There are many reasons you should consider joining an Army's underwater arm. These reasons include Da Vinci’s underwater army to the most rigorous course for combat divers of the Army. You can even train alongside dolphins! Here are five great reasons to join the Army's underwater army. It's the ultimate way to become a combat diver.
Da Vinci's underwater army
Leonardo da Vinci invents the diving suit. This device could have helped the Republic of Venice defeat Ottoman Navy at the turn of 16th century. The Mediterranean Coast was in turmoil at the time. It was embroiled with a series of international border disputes that included a full-scale civil war.
Leonardo da Vinci, Renaissance artist, was fascinated about the underwater world. To repel enemy ships, he envisioned a diving army. They would be equipped with diving gear to make holes in enemy ships' hulls. Although his plan never came to fruition, his underwater army may have inspired inventors of the first Scuba Equipment.
Special Forces combat diving school for the Florida Keys
If you are interested in joining the military and want to learn how to conduct covert missions underwater, you can enroll in a Special Forces combat diving school in the Florida Keys. This course will teach you how to use heavy closed-circuit diving equipment. These equipments do not produce bubbles, making them very clandestine and perfect 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. The course will teach students about diving physics as well as physiology. Students will learn how to treat injuries sustained underwater by divers.
One of the U.S. Army’s Special Forces Underwater Operations schools, or SFUWO in the U.S. Army’s Southeast Command, is located around the Florida Keys. Since the 1960s, the facility has been operating in the Keys. As part of the combat diving training, students learn how to navigate the seafloor. This is vital because an area contractor used to dig up Civil War munitions. SFUWO divers were then partnered up with the NOAA Blue Star Program, which aims at protecting the marine environment from hazardous materials.
Combat divers in the Army face the most difficult task
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. The course also teaches combat divers how to navigate the oceans and perform various insertion and extraction 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 requires physical strength, but also mental challenges. Falkenstine admits that the training can be very challenging but she is proud to be part of this elite group. She claims that combat divers are a camaraderie unlike any other.
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 as part of 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 can swim faster than humans, and they have superior diving and swimming skills. They can dive safely and are good patrol animals. There are ethical concerns about using dolphins as weapons. Animal rights activists long demanded 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 are harmful to marine life and those working on the front lines of clean-up. If you dive in the Gulf of Mexico, be sure to avoid any areas that may contain oil.
Despite the fact that commercial divers are equipped with sophisticated breathing equipment, the aquatic environment is still extremely challenging. The water is very cold, the currents are turbulent, and visibility can often be poor. Divers also must watch for mud and sand, as well as sharks and stinging flora. Hyperbaric pressure can also be dangerous for divers.