US Army divers sharpen skills in the ‘Deep Blue’

Courtesy Photo | Spc. Cesar Rodriguez, a diver with the 74th Engineer Dive Detachment, participates in their annual Deep Blue training exercise off the coast of Kuwait, Dec. 2. The primary focus of the training was to evaluate and maintain proficiency on all diving skills by conducting surface supplied diving, scuba and decompression chamber operations. (U.S. Army courtesy photo)  

CAMP ARIFJAN, KUWAIT

12.02.2015

Story by Staff Sgt. Jared Crain 

U.S. Army Central   

KUWAIT NAVAL BASE, Kuwait – United States Army Deep-sea divers with 74th Engineer Dive Detachment, U.S. Army Central, sharpened their skills during their annual Deep Blue training exercise in the waters of the Arabian Gulf, Nov. 23-Dec. 11.

During the exercise, divers trained on surface-supplied deep-water dives and scuba scenarios at depths of more than 90 feet.

The primary focus of the training was to evaluate and maintain proficiency on all diving skill levels by conducting surface-supplied diving, scuba and decompression chamber operations, said Capt. Peter Doblar, commander of the 74th EDD and Woodinville, Washington native.

The Army employs surface-supplied and scuba diving methods to a maximum depth of 190 feet.

The increased risk associated with deep water diving missions means the divers need a complete understanding of their equipment, conduct rigorous inspections on the equipment, and have a complete understanding of the operation.

The exercise also served as a way to evaluate dive supervisors on their leadership skills and dive medicine knowledge.

“What we’re doing here prepares you as a supervisor, to go out and be competent and know that you can handle situations if they arise in remote locations. It gets you thinking about the things that you need to be concerned with as a supervisor when you’re in those situations,” said Staff Sgt. David Gills, a diving supervisor with the 74th EDD and native of Elmhurst, Illinois.

“Deep Blue allows us to evaluate and test our dive supervisors and divers through scenarios to help them handle any emergency situation at any time,” said 1st Sgt. Christopher Green, a native of Waynesville, North Carolina and master diving supervisor with the 74th EDD.

“I’ve done several scenarios before, but I’ve never done scenarios where I’ve been in charge and had such a wide variety of problems presenting themselves during the dive,” said Gills.

“I felt pretty comfortable through most of it, there are some decisions that you make on the fly that you wish you hadn’t, but overall I felt pretty good about the whole thing,” he added.

“The 74th EDD is the U.S. Army Central dive asset to the entire U.S. Central Command area of operation and we are ready to respond to any of the dive requirements that are needed for USARCENT,” said Doblar.

Through exercises like Deep Blue, USARCENT Soldiers are preparing to sustain the fight not only by land, but also underwater.

• Date Taken: 12.02.2015
• Date Posted: 01.02.2016 02:25
• Story ID: 185559
• Location: CAMP ARIFJAN, KW