The Official Newsletter for the Divers and Salvors of the United States NavyVolume 4, No. 1 / April 1999

In This Issue

SUPSALV Sends

Bert Marsh

Relie

ves C

hip McC

ord

(see st

ory, p

age 2)

SUPSALV Sends ................................. 1Captain Bert Marsh .............................. 2St. Lucia ............................................... 3Repairs on USNS WATSON ................ 4Master Diver Billets .............................. 6In-Water Welding to PASADENA......... 7Diving with New Challenges ................ 8PMS Corner ......................................... 9Emergency Hyperbaric Stretchers ..... 10

00C4 Certification Division ................. 11Beware of the Sleeping Giant ............ 11Command in the Spotlight ................. 12Refractive Eye Surgery ...................... 14Boeing 234 Chinook .......................... 16From Supervisor of Diving ................. 17Obituary ............................................. 18Historical Notes .................................. 18The Old Master .................................. 19

UWSH ProvidesIn-Water Welding

Repairs toUSS PASADENA

See story, page 7.

Diving WithNew ChallengesSee story, page 8.

(continued on page 2)

I am excited by this oppor-tunity to return to the diving andsalvage community, as you trulyoptimize a “can do” attitude thatmakes me proud of the MK Vpin on my chest. That type ofenthusiasm was readily appar-ent during my recent dive withclass 99-20-1C at NDSTC andstill burns brightly in all of thoseold shipmates I met at theSEALAB reunion in PanamaCity. Your accomplishmentsmade briefings I recently pro-vided to COMFIFTHFLT andCOMSERVFORSIXTHFLTmeaningful, as both ADMI-RALS were very appreciativeof the work being done by thiscommunity. Keep up the goodwork and keep sending in ar-ticles to FACEPLATE that de-scribe your accomplishments.

Jim Bladh, editor of FACE-PLATE, asked if I wanted tochange anything. I have twosimple goals for FACEPLATE;it should highlight the entirediving community’s accom-plishments and it should informyou on issues that can affectyour careers. With those tenetsin mind, for our next issue I am

April 19992

FACEPLATE is published by the Supervisor ofSalvage and Diving to bring the latest and mostinformative news available to the Navy diving andsalvage community. Discussions or illustrations ofcommercial products do not imply endorsementby the Supervisor of Salvage and Diving or theU.S. Navy.

Articles, letters, queries and comments should bedirected to the Commander, Naval Sea SystemsCommand, NAVSEA 00C, 2531 Jefferson DavisHighway, Arlington, VA 22242-5160. (Attn:FACEPLATE). Visit our website at http://www.navsea.navy.mil/sea00c.

Captain Bert Marsh, USNDirector of Ocean Engineering

Supervisor of Salvage and DivingNAVSEA 00C

Jim BladhHead, Operations Branch, 00C22

Managing Editorbladhjc@navsea.navy.mil

HTCM(MDV) Chuck Young, USNFleet Liaison Editor

youngch@navsea.navy.mil

Diane DietrichProduction Editor

ddietrich@roh-inc.com

Captain Bert Marsh relieved CaptainChip McCord as the U.S. Navy’s Supervi-sor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV) andDirector of Ocean Engineering on January26, 1999, at the Naval Sea Systems Com-mand in Arlington, VA.

Captain McCord is scheduled to re-port to the Massachusetts Institute of Tech-nology in April as a Professor of NavalConstruction.

Captain Marsh rejoins the SUPSALVteam from an assignment as Assistant Chiefof Staff for Maintenance and Logistics onthe Commander Logistics Group WesternPacific Staff in Singapore. He served as asalvage engineer with SUPSALV from1989 to 1991, directing numerous ship sal-vage operations. Included among theseoperations were the salvage of the U.S.Coast Guard buoy tender Mesquite in LakeSuperior, the Exxon Valdez oil cleanup, therefloating of a U.S. Navy patrol hydrofoilin the Corpus Christi channel, and the criti-cal salvage engineering analysis in savingUSS PRINCETON (CG 59) when it strucka mine during Operation Desert Storm.Commissioned in 1975, Marsh has servedaboard USS GRAPPLE (ASR 7) and USSPIGEON (ASR 21), at Puget Sound NavalShipyard in Bremerton, WA, as the U.S.Navy’s diving exchange officer to the

Royal Navy, and as Commanding Officerof the Navy Experimental Diving Unit inPanama City, FL. An Engineering DutyOfficer, Marsh received a Master of Sci-ence degree in Mechanical Engineeringfrom the Naval Postgraduate School inMonterey, CA.

Further information on the SUPSALVteam is available on their web site atwww.navsea.navy.mil/sea00c.

Captain Bert Marsh

Navy’s 21st

Supervisor of Salvage and Diving

Captain Bert Marsh (left) with Captain ChipMcCord (right).

SUPSALV Sends (continued from page 1)

anticipating articles fromGRAPPLE’s successful recovery ofan SH-60 in the Red Sea, MDSUTWO’s successful YFU salvage inPuerto Rico, and SALVOR’s recov-ery of an AIR FORCE F-16 off Ko-rea to compliment this issue’s em-phasis of UWSH, UCT, and SDVoperations. Your articles can be writ-ten in just about any language, butinclude pictures with captions and a

CAPT B. MarshDirector of Ocean Engineering

Supervisor of Salvage and Diving

E-mail: marshb@navsea.navy.mil

bio for the author.To ensure issues that concern

you are addressed, I am having a“hot link” established on ourNAVSEA 00C web site that willallow you to submit your commentsvia e-mail. As an example of an is-sue that can affect your careers, ourDMOs have provided an explana-tion of what recent refractive eyesurgery techniques are currently

approved for NAVY divers andwhat is planned in this field.

Let’s dive safe and ensure youhave a RS “OK red” for every LS.

April 1999 3

On 19 July, 10 divers from UCT OneAir Detachment Charlie began con-

struction on a heavy timber pier on thesmall Caribbean Island of St. Lucia, oneof several projects being conducted simul-taneously as part of the joint command ex-ercise New Horizons. UCT One divers,led by Officer-in-Charge BUC(SCW/DV)Roy Ronkowski and project supervisorCM1(DV) Daryn Holty, were tasked withconstructing a 193-foot long H 12-footwide pier, which included a 90-foot smallcraft fendering system. Air DetachmentCharlie arrived via C-130 with all requiredequipment on hand. They immediately setup camp on an abandoned runway along-side a detachment from Naval Mobile Con-struction Battalion-7. There they wouldspend the next 30 days eating, sleeping,and showering in a tent camp, while fend-ing off swarms of mosquitoes and dodg-ing grazing cattle.

The next order of business would beto line up their TRC. Due to the danger-ously high temperatures encountered whenpressurizing personnel in this type of cli-mate, careful considerations, like packingthe chamber in ice to cool it down, aretaken to help prevent heat disorders. Thepier was constructed with 3- and 4-inchrough cut salt treated southern pine, 60penny nails, 6- and 12-inch lag bolts, and

21- to 30-inch through bolts. All timberpiles were wrapped with pile guard fromthe mud line through the splash zone forpreservation purposes. A variety of spe-cialty equipment was selected for thisproject, including a complete hydraulicpower tools system with hose reel and hy-draulic tools and accessories, gas poweredchain saws, portable generators, and spe-cialty drill bits. Diving evolutions includedpile wrapping for preservation and hydrau-lic drilling for cross brace installation.Scuba was used for both of these evolu-tions because the average depth was ap-proximately 15 feet. Det Charlie, originallyhaving only thirty days to complete the$40,000 pier, lost a week of constructiontime due to weather delays during the in-

St. Lucia By CM1 (DV) Daryn Holty

stallation of the piles. But, this hard charg-ing group was not to be denied. Everyonepulled together like a well-oiled machine,completing the pier in just 13 working days,one week ahead of schedule. The additionof this pier will unmistakably be a tremen-dous asset to the St. Lucian Coast Guardin their drug interdiction efforts.

Pier under construction.

Completed pier.Diver connects pile cap to pile.

CM1(SCW/DV) Daryn W. Holty is currentlyassigned Air Detachment Charlie at Un-derwater Construction Team One in LittleCreek, VA. He graduated number one inhis class from First Class Dive School in1993 and has been in the Seabee DivingCommunity for ten years.

April 19994

The Navy’s Strategic Sealift Programoffice supplies large carrier vessels to

the Military Sealift Command to transportand pre-position military equipment aroundthe world. One such ship, USNS WATSON(T-AKR 310), is a roll-on/roll-off carrier,equal in size to a nuclear aircraft carrier.Recently, USNS WATSON underwent anemergent drydocking to correct a faultybearing, and, upon departure from drydock,it was discovered that the ship was ingest-ing seawater into the main shaft lube oilsystem. The leaks were discovered 9 No-vember 98 after undocking and enroute toCharleston, SC, where a vast amount ofinfantry equipment awaited loadout for amission to the Arabian Gulf at the timewhen US-Iraq tensions were high, therebyincreasing the urgency of WATSON’s mis-sion. As soon as the ship arrived inCharleston, diver inspection revealed thatthe leaks to this complex system would re-quire extensive efforts to effect the repairsprior to deployment.

The T-AKR’s are operated by theMerchant Marine and are regulated(“Classed”) by the United States CoastGuard (USCG) and American Bureau ofShipping (ABS). One of the many require-ments of these classifying organizations isthat each ship must have oil lubricated pro-pulsion shaft bearings versus the typicalwater lubricated bearings seen on most ofour Navy ships. These oil lubricated bear-ings are difficult to repair underwater. Thefollowing is a brief description of the sys-tem, the damage discovered, and the re-pair operation.

USNS WATSON has two propulsionshafts that penetrate the hull via stern tubesthat run all the way down to the main struts.These stern tubes enclose the shafts andare welded to the forward end of the mainstrut barrels to allow lube oil to supply each

of the shaft bearings. Aft of the main strutshaft bearing is the dynamic seal assem-bly, which is designed to keep the lube oilin and the seawater out. This seal assem-bly is comprised of a seal housing, whichis bolted to the strut casting, and a com-pressed spring assembly, which baresagainst a liner bolted to the forward faceof the controllable pitch propeller hub.The entire seal assembly is protected by astainless steel ropeguard welded to the caststeel strut barrel. During transit toCharleston salt water contamination wasdiscovered in the lube oil reservoir for thestarboard propulsion system, and it wasspeculated that the aft seal assembly wasleaking.

Upon arrival in Charleston, a localcommercial diving company was hired toinvestigate and repair the leak. The ini-tial repair plan was to perform an air test

Emergent Shaft Seal Repairs on USNS WATSON (T-AKR 310)By Tom McCue

and confirm that all mechanical fastenerswere properly torqued. The Supervisor ofSalvage and Diving’s (SUPSALV) Under-water Ship Husbandry Division assisted inthe initial inspection and repair efforts. Ap-proximately 3300 gallons of lube oil wereremoved from the starboard stern tube andair was then supplied to the stern tube. TheSUPSALV representative directed a videoinspection through access holes cut in therope guard. It was discovered that the leakoriginated from a porous epoxy materialused to level and center the bearing insidethe strut barrel. This leak was beyond theperimeter of the seal assembly, and, there-fore, mechanical repairs would not solvethe problem. This repair would require ex-tensive efforts to remove the porous epoxy,install new epoxy, and seal weld a mild steelplate over the epoxy groove.

The repairs commenced on 12 Novem-

USNS WATSON underway.

(continued on page 5)

April 1999 5

ber. To gain greater access to the seal as-sembly and epoxy groove, local divers be-gan the stainless steel ropeguard removal.It took over 48 hours of precision grindingto remove the ropeguard. This carefulgrinding would later prove beneficial dur-ing the installation of the new ropeguard.At the same time, the SUPSALV divingservices contractor was mobilized to per-form the underwater repairs. These repairsincluded replacing the epoxy, seal weld-ing a closure plate, and installing a newrope guard.

A team of fourteen divers, welders,and technicians were on-site the next morn-ing to start this intense 24-hour per daydiving operation. After the entire ropeguard was removed, the divers focused onremoving the porous epoxy. Air was con-tinuously supplied to the stern tube whilethe divers excavated cracked, brittle, andleaking epoxy. Air was then secured andSea Going epoxy putty was installed in theexcavated areas and allowed to cure. Af-ter the Sea Going epoxy cured, the surfacewas ground flush and a ¼-inch deep con-cave groove was ground into the circum-ference of this epoxy channel. This groovewas then filled with a cord of HP-2

Elastoloc, which acted as an o-ring betweenthe epoxy channel and the cover plate. Thecover plate was then pressed in place andseal welded directly to the aft face of thestrut barrel and outside diameter of the sealhousing. After the extended cure time, anair test was conducted and additional leakswere detected around a few of the boltheads securing the seal housing to the strutbarrel. This was caused by insufficient seal-ant applied on the fasteners. The repairplan was appended, each fastener wasbacked out, HP-2 was wrapped around thebolt shank, the bolts were re-torqued, andepoxy was applied over the bolt heads.After another extended cure time, anotherair test was performed and witnessed bythe USCG and ABS. No leaks were de-tected. The only remaining step was toinstall the ropeguard.

The rope guard installation also posedtechnical challenges. Remember, the origi-nal rope guard was made of stainless steeland the strut barrel was cast carbon steel.First, the overall joint design and thicknessof the ropeguard material made it imprac-tical to accomplish a wet groove weld us-ing an austenitic (stainless steel) electrode.Secondly, there were no repair activities(Navy or Commercial) that had Navy orABS approved procedures and qualifiedpersonnel to perform stainless steel wetwelding. Consequently, we were requiredto get both NAVSEA and ABS approvalfor the deviation of replacing the stainlesssteel rope guard with one made of carbonsteel. The next challenge was the area in

which the ropeguard would be attached tothe strut barrel. This area had a significantamount of contamination in the heat affectzone of the old ropeguard installation. Thiswas resolved by positioning the newropeguard and attachment weld further aftto avoid the contaminated area. Theropeguard was also modified structurallysince the rope guard was positioned fur-ther aft.

The initial mechanical repairs turnedout to be a case of seemingly endless ep-oxy repairs to leaks in a complex system.By the end of this eleven day operation,1767 man hours were expended with over127 hours of diving to repair each leak andallow the ship to conduct sea trials. With asuccessful sea trail, WATSON returned toport, completed loadout of the infantrymaterial, and sailed for the Arabian Gulfon 10 December. NAVSEA continues tomonitor the repairs, and, as of March 99,no leaks have been encountered.

Close up of seal assembly; propeller hub on left.

HP-2 Elastoloc applied toseal housing bolt.

Mr. McCue is the program managerfor the Navy’s Underwater Hull Cleaninginitiatives and has been the project engi-neer on numerous repairs to control sur-faces, which includes the development oftechniques and procedures for waterborneseal repairs on such items as rudders, finstabilizers, and stern tubes.

(continued from page 4)

April 19996

BUPERS FLD COMP, Millington, TN ........ BMCM Barry BurgessLOGGRUTWO, Earle, NJ ............................ QMCM Brendan MurphySAFETY CENTER, Norfolk, VA ................ HTCM Lino MatteoniSURFLANT, Norfolk, VA ............................ EMCM John PropsterSURFPAC, San Diego, CA .......................... MMCS Tom StogdaleSUBTRAPAC, Pearl Harbor, HI .................. ENCS John ReissNDSTC, Panama City, FL ............................ BMCM Dale Sturms

MMCM SchnoeringHTCM Brick BradfordBMCS Jim DanielsHTCM Burt CossonEMCS Dave DrydenBMC Pascal BalesiBMCS Scott Ledbetter

EODMU 2, Little Creek, VA ........................ MMCM Russ MalletMDV Furr*

EODMU 3, San Diego, CA .......................... HTCM Jim PhalinEODMU 5, Guam ......................................... HTCS Chris SpannEODMU 5 DET BAHARAIN ...................... MMCS Dean HollidayEODMU 6, Charleston, SC .......................... BMCS Gordo WestbrookEODMU 8, Sigonella, Scicily ...................... BMCS Steve SmithEODMU 11, Oak Harbor, WA ..................... HTCM Frank LaqueVSW MCM DET SC, San Diego, CA ......... ENCS Todd RoodEODTEHDIV, Indian Head, MD ................. ENCS Cal LindseyEOD SCHOOL, Englin, FL ......................... BMCS Jimmy Plummer

BMCS Phil MyersEODTEU 2, Ft. Story, VA ............................ HTCS Pat TrautmanNCCOSC, San Diego, CA ............................ ENCM Bob CharmichaelNRLSITE, Port Heuneme, CA ..................... HTCM Dave SelbyNSWC CSS, Panama City, FL ..................... BMCM Rich CampbellNUWES RANGE SUP, Bangor, WA ........... ENCM Dan BriggsMARINE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE, Camp LaJune, NC .................................. BMCM Rick BettuaMARINE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE, Camp Pendelton, CA .............................. EMCM Rick BedardMARINE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE, Okinawa .................................................. BMC Duncan AllredMDSU 1, SDUTYCOMP, Hawaii ................ MMCM Paul Schadow

BMC Doug HeaterMDSU 1, Hawaii .......................................... ENCM Tim Joines

BMCS Johnson, JKQMCS Danny BoydENC Ron Skala

MDSU 2, SEADUTYCOMP, Little Creek, VA....................................... BMCS Ken Brown

HTCS Scott HeinemanBMCS Doug Roberson

MDSU 2, Little Creek, VA ........................... MMCM Russ MallettBMC Mark Leet

MDSU 2 DET, Roosevelt Roads, PR ........... BMCS Phil MyersUSS F. CABLE (AS-40), Guam ................... HTC Paul GrdinaUSS GRAPPLE (ARS-53), Little Creek, VA....................................... BMCS Donny Dennis

USS GRASP (ARS 51), Little Creek, VA .... QMCM Tom StockUSS LAND (EMORY S.) (AS-39), Norfolk, VA ............................................. HTCS Frank GorhamUSS MCKEE (AS-41), San Diego, CA ....... BMCS Kyle GaillardUSS SAFEGUARD (ARS-50), Pearl Harbor, HI ...................................... ENCM Steve WigginsUSS Salvor (ARS-52), Pearl Harbor, HI ...... BMC Fred OrnsUSS SIMON LAKE (AS-33), La Mad ........ EMCS Dave DrydenCONSOLIDATED DIVING UNIT, San Diego, CA ......................................... QMC Gene Herstol

BMCS Rick StormentBMCS Kyle GaillardHTC Boyd Kayona

SIMA, Everett, WA ...................................... BMCS Shawn FanningSIMA, Engleside, TX ................................... MMCS Roland Bissonnette

BMC Bill FleemanSIMA, Mayport, FL ...................................... BMCM Eric FrankSIMA, Norfolk, VA ...................................... ENCM Frank Perna

HTCS Jeff RoyceNAVAL ACTIVITIES, Guam...................... ENCS Dave DavidsonSHIP REPAIR FACILITY, Yokosuka, Japan ...................................... MMCS Bill Morris Sasebo ...................................................... ENC Terry WhiteSDV TEAM 1, Pearl Harbor, HI .................. HTCM Lemount King

HTCS Ron ErvinSDV TEAM 2, Norfolk, VA ......................... ENCM Jimmy Evans

ENCS Scott AlognaSPECWARCEN, Coronado, CA .................. ENCS Mike BabinSPECWARDEVGRU, Virginia Beach, VA .................................. EMCM Dick SchlenkermannSPECWAR GRU 1, Coronado, CA .............. MMCM Rusty HuntSPECWAR GRU 2, Little Creek, VA ........... HTCM Gary Furr

MDV Schlenkermann*CNSWC, San Diego, CA ............................. HTCM Mike WashingtonDSU DIVING DET, CSDGI, San Diego, CA ......................................... BMC Hugh Scully

HTC (CWO SEL) Ron SeligSUBMARINE SCHOOL, Groton, CT ......... HTCS Al OverbeckSUBMARINE SUPPORT FACILITY, New London, CT ..................................... EMCM Rick DonlonTRIDENT REFIT FACILITY, Bangor, WA ............................................. BMCM Ray AugustinTRIDENT REFIT FACILITY, Kings Bay, GA ......................................... HTCM Ken HinkebeinNAVEXDIVUN, Panama City, FL ............... MMCM Don Curtis

MMCM Him HerbertBMCM Steve SmithENCS Jim Carolan

CSDGI, DET, Bangor, WA .......................... CUCM Paul FitzpatrickBMCM Bob Quant

CSDG1, DIVING DET, Bangor, WA ........... TMCM Bill RomasNAVSEA, SUPDIV, Washington, DC......... HTCM Chuck Young

ENCS Dave Davidson*NDSTC, Panama City, FL ............................ HTC Bryon Van Horn

U.S. Navy Master Diver Billets

*Perspective Gains

April 1999 7

I t all started innocently enough, a peri-odic bubbling sound detected on the

submarine’s sonar system. From there be-gan a search that would last nearly twomonths. The search was complicated by thefact that the leak only occurred intermit-tently, based on water depth and tempera-ture. After determining when the leakwould occur, each air system was isolatedusing triple and even quadruple valve iso-lation to finally localize the source of thebubbles to main ballast tank (MBT) 1 anda leak in one of the three high pressure airflasks.

USS PASADENA then moored inSasebo where divers were able to confirmthe location of the leak. As the submarinetransited to Guam to meet USS FRANKCABLE (AS 40) for repairs, NAVSEA 00Cwas contacted about the possibility of per-forming an in-water repair to the leakingseal weld. The in-water repair was deter-mined to be feasible, and 00C’s repair con-tractor, Phoenix Marine, was mobilized.

The repair team met USS PASA-DENA in Guam. Unfortunately, thecontractor’s equipment container, alongwith various other shipments, did not makeit to Guam. You know the old “absolute,

UWSH ProvidesIn-Water WeldingRepairs toUSS PASADENA

positively, overnight” advertisement?Well, it absolutely, positively does not ap-ply to Guam. With a lot of help from a lo-cal diving services contractor and FRANKCABLE shops and dive locker, the rightequipment to complete the repair was as-sembled.

The location of the repair was out ofthe water but in a hyperbaric environmentequivalent to 20 feet of seawater. The de-fective weld area was located using dyepenetrant testing. About four inches of theseal weld was excavated to the original fitup line and then replaced using a Gas Tung-sten Arc (GTA) welding procedure. Afterthe repair was completed, the new weldwas dye penetrant tested and the flask waspressurized. FRANK CABLE divers com-pleted the job by leak testing and paintingthe repair area, while the SEA 00C con-tractor team moved on to another problem.

Damage to the starboard towed arraysonar tube was discovered during a hullinspection conducted when PASADENAarrived. Apparently, the submarine struckthe pier when it was moored in Sasebo andbent the tube inward into the stern plane.The bell housing was misaligned and mostof the bolts were sheared. It was deter-

by LT Ed Gallion, CEC, USN

mined that skip-welding the bell housingto the tube could serve as a temporary re-pair for the duration of the deployment.After jumping through a few more logisti-cal hoops, the proper underwater electrodesarrived on the island. The repair was com-pleted just in time for PASADENA to getunderway for the remainder of its deploy-ment.

Welder/diver Scott Andersen welds the bellmouth on the towed arraystowage tube. (Photo by BM1(DV) James Vaughan)

LT Gallion is currently assigned at theNaval Sea Systems Command, Supervisorof Salvage and Diving, where he works inthe Underwater Ship Husbandry Division.

April 19998

On 10 August 1998, Underwater Con-struction Team One Air Det Bravo,

led by CUCM (MDV) Marty Hierhozler,EOC (DV) Scott Overton (Det Officer inCharge), and CM1 (DV) Leonard McGuire(Det Project Supervisor), commenced deepsea diving to upgrade the cathotic protec-tion system on the Tyndall AFB Air Com-bat Maneuvering Instrumentation (ACMI)System Range. On-site technical assistancefor the project was provided by contractdivers and the Naval Facilities Engineer-ing Service Center (NFESC).

The scope of this project consisted ofcleaning areas on the base of five towers,then placing and welding approximately 40anodes to each one. These five towers werelocated 20–40 miles off the coast ofCaravelle, FL. Typical tower constructionwas a vertical steel 10' diameter H 200' longcylinder, which was attached to a horizon-tal steel tower base on the bottom approxi-mately 150' H 150' H 10'. The Air Forceuses these towers for aircraft training. Thediving platform was a 130-foot work ves-sel contracted out of Panama City, FL.

The first few days of the project sawAir Det Bravo loading out the vessel withtwo transportable recompression chambersystems, the MK 3 lightweight diving sys-

tem (modified for 5000 psi air), and theFADS III air supply rack assembly. Sev-eral connex boxes, hydraulic sources, anda hydraulic winch were added to completethis phase.

Diving operations started upon arrivalat the towers. Surface decompression withoxygen (Sur D O

2) was used to limit de-

compression time and to maximize time adiver could work at depth. The surface de-compression phase of the dive would becompleted in the transportable recompres-sion chamber system (TRCS), and the sec-ond TRC was on line for emergencies. Thefirst couple of diving days were used totrain and familiarize the detachment inwelding with Oxylance welding rods.

The project agenda called for clean-ing, placing, and welding of anodes. Eachanode weighed approximately 285 poundsand was 5-feet long. Pallets consisting of10 anodes were lowered to the tower baseusing the ship’s A-frame and winch. A hy-draulic grinder, using a whirl-a-way disk,was used to clean the marine fouling onthe weld surfaces. Moving the 40 anodesto the cleaned areas was initially accom-plished with lift bag, however it was soonfound that two divers could carry the an-odes by hand.

Diving with New Challenges Welding commenced after all anodeswere in place. This would be the first timethe UCT’s conducted wet welding whileusing Sur D O

2 tables. Most diving was

conducted on the 120 ft. Sur D O2 table.

The welding process utilized two divers:one to fit the anode tabs to the base and theother to complete the welding. NFESCdivers performed conductivity and qualityassurance tests following the completionof all welds.

The project was interrupted midwaydue to the arrival of Hurricane Earl. AirDet Bravo weathered this hurricane inPanama City, FL, and returned to the tow-ers after the seas calmed. The effects ofthis storm on diving was seen by the in-creased sea state (2–3 feet) and the drop-ping of visibility from 70ft+ down to lessthen 1 ft, making the job very difficult andslowing progress tremendously. Work wasfurther hampered by the arrival of a sec-ond major storm.

Air Det Bravo completed 9996 min-utes of bottom time in 128 dives, whilemaintaining an excellent safety record. Theexperience gained by underwater weldingadded immensely to Underwater Construc-tion Team ONE’s readiness.

By T. David Hallam and J. Dana Labit

Contracted vessel used as diving platform for UCT welding project onACMI towers.

UCT diver conducting wet welds at 120 fsw.

April 1999 9

PMS Corner“Service to the Fleet”

The following is a summary of the MIPS/MRCS changes since the 2-98 SFR. Some of these changes did not make the deadlinefor SFR 1-99. Feel free to contact Nedu for updates since they will not be available until SFR 2-99.

5921/007 UDT Life Vest. MRC S-1R (B8 9ANX Y). Identified upper and lower inflation mechanism gaskets by part numberand NSN.

5921/019 Open-circuit SCUBA. A-3 (29 6WGD N). Review note 2. A piston type first stage regulator like the Poseidon Odincan not be used to perform maintenance on J-valves.

5921/033 Flexhoses. Review scheduling aids #5 and #6 and MRCs A-1R and R-1. Hyrdos are only required if discrepanciesare found during the visual inspection. The hose may remain in service if it passes a hydro test or it can be replaced. Maximumservice life of a rubber hose is a 12 years. The R-4 has been deleted from the MIP. The definition of a non-permanently installed hoseis any portable hose that is routinely connected and disconnected during system/equipment set-up, flask/bottle charging, or flask/bottle change-out. All other hoses will require an annual visual inspection.

5921/034 DLSS. Three MRCs were added to this MIP but did not make the 1-99 SFR. There is a 84M-1R for moistureseparators that meet MIL-F-22606 to do the hydro at 7 vice 3 years. An A-10 was added for testing mixed gas systems. Also, a144M-2R was added for flask meeting MIL-C-1511, MIL-F-2809, and 51F10, and HP flask that meeting requirements of NSTM Ch551if the flask is charge using an approved compressor and filtration system listed on the ANU.

5921/063 Compressors. Added Bauer Model K220 and Mako Model BAM-09E3 to MIP.

5921/156 Roper Cart. Since there is not a differential pressure indicator on the filter housing, the 50 pisg pressure differentialrequirement has been deleted. Unfortunately, this did not make the 1-99 SFR.

5921/171 MK 3 MOD 0 LWDS. Review scheduling aid #3. The R-1 may be deleted if the charging source is from a compres-sor with an air purification system found on the ANU section 6.1 or HP source delivering air at a dew point of 50oF or lower.

5921/177 TRCS. Changes that were included in 1-99 SFR are: S-1R was changed to ensure the safety wire breaks and to ensurethe relief gag valve is wired in the open position after the test, A-6R was changed to inspect the interlock o-ring and only replace itif inspect reveals damage, and R-3 was added to drain moisture from HP flask. Changes that are not in the 1-99 SFR are: R-2 waschanged to accomplish whenever damage is suspected, M-2R was added to test chamber communications and clean and inspect thechamber, R-4 was added to clean, inspect, and disinfect the BIBS mask, and R-5 was added to inspect the CO

2 scrubber.

H-012/078 FADS II Oxygen System. A-9 and 36M-1 have been changed to reflect the new relief testing criteria and theprocedure for test operating the regulator has been revised on the M-3.

H-012/150 Diving System Module. Review scheduling aid #3. 84M-1 has been added for MIL-F-22606 moisture separators.

5519/017 BAUER CD Compressor. Use this MIP for interim maintenance for the Bauer Capitano D (diesel), E (electric) andG (gasoline) model 5000 psi compressors. A 5921 MIP will be issued in the 2-99 SFR.

Point of Contact:

HTCM(MDV) Young NAVSEA 00C36Comm: 703-607-2766, DSN: 327-2766, E-mail: youngch@navsea.navy.mil

BMCS (SW/DV) Duffy NAVXDIVINGUNIT Code 0311Comm: 850-230-3100/3162, DSN: 436-4651, E-mail: duffy_kerry@nedu.org

April 199910

Consider the following scenarios:

• Submariners trapped in a disabled sub-marine off the coast of a third worldcountry are forced to exit through theescape hatch and swim to the surface,only to develop crippling decompres-sion sickness minutes later. The onlyrescue boats available are fishingtrawlers and tugboats, and the nearestairstrip able to accommodate a cargoaircraft capable of delivering a recom-pression chamber is hundreds of milesaway. Ships with recompression cham-bers will take at least 36 hours to ar-rive.

• A diver in a remote location, days awayfrom a recompression chamber, sufferssevere decompression sickness. Evacu-ation by helicopter over mountainpasses could make his condition evenworse due to decreased pressure at al-

titude. As the hours pass, his chancesof recovery decrease.

Dire situations like these require animaginative solution.

Enter the Emergency Evacuation Hy-perbaric Stretcher (EEHS)—a small, one-man recompression chamber made of flex-ible, lightweight reinforced fabric. Trulyportable—less than 150 pounds and pack-aged so that it can be carried by a few menwithout heavy equipment—it can be usedalmost anywhere and can even be used totransport a patient while pressurized. Thesystems are capable of supplying oxygenat 60 fsw for a standard Treatment Table 6and can rely on standard scuba cylindersfor air and medical oxygen tanks for oxy-gen. This concept has evolved over the lastfew years, and the products of two Euro-pean manufacturers, the SOS Hyperlitefrom Great Britain and the GSE FlexibleHyperbaric from Italy, are currently being

tested at the Navy Ex-perimental DivingUnit.

The first pro-posed military use,and the driving forcebehind the currentevaluation, is for thesubmarine rescue mis-sion, but if the EEHSis found to be safe andfunctional, other useswill likely follow. Itcould be a valuableasset for rapid re-sponse teams de-ployed to remote loca-

NEDU EvaluatingEmergency EvacuationHyperbaric Stretchers

by Gary W. Latson, MDLCDR, MC, USNR

tions or MEDEVAC units sent to retrievestricken divers. The U.S. Coast Guard hasplans for several units, and organizationsin the far-flung regions of the South Pa-cific are considering them. Even NASA isevaluating the technology for the SpaceStation.

Preliminary results have shown thatthe EEHS has great promise. NEDU’s teamhas put them through extensive operation-ally oriented drills, and they have per-formed well. Feedback to the manufactur-ers has resulted in several design improve-ments, and experience gained at NEDUwill help define the situations where theymay be useful. NEDU will also help de-velop the procedures and training that willbe necessary for safe use.

There is still more work to be donebefore they find their way to the fleet, butin the future, for divers in dire straits suchas the examples above, the term “help ison the way” may mean an EEHS.

Commands that have a potential op-erational requirement for the EEHS shouldcontact the program manager, Mr. StuartYee, NAVSEA 00C37 at 703-607-2766 orDSN 327-2766.

Gary W. Latson, MD, LCDR, MC, USNR,is currently stationed at NEDU as DivingMedical Officer and research scientist.He is the Principal Investigator for evalu-ation of the Emergency Evacuation Hy-perbaric Stretcher, as well as the Princi-pal Investigator for Accellerated Decom-pression using Oxygen and involved inother Submarine Rescue projects. LCDRLatson is an anesthesiologist.

.

Italian version of EEHS under evaluation

British Hyperlite (trademark) EEHS may provide a means of transporting a stricken diver whileunder treatment for Decompression Sickness

April 1999 11

retired Master Diver, and PaulMcMurtrie—retired Master Diver. In-cluded in this group at one time was DarrellWilliams—retired Master Diver andRupert Warren—retired Master Diver. Thisexperienced group keeps a watchful eye onall safety related aspects of U.S. Navy div-ing.

Here is his descriptionI am a compressed gas cylinder.I weigh in at 175 pounds when filled.I am pressurized to 2200 psi.I have wall thickness of approxi-

mately ¼ inch.I stand 57 inches high.I am 9 inches in diameter.I wear a cap when not in use.I wear valves, gages, and hoses when

at work.I wear many colors and bands to tell

what tasks I perform.I am ruthless and deadly in the

hands of the careless or unin-formed.

I am too frequently left standingalone on my small base with mycap removed and lost by anunthinking diver.

I am ready to be toppled over�

00C4 Certification Divisionby Scott Lopez

Scott Lopez has worked as a mechanicalengineer for 15 years with the U.S. NavyOffice of the Director of Ocean Engineer-ing and Supervisor of Salvage and Diving(NAVSEA code 00C). He is a qualified U.S.Navy diver, a USCG licensed Master, andis a Main Committee member of the ASMEPressure Vessels for Human occupancy(PVHO-1) design code.

This is an article about a group of pro-fessionals who you rarely hear about:

the NAVSEA Diving and Hyperbaric Sys-tems Safety Certification Authority (Code00C4). As directed by the CNO, the pur-pose of the System Certification Programis to ensure high levels of safety throughobjective, independent oversight of the de-sign, development, operation, and mainte-nance of all U.S. Navy shipboard or por-table diving systems. This includes reviewsof original designs, audits at manufacturer’sfacilities, and participation in tests andevaluations leading to final at-sea trials.After the initial System Certification hasbeen granted, 00C4 division personnel per-form periodic audits both shipboard and atthe manufacturer’s facilities to ensure thatthe equipment operates properly and thathigh standards are maintained.

The genesis of certification started dur-ing the tenures of SUPSALV CaptainMitchell and Captain Boyd in the early1970’s. The first civilian head of the Certi-fication Division was Mr. Charlie Darley.Charlie moved on to NAVAIR in 1975 andwas relieved by Alan J. Dietrich (Big Al,the Diver’s Pal) who served as the SystemCertification Authority (SCA) until 1988.Since then, Gary Crawford has served thefleet as SCA and director of the certifica-tion division, Code 00C4. Presently sup-porting Gary in 00C4 are two senior Sys-tems Engineers who are current or previ-ously qualified Navy divers and three Cer-tification Technicians who are retired USNMaster Divers. These personnel includeRobert Warren—Engineer, Scott Lopez—Engineer, J.J. Fenwick Lt USN (Ret)—former Master Diver, Michel Einhellig—

where my uncapped valve can besnapped off and all my powerreleased through an opening nolarger than the diameter of apencil.

I have been known to jet away atgreat speeds.

I smash my way through bulkheadswith the greatest of ease.

I fly through the air and reach dis-tances of ½ mile or more.

I spin, ricochet, crash, and slamthrough anything in my path.

I scoff at the puny efforts of humanflesh, bone and muscle toalter my erratic course.

I can, under certain conditions,rupture or explode. Beware!

You can be my master ONLY undermy terms:Full or empty�see that my cap is

on straight and snug.Never leave me standing alone.Keep me in a secure rack or tieme so I cannot fall.

TREAT ME WITH RESPECT:I AM A SLEEPING GIANT

Note: The SleepingGiant Is Still With Us.

Originally printed in FACEPLATE, Winter 1973, Volume 4, No. 4.BEWARE OF THE SLEEPING GIANT

April 199912

It’s 1400, somewhere in the Caribbean,and you are on your first “sub trip” and

have that restless feeling. Riding in a DryDeck Shelter (DDS) atop a submergednuclear submarine, you wait for the com-mands that will signal the beginning of themission. You have been “jocked up” forthe past hour; ¼-inch wetsuit, cheater top,and gloves, all covered by a camouflagedjump suit. The lighting is dim, you’resweating and irritable. Salvation finallyarrives in the form of the three gloriouswords: Open Foxtrot-1. With the openingof the valve, the wonderfully cool waterbegins to fill the DDS. The sense of reliefis almost surreal. Now totally submerged,you notice that restless feeling returning.

Today the mission is a “touch and go.”Once outside the shelter, the SEAL Deliv-ery Vehicle (SDV) is launched from thedeck of the nuclear-powered submarine andthen recovered, all in a clandestine man-ner. The SDV pilot and navigator are pre-pared for the mission.

The next command passed is impor-tant, yet almost anticlimactic, four simplewords really: Open Hangar Outer Door(HOD). These words do not do justice tothe event that is about to commence.

You are part of a team that has workedtoward perfecting the difficult choreogra-phy of launching SEAL platoons for spe-cial operations worldwide from a nuclearsubmarine. When the HOD is opened, asight seen by few people in the world, thewater is so blue it hurts your eyes. Belowthe surface the water temperature is 82degrees, the submarine is slowly cruising’and the clock is ticking.

As an observer during this dive, youmove to your assigned position next to thesecondary mechanical lock outside theHOD. You are in awe by the amount of

movement and the quickness of execution.Divers, skilled in the execution of this cru-cial mission, prepare the SDV for launch.They deftly roll out the track and cradlefrom the DDS. The SDV pilot and the navi-gator conduct their final checks. The deckcrew maneuvers the mini-sub into the slip-stream after releasing the mechanical locks.Remembering the dive brief, you realizethe SDV is awaiting confirmation of pointAlpha (the exact position to disconnect theSDV).

While waiting, the realization of thedifficulty and complexity of the entire op-eration sets in. You can not even fathomwhat is simultaneously happening belowyou inside the host ship. How do they (Sub-mariners) know our position? How can theyhold this massive submarine on such asteady course? How can a single person(the Diving Supervisor) keep track of theevents happening in the water? Beforebecoming overwhelmed with this array ofthoughts, movements begin again. Nowords are exchanged; everything is cho-reographed through special hand signals.The deck crew releases the SDV.

Now it’s the SDV crew’s turn to show-case their months of advanced operatortraining; it is immediately obvious that theylearned well. The SDV turns to port, dis-solves into the blue, and commences a1000-yard racetrack. A touch and go mis-sion. Five minutes later, the SDV is in sightand the divers begin the choreographedsession in exact reverse. Before you knowit you’re back inside the DDS listening to“Shut Foxtrot-1, open Delta-1, and com-mence drain down.” Now it is time to de-brief, get a little rest, eat some dinner, andbrief the next dive. As SDV Team divers,we have a job to perform that is crucial tothe mission, and tonight we are going to

by CWO2 Daniel W. Mikulski

SDV Team TWO

Viewed from below, a SEAL Delivery Vehiclelifts away from the the submarine as the diverswims clear.

A Diver prepares the cradle to recover a SEALDelivery Vehicle on the deck of an SSBN.The pilot of the SEAL Delivery Vehicle can beseen looking over the bow of the vehicle as hewaits to make his approach. The track andcradle in the foreground is rolled out and backinto the Dry Deck Shelter by the divers beforeand following each mission.

(continued on page 13)

April 1999 13

repeat the entire scenario, but this time itwill begin at 2200—and there is no moon!

SDV Team Two was commissioned atLittle Creek Virginia in October 1978 asUnderwater Demolition Team-TWENTYTWO. It was redesignated SEAL DeliveryVehicle Team TWO on 1 May 1983 andassigned Special Mission responsibilitiesby the CNO. Commanded by CDR PeteWikul, the Team’s mission is to providetheater combatant commanders combatready SDV Task Units that can operateworldwide.

Today, SDV Team TWO is an eliteSEAL team with a unique capability to re-spond to maritime contingency situationsworldwide. SDV Team Two accomplishesthis mission with submarine mounted DryDeck Shelters, SDVs, and support craft,along with SEALs who focus their train-ing on undersea mobility and reconnais-sance and surveillance. The special capa-bilities of the team are designed to deliverSEALs and equipment to and from the tar-get without detection.

Assigned to the Team are over 200personnel with approximately 32 NavyDivers, 60 SEALS, and an extensive mixof support technicians. As SDV TeamTWO is the most technically advancedSEAL team, the support technicians play acritical role, unparalleled in Naval SpecialWarfare.

For a diver, SDV Teams offer an ex-citing opportunity to work with a strategiccapability. “Divers assigned to a SEALDelivery Vehicle Team are part of a teamthat trains specifically to conduct combatoperations. We provide the theater com-batant commander with a significant stealthcapability.” said CDR Wikul. “My Diversare an integral part of the team and themission; we couldn’t conduct operationswithout them.” CDR Wikul, who’s first in-troduction to Naval Special Warfare wasas a 19-year-old FTGSA assigned to Un-derwater Demolition Team Twenty One,believes that the nature of diving opera-tions conducted by SDV Team Two diversis significantly different from salvage div-ing. Both have their specific challenges andrewards. “Training for combat operationsin a DDS bolted to a nuclear submarineputs a bit more stress on the diver. I’m very

“Diver Dan” Mikulski has served as aNavy diver for the past 15 years. He is cur-rently Attached to SEAL Delivery VehicleTeam-TWO as a Diving Officer.

proud of my Navy divers and the contribu-tions they make day-in and day-out to themission readiness of the command.”

The team is structured to train andequip three deploying SDV Task Units insupport of COMSIXTH Fleet operationsand exercises. Divers assigned learn for ayear, do the job for a year, and teach for ayear. Most Divers departing SDV TeamTWO agree that it was quite possibly thebest tour of their career. The level of pro-fessionalism displayed on a daily basis isastounding, and rightfully so. We requireand demand the best of the best during ourscreening process. However, once assigned,personnel are trained in the top schools theUnited States Navy has to offer.

If you’re interested in a new challenge

and expanding your modus operandi, giveone of the Master Divers a ring. They willanswer all your questions. Hope we havethe opportunity to serve together. DiveSafe!

SDVT-2 Divers stand ready toattach the SDV as it prepares toapproach the dry deck shelter onthe deck of the submarine.Behind the diver can be seen theopened door to the Dry DeckShelter with the SDV track andcradle rigged out on the deck.The pilot can be seen lookingover the bow of the SDV.

Divers guide the SDV down ontothe cradle and track during amission recovery.

(continued from page 12)

April 199914

Refractive eye surgery includes radialkeratotomy (RK), photorefractive

(eximer laser) keratectomy (PRK), laser as-sisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) andother less common procedures. Beforehaving any refractive eye surgery, youshould be fully informed of both the medi-cal risks/benefits and the potential Navyadministrative consequences associatedwith having these procedures. So to helpaddress your concerns regarding correctivevision surgery and your diving status, weasked the Director of Undersea Medicine,CAPT John Murray, and Naval SpecialWarfare’s Director of Biomedical Research(a Diving Medical Officer and an Ophthal-mologist), CAPT Frank Butler, to provideus with current Navy policy and clinicalresearch efforts. Our thanks to them forproviding the following update.

Description of Surgical Procedures

• Radial keratotomy (RK) involvesmaking actual incisions in the cornea.RK is less predictable than the otherprocedures noted below, permanentlyweakens the eye, and increases its sus-ceptibility to traumatic rupture. In ad-dition, post-RK eyes are subject tomarked changes in their refractivestate when exposed to altitudes greaterthan 8000 feet.

• Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK)removes corneal tissue by precisionburning of the cornea with a chemi-cally cool ultraviolet eximer laser.PRK may cause significant postopera-tive pain, can result in corneal haze,and is less effective in achieving a pre-cise and stable refraction when utilizedto correct high myopes (refractive er-ror of -5.00 diopters and greater.)

• Laser assisted in situ keratomileusis(LASIK) also entails laser reshapingof the cornea, but the laser beam isapplied to the deeper tissues of the cor-nea after a superficial flap has beencreated by the surgeon. LASIK hasseveral advantages over PRK: lesspost-operative pain, faster visual re-habilitation, decreased post-operativecorneal haze, and better refractive pre-dictability in patients with higher de-grees of myopia. Reported disadvan-tages of LASIK include both intraop-erative and postoperative flap compli-cations and an increase in glare prob-lems related to the flap interface.

Current US Navy Guidance

Initial Entry/Commissioning. Navy and MarineCorps - Memorandum from Chief, Bureauof Medicine and Surgery, Ser 25/

96U114001266 of 29 May 97 states thatwith the approval of the CNO and CMC,BUMED will apply the following criteriain considering waivers for applicants on acase by case basis who have undergonerefractive surgery procedures to correctmyopia:

(1) Best spectacle corrected visualacuity of 20/20 in both eyes postprocedure

(2) At least one year since the lastprocedure

(3) No significant visual side effects

(4) Stable refraction

(5) Pre-operative refractive errordoes not exceed –8.00 diopters

Diving Duty. BUMED message 151501ZMay 97 revised Chapter 15 Article 15-66(2) (c) (6) of MANMED to read: “Thefollowing will be cause for rejection forinitial diving duty… (6) Radial Keratotomyand other forms of corneal surgery with theexception of eximer laser photorefractive(PRK).” (Note: There are currently noplans to remove RK from the list of dis-qualifying conditions for Navy diving andNaval Special Warfare.)

Candidates for entry into diving pro-grams, including special operations, mustwait 6 months following their most recent

REFRACTIVE EYE

SURGERY FOR

NAVY DIVERS

Compiled by CAPT Mike Curley

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illus

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(continued on page 15)

April 1999 15

PRK before their qualifying exam (i.e.,PRK is not permanently disqualifying fromdiving duty, but the physical exam to ac-company diving candidate packages mustoccur at least six months after the PRKprocedure).

Midshipmen. The United States Naval Acad-emy is currently drafting an instruction,COMMANDANT OF MIDSHIPMEN IN-STRUCTION 6490.1, addressing VisionTreatment. This directive draws uponBUMED memorandum addressing initialentry and commissioning policy with re-gards to corneal surgery, and the divingduty refractive eye surgery policy fromMANMED, to provide direction on thehandling of midshipmen requests for re-fractive surgery. Only requests for PRKwill be routinely approved.

Bottom Line for Qualified Navy Divers. Currentresearch indicates that PRK is associatedwith a very high percentage of favorableoutcomes and a low rate of complications.In the majority of cases, stable refractionand release from further ophthalmologicfollow-up occurs well before the six-monthanniversary of the refractive surgery. **Only for qualified Navy divers who un-dergo PRK,** BUMED-21 will supportreturn to diving duty when returned to fullduty by their ophthalmologist and after re-view by an Undersea Medical Officer.

The Future

LASIK - The Future of Navy Refractive Surgery? In1993, the Naval Special Warfare Commandbegan a research project to study the suit-ability of PRK for Navy SEALs. CDR SteveSchallhorn and his staff at the Naval Medi-cal Center, San Diego, conducted thisproject with the assistance of the NavalHealth Research Center. The results of thesurgery were very successful and resultedin the removal of PRK from the list of dis-qualifying conditions for entry into NavalSpecial Warfare and diving duty in the Navy.PRK is now routinely performed in theNavy, both on SEALs and on members ofother warfare communities. PRK is currentlybeing evaluated by the Air Force as well.

Refractive surgery, however, is a rap-idly changing field. Although the FDA ap-proved PRK only 4 years ago, it may soonbe outdated. The recently developed sur-gical procedure called laser in-situkeratomileusis (LASIK) is currently theprocedure of choice for many refractivesurgeons. An increasing number of appli-cants for entry into Special Warfare andother diving programs are currently beingdenied entry on the basis of having had thisprocedure. The advantages and reportedcomplications of this newer refractive sur-gery procedure have been listed above, butthere is no question that LASIK has a muchshorter track record than PRK. The NavalSpecial Warfare Command and the U.S.Special Operations Command are currentlypreparing to collaborate with CDRSchallhorn and his fellow researchers at theNaval Medical Center San Diego to inves-tigate the suitability of LASIK for NavalSpecial Warfare. A three-stage approachis planned:

Stage 1: Conduct animal studies to inves-tigate the effect of LASIK on the pressurerequired to cause rupture of the globe. Theattempted correction will not exceed thatrequired for an eye whose refraction is -8.00 diopters, which is currently the high-est refractive error with which applicantsare allowed to enter the Armed Services.

Stage 2: Conduct human trials to investi-gate the effect of altitude exposures onpost-LASIK eyes. Testing will be con-ducted over several days at an altitude ofapproximately 14,000 feet.

Stage 3: If appropriate as determined bythe results of Stages 1 and 2, a pilot studywill be conducted on the suitability ofLASIK in Special Operations. This studywill be coordinated with the offices of thecommand surgeons of all SOCOM com-ponents who wish to participate in the studyand the offices of the Surgeons General ofthose components. The currently plannedresearch effort is a three-year longitudinalstudy in which individuals who have hadLASIK are accepted into Special Warfareand examined at 6 month intervals to de-

termine whether or not there are any prob-lems associated with the post-LASIK statein the Naval Special Warfare environment.If the results of this study are favorable,LASIK may then be considered byBUMED Code 21 for removal from the listof disqualifying conditions for SpecialWarfare and diving.

Additional Questions?

For policy/waiver issues, contactCAPT Murray, MC, USN, Bureau of Medi-cine and Surgery (Code-21) at DSN 762-3449 or commercial (202) 762-3449. Forquestions related to the anticipatedCOMNAVSPECWARCOM LASIK study,contact CAPT Butler, MC, USN, DirectorNaval Special Warfare Biomedical R&D,Naval Hospital Pensacola at commercial(850)-505-6754 (DSN 534-6754.)

CAPT Curley is Director, Biomedical R&Dat NAVSEA (SEA00CN) and Head, NEDUR&D. A Saturation Diving Officer, he hasled several major projects including bio-effects of low-frequency sound, long-termhealth effects of diving, and human engi-neering of diving gear.

(continued from page 14)

April 199916

In January 1999, the Office of the Su-pervisor of Salvage received a call for

assistance for the removal of an 85-foot alu-minum hull AVR. The vessel was strandedon private property belonging to the COHOranch at Government Point, just south ofthe Point Conception lighthouse in the vi-cinity of Lompoc, CA. To complicate theproblem, property adjacent to the casualtywas sensitive as a possible Indian burialground, and roads in to the casualty (7miles) were fragile, preventing mobiliza-tion of heavy equipment to the site.

Initially, electronic equipment and ap-proximately 1700 gallons of diesel fuel andhydraulic fluid were removed. After a sur-vey determined the AVR was a total lossand could not be refloated, the decision wasmade to cut it into sections and use aBoeing 234 CHINOOK helicopter for re-moval. A six-man crew was used to sec-tion the vessel, working during low tidesand daylight hours. All cuts were com-pleted from keel to main deck, which wasleft intact (to keep the boat as one ) untilthe final day when the CHINOOK helicop-ter arrived. At low tide, final separation cutswere made and the sections were airliftedto a staging area where they were reducedfor final removal by truck. A total of ninelifts were required for removal, the heavi-est being 23,000 lbs. Total airlifting tookapproximately 1.5 hours.

Because the boat was aluminum con-struction, O

2 cutting rods (44 x 3/8-inch

diameter), called “Air Slice” manufacturedby ARCAIR, were used, (no electric poweris required to maintain a cut, only a strikerwith a DC 12 volt battery). In addition, 14-inch gas powered cut-off saws with spe-cial cutting discs were utilized. Special carewas taken to remove both engines, genera-tors, crane, and electronic equipment for

Boeing 234 ChinookAnother Salvors� Tool for Wreck Removal

By Jim Bladh

AVR 7 grounded at Government Point.

Preliminary cuts being made at low tide. (continued on page 17)

April 1999 17

Where’s the New Diving Manual?

Revision 4 of the U.S. Navy Diving Manual was signed out in late January. Therehave been some delays due to last minute corrections and negotiating a printing contract.The plan for distribution is to get a CD to all commands by the end of April and hardcopiesby the end of May. Once distribution is started, an AIG will be promulgated to the fleetwith guidance on implementation. Updates and revisions will be issued with the SupSalvCD at a regular interval. Also, you will have to wait until the SupSalv CD comes out laterthis year to be able to fully access the hyperlink features to the references used in themanual. As changes are made to Revision 4, they will be downloadable from the 00C website (www.navsea.navy.mil/sea00c). The new manual TMINS is SS521-AG-PRO-010and its’ NSN will be 0910-LP-708-8000.

Revision 4 is made up of five volumes that have been completely revised and shouldbe thoroughly reviewed. The intention behind the five volumes is to allow the supervi-sor to have only the applicable volume pertaining to the type of diving being conductedand reduce the amount of reference material required on dive station. Each volume isprovided with a table of contents and an index.

MDV/CWO Conference

The MDV/Diving CWO Conference is tentatively scheduled for 12-14 May 1999and will be hosted by the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center. The conferenceprovides an opportunity for senior enlisted and Chief Warrant Officer leadership through-out the various diving commands to collectively review and discuss current and futurecommunity issues. Our focus this year is determining the future mission and equipmentrequirements of the Navy Diving Program for 2005 and beyond – What role will weplay in winning the war that cannot be outsourced? Other anticipated conference issuesinclude divers’ career path initiatives, training, qualifications, diving and salvage opera-tional planning, maintenance, and safety. Get your point papers in. Our mailing addressis:

Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command (SEA 00C36)2531 Jefferson Davis Hwy.Arlington, VA 22242-5160

You can also send papers by e-mail to youngch@navsea.navy.mil. The conference hostpoint of contact is MMCM(MDV) John Schnoering at commercial (850) 235-4651, DSN 436-4651, e-mail john.schnoering@smtp.cnet.navy.mil, or fax (850) 235-5253. BEQ/BOQ roomsare available. Contact CSS Seashore Inns reservations at commercial (850) 234-4217 orDSN 436-4217 and ask for a room reserved for the MDV/CWO Conference.

MDV Reunion

The MDV Reunion will be held on Saturday, 15 May 1999, at the Coastal SystemsStation Marina, Panama City, FL starting at 1000. The point of contact for the reunionis ENCM/MDV(ret) Joe Gray at (850) 230-9217.

From the Supervisor of DivingCOMMANDER BOBBIE SCHOLLEY

refurbishment or use as spare parts.The wreck removal operation was

completed with no adverse impact on thelocal environment, to the complete satis-faction of the COHO ranch owners.

It is interesting to note that on Sep-tember 8, 1923, a squadron of nine destroy-ers en route to San Diego made a left turnin this very same vicinity. Seven of the de-stroyers were lost, and two were able toextract themselves.

A section of the wheel house being air-lifted.

(continued from page 16)

Jim Bladh retired from the Navy in 1973as a Lieutenant Commander after serving30 years active duty. Since that time he hasbeen a member of the operations branchfor NAVSEA Supervisor of Salvage Code00C and is presently the Head, OperationsBranch.

April 199918

The following excerpt is from Chapter 15 of 20,000 Jobs Underthe Sea, by Torrance R. Parker, published by Sub-Sea Archives,Palos Verdes, CA, 1997.

D d HistoricalNotes

THE SECOND NAVY DIVE SCHOOL

Nearly forgotten in diving’s early history is the Navy’s second diver train-ing facility established to train World War I divers. The closure of the Newportschool did not mean that the Navy no longer needed trained divers. In fact, thewar effort required even greater numbers of people trained in this field. To re-place the Newport school, a new training facility was organized at New London,Connecticut. The civilian marine salvage contractor, T. A. Scott, operated it forthe Navy.

In his written recollections of the T. A. Scott Company, Robert Beattie talksabout this second United States Navy diving school:

Beginning at the north end of the property, there was an undevelopedsteep bank along Pequot Avenue extending down to a stony beach. On thatbeach was the gutted hull of the old steam-powered submarine Plunger,hauled up there after the U.S. Navy diving school finished with her.

A wood pier extended out into the harbor about 250 feet. Extendingsouthward from this pier on the land end was a bulkhead perhaps 100 feetlong with a platform on wood piling in front of it, at high tide level, knownas the diving ramp. From this platform and ramp A.J. Pahlberg operatedthe Navy diving school, training much-needed divers and tenders at thestart of World War I. First lessons were given here and as the men pro-gressed in learning and ability they transferred to the floating school inthe then clear waters of Peconic Bay on white sandy bottom “salvaging”and “re-salvaging” the hull of the Plunger.

Alfred J. Pahlberg, mentioned above, was one of the most remarkable divers ever to be in this profession. He was a manwho embodied all the best of our trade. Therefore, at this point, it is worth quoting what Frank Meier’s 1940 book, Up for Air,said about Pahlberg:

Pahlberg dove for fifty-six years and retired at the age of eighty. This “wonder man” was short and slightly built,but a regular glutton for punishment. He outworked and outlived all the other old-timers. With headquarters at NewLondon, Connecticut, he did most of his work Down East, between Connecticut and Maine, but occasionally hedrifted into Southern waters and other districts outside of his regular haunts. I remember him as a fine, gentle oldfellow, as honest as they come and a man of very temperate habits. He had snow-white hair and whiskers. This diverwent through the whole mill, working on wrecks, handling dynamite, laying pipelines—everything in the line ofexpert diving. He dove around heavy foundations and tunnels for power and industrial plants, on bridges, in leakyreservoirs, and on marine railways. During his diving years, he recovered many thousands of dollars’ worth ofsunken property. Of course during those long fifty-odd years, he had his share of minor accidents, and even severalclose shaves, but he was always ready for a quick exit and used good judgement in emergencies.

At the end of World War I, the school was closed. Then, for more than a decade after closing the New London, Connecticutwartime school at the T. A. Scott company yard, and the Navy’s first diving school at the Newport Torpedo Station, the Navysimply taught diving with standard-gear on board ships in the fleet.

OBITUARY

L.J. “C HRIS”CHRISTOFFERSEN

L.J. “Chris” Christoffersen, 77,of Pensacola, FL, died Sunday, De-cember 20, 1998. Chris retired fromthe Navy as a Senior Chief PettyOfficer and a Master Diver. Chrisjoined the Navy in early 1938 andretired in 1960. During these near23 years, he served aboard the fol-lowing ships and stations: USSNEW MEXICO, USS ALCOR,USS SPERRY, USS SUNBIRD,USS FLORIKAN, USS PETREL,and the USS FULTON. Chris gradu-ated from DSDS in Washington,DC, in 1943 and was an instructorand Master Diver at the SubmarineEscape Training Tank, New Lon-don, CT. He then worked for Ameri-can Motors for 10 years as SafetyEngineer and then for 11 years asSafety Director for Taylor Divingand Salvage Co.

April 1999 19

by MDV Mike Washington

I’m writing this article on the occasionof my transfer from NAVSEA to a newly

created SPECWARCOM Force MasterDiver billet. My tour in Washington, D.C.was quite the learning experience. Onething that I learned during this tour is thatthere is a group of behind the scene pro-fessionals that make it their business toassist my fellow divers water front efforts.I salute my former co-worker in the Officeof Director of Ocean Engineering Super-visor of Salvage and Diving and wish youall the best.

By now you’re probably wondering ifI completed revision 4 of the U.S NavyDiving Manual. The answer is yes. Revi-sion 4 was signed out the 26th of January1999. Currently, the final process for se-lecting who will print the Diving Manualis being conducted. I predict that you willsee the CD-ROM version (with hypertext-link) and the hard copy by May. An AIG239 will be released providing more infor-mation along with the effective date for useof Revision 4 as well as an article in thisissue of Faceplate. Additionally, a sum-mary defining the differences between Re-visions 3 and 4 will be distributed. A spe-cial thanks goes out to all that assisted mein completing this mammoth project.

Next, I would like to update you onwhat is going on with Diving OperationsSpecialist Warfare (DOS). Two separateevents have placed DOS on hold. The firstone was an official tasking from the Chiefof Naval Personnel (CNP) to our Commu-nity Manager. The second was an unoffi-cial tasking from the Master Chief PettyOfficer of the Navy (MCPON) to myself.Both tasking were on the same subject; re-view the impact a Diver rating would have

on the Diving community. In regards tothis review, a neutral tone brief is beingprepared to take a 360-degree look at thepros and cons of a Diver rating. As youread this do not hit the panic button; un-derstand that the focus is are we on trackfor the year 2000 and beyond or is a com-munity course change required. As moreinformation becomes available on this sub-ject it will be disseminated.

The next update is on the Fleet Diverconcept. This concept focuses on the ca-reer path for Navy Divers. The proposaldesigned to give the fleet a well-roundeddiver, upon completion of dive school.Currently OPNAV N873 is forming a work-ing group to further develop this concept.More to follow on this important subject.

As you read this understand that yourleadership is focusing on the future. Inorder for us to be prepared for the futurewe must make some change. Withoutchanges we cease to grow. With this said,focus not only on what will make your jobseasier today. Instead, communicate thethings you envision that will keep the NavyDiving community as a valuable assetwithin the U.S. Navy’s inventory of out-standing sailors.

At this point I will sign-off by sayingalthough I’m transferring, I will continueto work for you. It has truly been my sin-cere privilege to have served you, whileassigned as senior NAVSEA Fleet MasterDiver.

Your Shipmate,

MDV Mike Washington

BUMED NOTICE 6120 of 30 Jul 97replaces the guidance on Diving Stan-dards as listed in the Manual of theMedical Department (MANMED),Chapter 15, section IV, article 15-66.Some specific items to remember:

• There are no waivers required forcontinuation of Diving Duty.

• All Navy divers will comply withthe standards (for periodicity) inMANMED Chapter 15, section I,article 15-11. Medical examina-tion will be completed on all ac-tive duty members and reservistsas follows:

a. Upon entry to enlisted or com-missioned active duty.

b. At intervals of 5 years throughage 50.

c. At intervals of 2 years throughage 60.

d. Annually after age 60.

MEDICAL REMINDER

MDV Mike Washington

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVYSEA 00CNAVAL SEA SYSTEMS COMMAND2531 JEFFERSON DAVIS HIGHWAYARLINGTON VA 22242-5160

Official Business

I n November 1998 , the Defense Indus-trial Supply Center awarded three prime

vendor contracts that will provide reliable,flexible, cost-effective, prompt marine life-saving and diving support to more than 125military customers in three regions: thePacific Northwest, including Alaska; thePacific Southwest; and Hawaii, includingJapan, Korea, Okinawa, and Guam.

“Diving organizations perform a widevariety of missions and their needs are veryspecialized, often placing divers in life-critical situations. Our challenge is to pro-vide the equipment they need in accordancewith all the necessary quality standards andtechnical requirements to ensure diversafety,” said Ralph Lund, a DISC contract-ing officer. “With prime vendor, we canensure they get the commercial items theyneed to do their jobs, whether its explo-sive ordnance disposal, ships husbandry,salvage, special warfare, search and res-cue, or underwater construction.”

Items covered under the contracts in-clude regulators, masks, air lines, knives,valves, gauges, weights, filters, swim fins,boots, air cylinders, test equipment, andwetsuits. Other features include electronicon-line ordering, on-line access to usageand sales data, 24-hour customer and prod-uct support, readiness contingencies, im-proved delivery schedules, and competi-tive pricing.

Five pilot sites (see sidebar) can currentlyphone and fax orders direct to the prime ven-dor and will be ordering electronically by thespring. The remaining customers are sched-uled to be on-line by September 1999.

The prime vendor solicitation for theAtlantic regions is underway. The Atlanticregions are: the Atlantic Northeast, includ-ing Europe, and the Atlantic Southeast,including Puerto Rico, Cuba, Panama, andthe Bahamas. Once awarded, the contractswill support over 200 customers in the At-lantic.

DISC is DIVING into Prime Vendor

Pilot Sites

Consolidated Divers Unit,San Diego

Explosive Ordnance DisposalMobile Unit 3,Coronado, CA

Explosive Ordnance DisposalMobile Unit 11,Oak Harbor, WA

Explosive Ordnance DisposalMobile Unit 5, Guam

Mobile Diving and Salvage UnitOne, Hawaii

By Ralph Lund

Ralph Lund is a Contracting Officerwith the Defense Industrial SupplyCenter, Philadelphia, PA, (215) 697-4284.