FORT BRAGG — Special Forces groups spent Wednesday and Thursday navigating murky water, impediment programs and watercraft to earn bragging rights of being named the “better of the perfect.”
The 9 groups taking part within the Second Annual Finest Fight Diver Competitors that was hosted by the third Special Forces Group had been groups from the fifth Special Forces Group, seventh Special Forces Group and a staff made up of a soldier from the third Special Forces Group and Air Pressure particular operations forces joint terminal assault controller, organizers mentioned.
Sgt 1st Class R.P, whose title is withheld due to the character of his job, is a medical sergeant with the third Special Forces Group’s maritime operations and helped coordinate the occasion.
The concept began with two “dive locker” or maritime operational help instructors final yr, R.P. mentioned.
“It’s a tough college, and there haven’t been loads of assets to push it as a result of the previous 20 years we’ve had operations within the desert,” he mentioned. “Now hastily with China and Russia and stuff occurring in Africa and around the globe, there’s loads of water-related stuff, whether or not it’s on rivers, lakes or the ocean or no matter. So now there’s an enormous push for it.”
Workers Sgt. J.M, who co-organized and developed the occasions, mentioned the concept for the competitors was to generate curiosity in maritime operation.
“It’s 99% for morale and consciousness and folks don’t know something about us,” he mentioned.
The occasions
Wednesday’s competitors began with a bodily health take a look at and written dive examination earlier than rivals moved to Fort Bragg’s Atchley Pool for stress occasions like seeing how lengthy they might maintain a 25-pound weight over their heads within the water.
Navigating by a collection of underwater obstacles, one of many duties was simulating a restoration with a model often called “Rescue Randy,” whereas discovering an merchandise within the pool used to assist with the rescue.
R.P. mentioned the rivals used civilian dive gear, that means their underwater bubbles are seen, and likewise used navy dive gear that means no bubbles are detected. Among the tools purposely malfunctioned and rivals additionally needed to navigate an underwater impediment course with blacked-out masks.
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Taking part in Thursday’s occasions at McKellars Pond had been Workers Sgts. A.C. and T.H., who represented a third Special Forces Group staff.
“We’re on our battalion’s dive staff, so we do all of the dive stuff, so naturally after we hear in regards to the competitors, we needed to take part,” A.C. mentioned. “Our staff participated final yr. We truly had a teammate who received the competitors final yr, so it appeared form of becoming for us to do it once more this yr.”
T.H. mentioned the groups meant no single particular person was a winner.
“It’s received to be a staff effort,” he mentioned. “ So all of the occasions yesterday required the staff to do collectively collectively.”
T.H. mentioned the blacked-out masks in Wednesday’s impediment course meant members had been pressured to talk underwater with teammates utilizing nonverbal and nonvisual cues.
R.P. mentioned Thursday’s occasions additionally required teamwork.
Rivals kicked off with an estimated 800-meter dash and boarded a fight rubber-rating watercraft that purposely had deficiencies with the motor and gasoline line forcing rivals to restore it earlier than beginning the watercraft.
The craft needed to be navigated round buoys within the pond and likewise needed to be operated in reverse at instances.
After utilizing kayaks and swimming, the subsequent occasion concerned dive gear that required purging of nitrogen and navigating the murky waters with a compass, earlier than shifting on to shoot with targets and pistols.
Fight dive licensed in Special Forces
R.P. mentioned all the rivals are fight dive licensed.
The advantage of being a fight diver, he mentioned, is being among the many 1% of particular operations service members who’ve the certification.
To get licensed, he mentioned, members need to undergo a two-week course earlier than even qualifying for six weeks of coaching.
Although Navy Seals could also be extra publicly acknowledged navy divers, R.P. and different organizers and members at Wednesday’s competitors mentioned they think about the certification as being one other asset for Special Forces troopers.
“It simply makes a much bigger deterrence identical to we’ve freefall groups and we’ve mountain groups and intel stuff,” R.P mentioned. “So we’ve all these completely different groups which can be specialised greater than the traditional SF staff to go do this mission that is perhaps referred to as upon.”
The third Special Forces Group officer in control of maritime operations mentioned that Special Forces troopers are at all times utilizing “no matter assets are round them,” and that being fight dive licensed supplies the troopers one other functionality “to perform the mission.”
With 4 fight diver qualification programs a yr, he mentioned there are additionally different maritime programs that train the right way to use boats, swim correctly, present data on tides and currents and contain airborne operations the place troopers land in our bodies of water.
T.H. mentioned he thinks the programs are helpful as a result of there have been previous situations of troopers tasked with trying to find issues underwater.
“It additionally helps us companion with different nations that may have a diving functionality,” he mentioned. “It’s given us a purpose to go work and prepare with individuals in sure locations. It is simply one other device in our toolbox.”
Workers author Rachael Riley might be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528.
