By Pvt. Christopher Grammer
50th Public Affairs Detachment
CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait -- They raise sunken ships, clear navigational hazards, conduct hydrographic surveys and perform numerous repairs and inspections on vessels from the Army, Navy and Coast Guard. As long as it's in the water or near it, the 7th Engineer Dive Team knows how to fix it or get it out of the way.
A tugboat, being used for target practice by fighter pilots off the coast of Faylakah Island in the Persian Gulf, sunk in shallow waters. The smokestacks of the vessel protruded from the water and presented a risk to ships sailing through that area.
To dispose of this hazard the 7th EDT made a net, made from more than 5,000 pounds of C-4. The plan was to cover the sunken vessel with the net of explosives and blast it down in size. The hazard protruded about seven meters from the ocean floor before the blast. After the detonation of the C-4 net it was cut down to about a third of a meter. The Soldiers of the 7th EDT turned the potential navigational hazard into nothing more than a bump on the seafloor.
During the operation, the 7th EDT worked alongside Kuwaiti divers of Task Group 74 and Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians, showing them new equipment and instructing them on how the charges were set up.
For all their work on eliminating the hazard, the 7th EDT was awarded the Kuwait Special Diving Badge on July 31 during an award ceremony at Camp Patriot, Kuwait.
Their hard work in planning and executing the operation fostered good relations with the Kuwait Naval Force and ensured the safety of ships that would travel through that part of the Persian Gulf.
After a few words from Bader and Lt. Col. Rashid Al-Abdoulla, the commander of Task Group 74, the Soldiers of the 7th EDT were presented with their awards. One by one they received the badge and were given gifts by Al-Abdoulla in appreciation for their efforts on behalf of the Kuwait Naval Force.
"It's an honor," Capt. Dan Curtin, commander of the 7th EDT, said on receiving the award. "We deployed here to work shoulder to shoulder with the Kuwaitis and have made some good friends along the way. This award is great confirmation to us that our efforts have been successful in our mission to support the country of Kuwait."