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Exercise Island Response Kicks Off in Seychelles

Photo By Senior Chief Petty Officer Kathryn Whittenberger | Senior Chief Navy Diver (MDV) Gene McDaniel from Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1 Det....... read more read more

11.02.2006

Courtesy Story

U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. 5th Fleet

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW/AW) Kathryn Whittenberger
U.S. Naval Forces, 5th Fleet PAO

SEYCHELLES - Exercise Island Response 2006 kicked off, Nov. 2, creating a chance for U.S. Navy Divers and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians to work with Seychelles Coast Guard divers on Mahe Island, Seychelles.

The 14-day exercise includes both classroom and hands on training. So far, instructors from EOD Mobile Unit (EODMU) 4, Detachment (Det.) 12, out of Manama, Bahrain, and Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 1, Det. 5, out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, have given mostly classroom training. Subjects covered include dive medicine, neurological exams, decompressions sickness, tag out training, patching, plugging and salvaging; limpet removal and usage of the hyperbaric chamber.

The hands on portion began Nov. 8, and the focus is now on limpet removal. Limpets are magnetic mines with an inward focused blast effect that are placed on the hulls of ships. The US Navy instructors conducted a dry walk through of how to tie them off and safely remove them.

"It's good for us to learn about this type of mission," said Seychelles Coast Guard Diver, Chief Warrant Officer Eric Lestrange, the officer in charge of the diving unit. "I like the type of training we're doing; it will help us in the future."

The training also helped the US divers.

"It gives us a different perspective," said Chief EOD Technician Tom O'Brien, from EODMU 4 Det. 12. "We get to see the way other countries train and examine the differences."