The Army's submarine army is a great option for you. These reasons can range from Da Vinci’s underwater army to the most challenging course available for combat divers in Army. You can even train with dolphins! Here are five reasons you should join the Army’s underwater army. It is the ultimate way to become an combat diver.
Da Vinci’s underwater 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. At the time, the Mediterranean Coast was in turmoil as it was embroiled in a series of international border disputes, including a full-scale war.
Leonardo da Vinci (Renaissance artist) was fascinated with the underwater realm. To repel enemy ships, he envisioned a diving army. The soldiers would be equipped in diving suits to cut into enemy ships' hulls. Although this plan did not materialize, it may have been the inspiration for the creation of the first scuba equipment.
Special Forces dive school in Florida Keys
A Special Forces combat school in Florida Keys is available to anyone who is interested in joining military service and learning how to perform covert missions underwater. The course teaches you how to use closed-circuit, heavy dive equipment. These equipments produce no bubbles, which makes them perfect for covert missions. Students will be trained in how to use a'mixed gaz' system like a Draeger LAR–V. This recycles the'mixed chemicals' that a diver exhales and returns them into the cylinder. Students will also be taught about diving physics, and physiology. They will also learn how they can treat diver injuries that occur underwater.
The water around the Florida Keys is home to one of the U.S. Army's only Special Forces Underwater Operations school, or SFUWO, in the U.S. Army's Southeast Command. It has been in existence in the Keys since 1960. Combat diving training includes instruction in how to navigate on the seafloor. This training is important because a contractor once dug up munitions from the Civil War in the area. The SFUWO divers were then partnered with the NOAA Blue Star program, which aims to protect the marine environment from harmful materials.
The Army's toughest course for combat divers
The combat diver qualification course focuses on tactical aspects of combat diving. The Mark 25 Draeger Oxygen Rebreather (closed-circuit underwater breathing system) is taught. It emits no air bubbles and allows divers to go unnoticed. The course also teaches combat divers how to navigate the oceans and perform various insertion and extraction strategies. This course is the most difficult one for combat divers.
Falkenstine, who had successfully completed the Combat Diver Qualification Course (seven-weeks), was invited back for the Supervisor Course. This will prepare them to lead combat dive operations. Combat diving requires high levels of physical fitness. However, it can also present a mental challenge. Falkenstine says the training is extremely challenging, but she feels honored to be a member of such an elite community. She says she finds the camaraderie among combat divers to be unmatched.
Training with dolphins
This idea of an underwater army made up of dolphins is not novel. In Soviet Union, the Soviet Union used dolphins as a way to train its sailors. It also uses seals, and other marine mammals in its training program. The program was ended after the collapse Soviet Union. However, the Ukrainian navy has resumed its training program some years back.
Dolphins are faster than human beings and can dive better than humans. They can also dive without suffering from decompression sickness, making them excellent patrol animals. There are ethical concerns about using dolphins as weapons. Animal rights activists have long called for the end of this program.
There are dangers to diving in the Gulf of Mexico
Oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico has contaminated the water, leaving behind brown liquid oil and volatile, flammable gases. These chemicals can be harmful to marine life as well as those who are involved in clean-up. Avoid areas that might contain oil when you dive in Gulf of Mexico.
Even though commercial divers have sophisticated breathing equipment, it is still very challenging in the water environment. The water is very cold, the currents are turbulent, and visibility can often be poor. Divers should also watch out for mud and sandy, sharks, and stinging flora. Additionally, they may be exposed to high baric pressure which can lead to death.