The Army's submarine army is a great option for you. These include Da Vinci's underwater army and the most difficult course for combat divers in Army. Even dolphins can be trained! Here are five reasons to join the Army's submerged army. It's the ultimate way to become a combat diver.
Da Vinci's submerged army
Leonardo da Vinci created the diving suit. It was a device that could have helped Venice defeat the Ottoman navy around the 16th century. The Mediterranean Coast was at that time in turmoil, embroiled in a series international border disputes and even a full-scale conflict.
Leonardo da Vinci was an artist of Renaissance who was fascinated by the underwater environment. To repel enemy ships, he envisioned a diving army. The soldiers would be equipped with diving suits, which they would use to cut holes in the enemy ships' hulls. Although this plan didn't materialize, the underwater army that he created may have inspired the first scuba equipment.
Special Forces dive school in Florida Keys
If you are interested to join the military and learn how to carry out covert operations underwater, you can sign up for a Special Forces combat dive school in Florida Keys. During this course, you will learn how to use heavy, closed-circuit dive equipment. These equipments don't produce bubbles which makes them ideal for covert missions. The training will teach students how to use a'mixed-gas' system such as a Draeger LARV which recycles the'mixed gases that a diver exhales into the cylinder. During the course, students will also learn about diving physics and physiology. They will also learn how they can treat diver injuries that occur underwater.
One of the U.S. Army’s Special Forces Underwater Operations schools can be found in the Florida Keys. Since the 1960s the Keys has had the facility in place. Students learn to navigate the seafloor as part of combat diving training. This training is important as a contractor once excavated munitions from the Civil War area. The SFUWO divers were then partnered with the NOAA Blue Star program, which aims to protect the marine environment from harmful materials.
Toughest course for combat divers in the Army
Combat diver qualification courses focus on tactical aspects of combat dive. The course also teaches the use of a closed-circuit underwater breathing apparatus, known as the Mark 25 Draeger Oxygen Rebreather, which emits no bubbles and allows operators to swim undetected. This course teaches combat divers how navigate the oceans as well as various insertion and removal strategies. This course is usually the most challenging course for combat divers.
Falkenstine completed the Combat Diver Qualification Course over seven weeks and was then invited back to take the Supervisor Course. This prepares them for the role of directing combat dive operations. Combat diving is physically demanding, but it can also be mentally challenging. Falkenstine states that although the training is very difficult, it is an honor to be part of such an elite club. She says she finds the camaraderie among combat divers to be unmatched.
Training with dolphins
It is not a novel idea to create an underwater army using dolphins. In the Soviet Union, dolphins were used to train sailors. It also uses seals, and other marine mammals in its training program. The Ukrainian navy resumed its training program after the fall of the Soviet Union.
Dolphins are faster than humans and have better swim and diving abilities. They can dive safely and are good patrol animals. However, ethical concerns surround the use and possession of dolphins to be used as weapons. Animal rights activists long demanded the end of this program.
The dangers of diving in Gulf of Mexico
Oil from the Gulf of Mexico has leaked into the waterways, contaminating them with liquid oil and volatile, inflammable gases. These chemicals are harmful to marine life and those working on the front lines of clean-up. Avoid oily areas when diving in the Gulf of Mexico.
Commercial divers are outfitted with sophisticated breathing equipment but the environment in the ocean is still challenging. The water temperature is low, the currents and visibility are often poor. Divers must also be alert for mud, sand and sharks. They are also exposed to hyperbaric tension, which can prove fatal.