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Back in World War II, the deep sea was home to all kinds of sea dwellers, from exotic fish to submarines. Among the marine and maritime military personnel in the water, U.S. Navy divers walked the sea floors in the Mark V (pronounced “five”) diving rig, conducting crucial port and salvage operations.
On September 16, the 86th Engineer Dive Detachment hosted a multinational exercise utilizing the Mark V diving rig in Naval Base Guam, Guam. It was the first time the Royal Australian Navy, New Zealand Navy and Republic of Korea Navy divers all got an opportunity to step foot in the historical suit.
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Miller, squad leader and diving supervisor in the 86th Engineer Dive Detachment, hosted the training event, teaching all the service members the ins and outs of the Mark V. Back in Virginia, Sergeant Miller led the charge to include the Mark V as part of the port operations in Guam. As the subject matter expert in the diving rig, he communicated to the higher command the funding and maintenance needed to make the training a reality.
“It is incredibly important to me, as a U.S. Army diver, that the tradition of where deep sea diving originated and came from is preserved in our training and battle rhythms,” said Sergeant Miller.
“It really brings the team together, building the comradery unique to the divers, and helps establish a shared understanding of how far diving has come.”
Currently, the U.S. Army is the only U.S. military branch that still maintains and trains with the Mark V diving rig. The entire rig weighs approximately 190 pounds and can safely drop to depths of up to 190 feet. Historically, the Mark V was used heavily for port operations, as underwater diving was the only way the military could repair piers and docks. During World War II, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Mark V was taken to the depths of the sea to recover sailors trapped at the bottom.
Royal Australian Navy Leading Seaman Joshua Hilliard was extremely grateful for the opportunity to take part in the unique and rare experience. Sergeant Miller especially remembered his dive, because Hilliard noted that he never thought he would have the opportunity to dive in the historical suit.
“The suit is super heavy and difficult to get into the water, so you really have to rely on your battle buddies to get in there safely. Once you’re in the water, I was surprised how much easier it was to move,” recalled Hilliard. “There are very few Australian Navy divers who would have had a chance to do this, so it’s an honor to be among that crowd.”
Wearing the heavy, cumbersome suit builds the team’s trust and proficiency in their own diving abilities. It requires the teamwork of multiple qualified divers to safely operate the rig, building trust in each other as a team. The partnership, camaraderie and interoperability gained from these training exercises build the pieces to becoming the Army of 2030.
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| Date Taken: | 09.16.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 10.05.2023 12:28 |
| Story ID: | 454537 |
| Location: | NAVAL BASE GUAM, GU |
| Web Views: | 232 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Mark V: U.S. Army Divers Preserve World War II Tradition in Multinational Exercise, by SSG Jameson Harris, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
