Navy diver (United States Navy)

"The early history of diving in the U.S. Navy parallels that of the other navies of the world. Since the middle of the nineteenth century, the U.S. Navy has employed divers in salvage and repair of ships, in construction work, and in military operations.

For the most part, early Navy divers were swimmers and skin divers, with techniques and missions unchanged since the days of Alexander the Great. During the Civil War Battle of Mobile Bay, swimmers were sent in ahead of Admiral Farragut's ships to locate and disarm Confederate mines that had been planted to block the entrance to the bay."[2]

In 1898, Navy divers were briefly involved in an international crisis when the second-class armored battleship USS Maine (ACR-1) was sunk by a mysterious explosion while anchored in the harbor at Havana, Cuba. Navy divers were sent from Key West to study and report on the wreck. Although a Court of Inquiry was convened, the reason for the sinking was not found.

As American technology expanded in the early 1900s the U.S. Navy developed an interest sub-marine warfare. However, throughout the period of 1912–1939, the development of the Navy's F, H, and S-class boats was marred by a series of accidents, collisions, and sinkings. As a result of these submarine disasters a corresponding growth in the Navy's diving capability was developed.

Until 1912, U.S. Navy divers rarely went below 60 FSW (feet of seawater). There is little documentation that the Navy had a diving program prior to 1912.[3] In that year, Chief Gunner George D. Stillson set up a program to test Haldane's diving tables and methods of stage decompression. A companion goal of the program was to develop improvements in Navy diving equipment. Throughout a three-year period, first diving in tanks ashore and then in open water in Long Island Sound from the USS Walke (DD-34),[3] Navy divers went progressively deeper.

The publication of the first U.S. Navy Diving Manual[4] in 1916 and the establishment of a Navy Diving School at Newport, Rhode Island were the direct outgrowth of experience gained in the test program and the USS F-4 salvage. When the United States entered World War I, the staff and graduates of the school were sent to Europe, where they conducted a number of salvage operations along the French coast.[5]

On 24 May 1939 four divers would earn the Medal of Honor rescuing 33 men off the sunken USS Squalus SS-192.

WWII brought with it an expanded need for divers that began immediately at Pearl Harbor. There the focus was on salvage with USN divers logging over 16,000 hours submerged. The creation of Naval Construction Battalions to build advance bases in the Pacific put more diving assignments in front of the Navy. Enough that the Seabees had a school of their own to qualify 2nd class divers. CBs would put men in the water from the tropics to the Arctic circle. In the Aleutians CB 4 had divers doing salvage on the Russian freighter SS Turksib in 42°F water..[6] In the tropics Seabee divers would be sent close to an enemy airfield to retrieve a downed Japanese aircraft. At Halavo on Florida Island divers from the 27th CB recovered a Disburser's safe full of money plus changed 160 props on vessels of all sizes.[7] The Seabees of the 27th CB alone, logged 2,550 diving hours with 1,345 classified as "extra hazardous".[7] Seabees would also blur the definition of diver with the development of the Underwater Demolition Teams. Another historic note to the Seabees is that they had African American divers in the 34th CB. Those men fabricated their diving gear in the field as instructed at diving school. For depths less than 60' a modified USN Mk III gas mask was considered acceptable and preferred by the men of the 27th CB.[3][7] Twice, while at Milne Bay, the 105th CB sent special diving details on undisclosed missions.

The war itself produced an unending demand for underwater ship repair and salvage. In New York, the SS Normandie capsized at the dock leading to the Navy creating a Salvage school right there to deal with the issue.[3] Each of the fleets repair ships had divers and the six off the USS Vestal were put to the test using the new technology of underwater cutting and welding. The stern was nearly completely blown off the USS Pensacola. They removed three propellers and stabilized ship structure enough so that she could be towed to a drydock. The clearance of Manila harbor was a huge project for U.S. salvage divers. There, divers lead by master diver Joseph S. Karneke from USS Chanticleer salvaged code books, maps of Japanese fortifications on Luzon plus 500,000 yen and was a major intelligence coup.[8][9] During WWII, "diver" was a qualification not a rate. First class divers could work 300' depths while salvage and second class divers were qualified down to 150'.[3] Diving was considered "hazardous" by the Navy and the Navy adjusted pay for both the qualification as well as time and depth under water: $5/hr or fraction of an hour for hazardous salvage work. Adjusted for inflation that converts to $72/hr in 2020. The qualification diver 2nd class paid $10/mo, salvage diver paid $12/ mo, 1st class paid $15/mo. First class divers also drew "footage" of $15 plus $.05/ft @120'. Master divers drew $20 plus up to $10 "footage".[3]

Tektite I assembled by Amphibious Construction Battalion 2 (ACB 2)

SEALAB III, artist's drawing

During the 1960s the Navy had divers involved in two submersed projects, Tektite and SEALAB I, II, and III. On 28 January 1969 a detachment of 50 men[10] from Amphibious Construction Battalion 2 plus 17 Seabee divers began installation of the Tektite habitat in Great Lameshur Bay at Lameshur, U.S. Virgin Islands.[11] The Tektite program was funded by NASA and was the first scientists-in-the-sea program sponsored by the U.S. government.[12] The Tektite project was a product of the Cold War. It caused the U.S. Navy to realize the need for a permanent Underwater Construction capability that led to the formation the Seabee Underwater Construction Teams".[13]

Sealab was lead by Captain George F. Bond with divers from the fleet. SEALAB I, II, and III were experimental underwater habitats developed by the United States Navy in the 1960s to prove the viability of saturation diving and humans living in isolation for extended periods of time. The knowledge gained from the SEALAB expeditions helped advance the science of deep sea diving and rescue, and contributed to the understanding of the psychological and physiological strains humans can endure.

In the 1970's Navy divers took part in Operation Ivy Bells. It was a joint Navy CIA operation. Since the divers did not have the security clearances needed they were given a story for the mission.

In 1975 the first female hard hat diver to be qualified was Donna Tobias. Ten years later Seabee diver Robert Dean Stethem was killed by Shiite hijackers at Beirut International Airport on 1 June 1985. The Navy named the USS Stethem DDG-63 in his honor.

In 2006, the U.S. Navy established the rating, Navy Diver (ND). Marine salvage remains a primary task of Navy divers, but they also may be involved in special operations. Special operations come in unpredictable forms and 2018 gave one to the divers of Mobile Diving Salvage Unit 1. The task was the clearance of 250,000 gal. of fuel from the WWII German cruiser Prinz Eugen the United States sank in the atomic tests of Operation Crossroads.[14]

Distinguished list: USN Diver

• Owen Francis Patrick Hammerberg Boatswains mate 2nd Class
• William Badders Chief Machinest mate
• Orson Leon Crandall Chief Boatswains Mate
• Carl Brashear Master Chief Boatswains Mate
• John Mihalowski Chief Torpedoman
• James Harper McDonald Chief Metalsmith

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 physical fitness test has been shown to be a poor predictor of job task performance.[17]

The test consists of the following carried out in the order given:[18]

1. Swim 500 yards (or 450 m) utilizing only combat side stroke or breast stroke within 12 minutes 30 seconds (candidates are allowed to push off the sides when turning. However, if the candidate uses the bottom to stand or rest, they will fail the test).
2. 10-minute rest period.
3. Perform 50 push-ups within 2 minutes (Upper arms must parallel deck at dip and arms locked out at the top of the rep).
4. 2-minute rest period.
5. Perform 50 sit-ups within 2 minutes (Bent knees. Candidates hands must stay on the collarbone and the elbows must touch the knees).
6. 2-minute rest period.
7. Perform 6 pull-ups within 2 minutes (no kipping or swinging is allowed and the chin must clear the top of the bar on each repetition).
8. 10-minute rest period.
9. Run 1.5 miles (2.414 km) within 12 minutes 30 seconds.

Note: The times and quantities listed are for passing the screening test only. Each candidate's scores are submitted and the candidates with the top scores along with ASVAB exam scores will be selected and given a navy diver contract. Passing the physical fitness test is necessary but by no means guarantees the candidate a contract.

A study published in 2011 by the Navy Experimental Diving Unit reviewed the long term health impact on the U.S. Navy diving population.[19] The divers surveyed participated as divers for an average of 18 years out of their average 24 active duty years.[19] Sixty percent of the divers surveyed were receiving disability compensation.[19] One in seven of the divers had experienced neurologic symptoms of decompression sickness, with 41% of the divers experiencing one or more of the nine diving injuries surveyed.[19] Seven percent of the surveyed divers had undergone a joint replacement.[19] Eighty-six percent of the divers rated their health as "Excellent, Very Good, or Good".[19] When compared to the general population, the divers showed better mental health but poorer physical health.[19]

The navy diver rating was announced in Naval Administration Message 003/06 and consists of sailors with the following NECs:

• NEC 5341 — master diver[20]
• NEC 5342 — first class diver[20]
• NEC 5343 — second class diver[20]

The effective date of the ND rating was June 1, 2006 for E6-E9 sailors (petty officer 1st class and above), and October 1, 2006 for E1-E5 sailors.

• E4 (ND3) — Navy diver third class
• E5 (ND2) — Navy diver second class
• E6 (ND1) — Navy diver first class
• E7 (NDC) — Chief Navy diver
• E8 (NDCS) — Senior Chief Navy diver
• E9 (NDCM) — Master Chief Navy diver

Designation as a Diving Officer for selected:MILPERSMAN 1210-140[21]

• Unrestricted Line (117X, 112X)[21]
• Restricted Line/Staff Corps (146X, 144X, 210X, 510X)[21]
• Limited Duty (61XX, 648X, 653X)[21]
• Warrant (71XX, 72XX, 748X, 753X)[21]
• 1440 — Engineering Duty (restricted line) Officer[21]
• 510x — Civil Engineer Corps (staff) Officer[21]
• 720x — Diving (warrant) Officer[21]

• 
  Underwater welding
• 
  SEAL delivery operations
• 
  Salvage Operations
• 
  Submarine rescue
• 
  Harbor clearance
• 
  Navy diver swimming
• 
  SCUBA
• 
  Closed circuit

Wikimedia Commons has media related to United States Navy Divers.

• Clearance diver
• Royal Navy ships diver
• Uniform Service Diver Insignia (United States) – Qualification badges of the uniformed services of the United States which are awarded to servicemen qualified as divers
• Military diving – Underwater diving in a military context by members of an armed force
• Master diver (United States Navy) – Senior diver rating in US Navy
• Carl Brashear – One of the first African Americans to become a U.S. Navy Master Diver
• United States military divers – Underwater divers employed by the US armed forces, including navy, army, marines, air force and coast guard

Wikimedia Commons has media related to United States Navy Divers.

• Navy Diving and Salvage Training Center
• Navy.Com recruiting page
• NECC Diver recruiter page
• Naval Undersea Museum