Guantanamo Hosts Wounded Warriors for SCUBA Program

By Army Capt. Kevin Cowan
Joint Task Force Guantanamo Public Affairs

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba – Gitmo hosted six heroes last weekend, helping them complete their dive certification as part of the Soldiers Undertaking Disabled Scuba program.

SUDS, in coordination with the Wounded Warriors program, Ocean Enterprises, the Reef Raiders Dive Club and Joint Task Force Guantanamo, coordinated the efforts to bring the divers to Cuba.

The divers, two Marines and four Soldiers, are all amputees and got involved in the SUDS program at the Walter Reed Medical Center.

According to SUDS founder John Thompson, "SUDS is designed to help improve the lives of injured soldiers. By training the soldiers in a challenging and rewarding activity it can help facilitate the rehabilitation process and promote mobility."

Although these divers have some physical limitations, they had the same issues that most beginning divers have. But they all seemed to have that initial interest in diving.
Nick Paupore, a Soldier injured while serving in Kirkuk, was always interested in diving. Now, because of his injury and these programs, he is now able to enjoy it.

"I had problems with clearing and removing my mask and clearing my ears," said Paupore. "But SUDS understands disabilities and has patience. They work with you until you get it [right]."

The divers completed the first part of their certification at Walter Reed and needed to complete the required open-water dives before they could be certified. What better place to do it than in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba?

"It's been awesome seeing all of the sea life and beautiful beaches," says Josh Bleill, a double-leg amputee Marine injured while serving in Fallujah. "I plan on coming back." While he was here he says he enjoyed the diving immensely and it was an incredible experience.

Describing that first open-water dive, "It hit every nerve in my body when I entered the water. It was a feeling I've never had before," he said.

And that is what SUDS is trying to achieve.

"It's the most rewarding project I have ever been involved in," Thompson said, calling water the great equalizer.

"Many things are just easier to do in the water with these types of injuries," he added. "It's part rehabilitation, part confidence building, part adventure for these wounded warriors."

That adventure, as far as Cuba goes, could not have been realized without the coordination between all the organizations involved.

"When the JTF got involved, things took off," said Thompson. "They took the bull by the horns and made it happen."

While coordination from the JTF and other organizations was vital to the trip, it was donations through Wounded Warriors, Disabled Sports USA and SUDS that helped pay for expenses like airfare and lodging.

Thanks to donations, charitable organizations and volunteers this trip turned out to be a memorable experience. Although this was only the first group of divers to travel to get their certification, everyone hopes this will be continued so we can try to give back to those who have sacrificed so much.