The Army's submarine army is a great option for you. These reasons include Da Vinci’s underwater army to the most rigorous course for combat divers of the Army. Even dolphins can be trained! Here are five reasons to join the Army's submerged army. It is the only way to be 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. 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 was a Renaissance artist who was fascinated with the underwater world. To repel enemy ships, he envisioned a diving army. To cut through the hulls of enemy ships, soldiers would be outfitted with diving suits. Although this plan never materialized, the underwater army he devised may have inspired the invention 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. During the training, students will be taught how to use a'mixed gas' system, such as a Draeger LAR-V, which recycles the'mixed gases' that a diver exhales back into the cylinder. Students will also learn about diving mechanics and physiology during the course. If an injury occurs underwater, they will be able to treat it.
One of the U.S. Army’s Special Forces Underwater Operations schools is located in the water surrounding the Florida Keys. It has been in existence in the Keys since 1960. Combat diving training teaches students how to navigate the ocean floor. This training is important because a contractor once dug up munitions from the Civil War in the area. SFUWO divers were subsequently partnered with NOAA Blue Star, which is designed to protect marine environments from harmful materials.
The Army's toughest course for combat divers
Combat diving's tactical aspects are the focus of the combat diver qualification course. The Mark 25 Draeger Oxygen Rebreather (closed-circuit underwater breathing system) is taught. It emits no air bubbles and allows divers to go unnoticed. Combat divers learn how to navigate oceans and implement various insertion- and extraction strategies. This is the most difficult 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 acknowledges the challenges of combat diving, but feels honored to be part in such an elite group. She says she finds the camaraderie among combat divers to be unmatched.
Training with dolphins
Developing an underwater army with dolphins is not a new idea. The Soviet Union used dolphins to train their sailors. It also uses seals, and other marine mammals in its training program. Though the program was discontinued after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Ukrainian navy resumed its training program a few years ago.
Dolphins can dive and swim faster than humans. They can also dive without suffering from decompression sickness, making them excellent patrol animals. However, the use of dolphins as weapons has ethical concerns. Animal rights activists have long called for the end of this program.
The dangers of diving in 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.
Commercial divers are outfitted with sophisticated breathing equipment but the environment in the ocean is still challenging. The water is cold, the currents are torturous, and visibility is often poor. Divers should also watch out for mud and sandy, sharks, and stinging flora. They are also exposed to hyperbaric tension, which can prove fatal.