Photo By Sgt. William White | Staff Sgt. Brian Winter and Spc. Jacob Feyers, engineer divers with the 511th Engineer...... read more read more
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CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait - The Kuwait Coast Guard base stands in the northwestern corner of the Arabian Gulf, isolated from international waters; an ideal location to harbor military watercraft.
On June 22, the divers of the 511th Engineer Detachment (Dive) plunged into the Kuwait Coast Guard base harbor; paving the way for an aquatic partnership.
"Our mission today was to conduct a hydrographic survey of the port and the boat ramp for possible future watercraft operations," said Staff Sgt. Brian Winter, an engineer diver assigned to the 511th Eng. Det.
"The impact of this mission is significant because we will now know what Army vehicles and watercraft the harbor can support," said Chief Warrant Officer Kevin K. Willis, 1st Theater Sustainment Command sea section officer in charge.
According to Willis, the Kuwait Coast Guard base has never harbored U.S. watercraft. Use of the harbor will advance the Army's training and mobilization capabilities in the Arabian Gulf.
Though the Army has not yet made plans of using the harbor for watercraft operations, the mission served a greater purpose, Willis said.
"This mission helps further the partnership and communication with the Kuwait Coast Guard," said Willis. "The mutual cooperation between the U.S. and Kuwait is very strong."
"The Kuwait Coast Guard has been very helpful and made sure all our questions were answered. I love working these types of missions because for me to play a part in furthering relationships is always gratifying, no matter how big or small the role is," said Willis.
While Kuwait Coast Guardsmen looked on, the Army divers prepared their high-tech machines to begin navigating and mapping the harbor. The divers put their engineering skills to work, synchronizing multiple systems to obtain the most accurate measurements possible.
The survey equipment was built for mapping land data and is generally used by Army topographical engineers; but the divers were able to adapt it for aquatic use.
"We modified the survey equipment in order to collect water-depth data and match it with [global positioning system] findings from satellite," said Winter.
Though much of the work was done with the Army's most advanced engineering technology, the divers used more primitive means to conduct the ramp inspection by hand.
The divers disappeared into the depths of the gulf for more than a minute at a time, taking measurements and analyzing the ramp's foundation, equipped with no more than a tape measure and the air in their lungs. By the end of the day, the divers had collected enough data to determine what the boat ramp could hold.
The role of the Army divers in Kuwait is well established. Whether they are furthering partnerships or geographically mapping harbors, the U.S. Army deep-sea divers are making a splash in Kuwait.
| Date Taken: | 06.22.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 06.23.2014 11:55 |
| Story ID: | 134061 |
| Location: | KW |
| Web Views: | 637 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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