance , construction and repair , demolition , salvage , port clearance and security , ships husbandry , and hydrographic surveys . Army engineer divers continue to represent the vast capabilities of the US Army Engineer Regiment by providing expeditionary engineer diving capabilities in support of combat , general and geo - spatial engineer across the full spectrum of US military operations worldwide . Throughout the history of their employment in the US Army , divers have been organized under various commands and units , ranging from Engineer Port Construction to Transportation Support Commands . Currently , they are organized into five detachments at Joint Base Langley – Eustis , Virginia , and one detachment at Joint Base Pearl Harbor - Hickam , Hawaii . Throughout the various conflicts in which Army divers have been employed , they have trained and fought alongside counterparts from the US Navy . Therefore , the co - location at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center is a fitting representation of their intertwined and storied history . Current duties and notable operations . Army Engineer Divers are trained in underwater construction , salvage , demolitions , hydrographic survey , hyperbaric chamber operation , beach and river recon , bridge recon , underwater cutting and welding , side scan sonar operations , mine and countermine operations , search and recovery operations and ships husbandry operations . Army divers use both surface supplied " Hard hat " and SCUBA to perform their missions . Port - au - Prince , Haiti , 2010 : The earthquake of January 12 , 2010 , that left thousands of Haitians dead or homeless and hungry , rocked Haiti ’ s main port of Port - au - Prince . Shockwaves sent the port ’ s busy northern pier and its two massive cargo cranes sinking into the sea . The harbor was littered with toppled shipping containers . The southern pier was sheared from its concrete support pilings . The U . S . military worked with Haitian authorities to offload seaborne humanitarian aid and commercial cargo as it helped run the port . At the heart of its plans was an effort to repair the remains of the southern pier , leaving Haiti with a vital avenue for humanitarian aid and commerce . Qualifications and badges . Badges are awarded according to Humans Resource Command ( HRC ) and the Diver insignia regulations . Physical fitness test . Diving medical personnel evaluate the fitness of divers before operations begin and are prepared to handle any emergencies which might arise . They also observe the condition of other support personnel and are alert for signs of fatigue , overexposure , and heat exhaustion . The test consists of the following carried out in the order given :