There are several reasons to consider joining the Army’s underwater army. These include Da Vinci’s underwater army, to the most challenging course for combat divers within the Army. You can even learn with dolphins Here are five reasons to join the Army's submerged army. It is the only way to be a combat diver.
Da Vinci's underwater army
Leonardo da Vinci invented the diving suit, a device which could have helped the Republic of Venice defeat the Ottoman navy at the turn of the 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 was a Renaissance artist who was fascinated with the underwater world. To repel enemy ships, he envisioned a diving army. The soldiers would be equipped in diving suits to cut into 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 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 will teach you how use heavy, closed-circuit divers equipment. These equipments don't produce bubbles which makes them ideal for covert missions. Students will learn how to use a'mixed gas system' such as a Draeger LARV that recycles any mixed gases exhaled by a diver back into the cylinder. Students will also learn about diving mechanics and physiology during the course. They will also learn how to treat a diver's injuries if they occur while underwater.
One of the U.S. Army’s Special Forces Underwater Operations schools (or SFUWO) is located in the waters around the Florida Keys. It is part of the U.S. Army’s Southeast Command. Since the 1960s, the facility has been operating in the Keys. Students learn to navigate the seafloor as part of combat diving training. This is essential because a contractor used to excavate munitions left over from the Civil War. 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 in 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 is the most difficult course for combat divers.
Falkenstine had completed the Combat Diver Qualification Course for seven weeks. He was invited back to do the Supervisor Course. This course prepares them to manage combat dive operations. Combat diving requires physical strength, but also mental challenges. Falkenstine said that while the training is difficult, she felt honored to be a part of such an elite community. 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 as part of its training program. Although the Soviet Union collapsed, the Ukrainian Navy resumed training in the program several years later.
Dolphins are faster than human beings and can dive better than humans. They can dive without decompression sickness and make excellent patrol animals. The ethical issues surrounding the use of dolphins for weapons are still present. Animal rights activists have called for an end to this program since long.
Dive in the Gulf of Mexico: Dangers
Oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico has left behind oily liquids and volatile, flammable substances. 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.
Despite commercial divers being equipped with advanced breathing equipment, the underwater environment can still be extremely difficult. The water temperature is low, the currents and visibility are often poor. Divers should also watch out for mud and sandy, sharks, and stinging flora. Hyperbaric pressure can also be dangerous for divers.