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    Wounded warriors tackle diving

    Wounded Warriors Tackle Diving

    Photo By Senior Chief Petty Officer Joshua Treadwell | Wounded warrior Lance Cpl. Robert Smith receives underwater instructions from Danny...... read more read more

    GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba — "If I can do this, I can do anything!" is the motto for wounded warriors participating in disabled sports. Six wounded warriors partaking in Soldiers Undertaking Disabled Scuba reinforced this belief while completing their open water diving certification at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, May 21-26.

    The SUDS program, based out of Walter Reed Army Medical Center and National Naval Medical Center (Bethesda), is designed to help improve the lives of injured Soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

    John Thompson, SUDS president and certified scuba instructor has certified 140 injured service members in three years with the program. "It's the most rewarding project I have ever been involved in," Thompson said. "Many things are just easier to do in the water with these types of severe injuries."

    The program does much more than assist with physical therapy alone, Thompson added. "It's part rehabilitation, part confidence building [and] part adventure. Diving is an emotional and physical pain reliever."

    Recently, SUDS combined efforts with Intrepid Sports, a similar program at Brooke Army Medical Center, in San Antonio, Texas. "The combined programs will help open more diving opportunities for injured soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan," said Mark Heniser, Intrepid Sports president.

    Both programs currently teach adaptive scuba to service members disabled in Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom who participate in physical therapy or occupational therapy programs. The programs begin with pool training and end with open water dive certification at various locations.

    Army Capt. Ravi Venkataramani is a member of the Warriors in Transition Battalion at Brooke Army Medical Center and the Wounded Warrior Project, a program that assists severely injured service members during the time between active duty and their transition to civilian life.

    "Scuba keeps my mind off the pain and has helped me with my rehabilitation," Venkataramani said.

    Guantanamo Bay offers a unique diving experience for those fortunate enough to dive here, according to Jessie Keenan, a diver at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. The SUDS divers were able to dive off many of the naval station beaches that are generally off-limits to residents, offering a pristine view of underwater life unseen by many.

    "I couldn't believe how beautiful the weather and water is," Venkataramani said. "It is very therapeutic."

    Venkataramani says that diving helps him get back into an active lifestyle and thanks the many people who assisted in the event to make it run smoothly.

    "Most of all, the volunteers who helped with diving, lodging and food made the whole trip a success!"

    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 06.05.2009
    Date Posted: 06.10.2009 10:03
    Story ID: 34825
    Location: GUANTANAMO BAY, CU

    Web Views: 168
    Downloads: 120

    PUBLIC DOMAIN