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> > >I suspect the USN has the best and most insightful answer to that one. > >The German military might be just as qualified. Not many others yet... > > I was referring to civilian (for profit) agencies. Now that you bring > it up, does anyone know what the U.S. Navy SCUBA training program > involves, as far as prerequisites, classroom time and in-water time? > I don't know about the Navy, but the Army Diver traing school has been conducting rebreather training for over 25 years. No previous experience is necessary to qualify for the school. A high level of physical fitness and swimming ability is needed to get in. A pre-admission test of fitness and swimming skills is required and is repeated the first day at the school to make sure no one fudged the test. There is classroom and water time every day. Graded written tests are administered from material in the training manuals, and must be passed. Usually, only special operations types get to go (Special Forces, aka "Green Berets", Ranger, Delta Force, etc.) because their commands are the only ones with a need for people diver qualified and willing to pay for the training out of their budgets, although a few Engineers go too, but hardhat type divers are trained at other schools. The badge awarded is the same, though, a silver hard hat diver helmet. To quickly weed out those who are likely to panic, high stress traing techniques are used. Instructors shut off valves, pull off masks and cut regulator hoses to put students in uncomfortable or out-of-air situations in a swimming pool environment. Most of the training is open circuit, with a rebreather block of training. The military tends to train more by rote and procedure rather than by getting into a lot of theory. Most of the rebreather stuff is mission oriented, get in undetected, execute the mission, get out without getting caught. There is very little of interest below 30 feet from a military perspective, so most of the training is 100% O2 and don't go below 30 feet. After guys get back to their units they will train more on specific techniques and missions and become more proficient in whatever areas are needed. So, although no prior exerience is needed, the scope of the training is limited to a small set of profiles to reduce the training load. Graduates of the course are considered qualified but minimally so and must gain experience at their units, just as a military parachutist needs no prior experience, but is considered minimally qualified after 5 jumps in jump school. Unlike sport diving, someone else is responsible for a diver in a military training environment. Dives are made under the supervision of more experienced divers according to training plans formulated and approved by officers who will be held accountable if regulations/procedures are violated and someone is hurt or killed. At best carrers will be ended, at worst criminal charges can be brought against those responsible. If the accident investigation shows equipment malfunction, all the maintenance records had better be in order for that piece of equipment or someone will fry. The diver does some equipment maintenance but most of the real maintenance is done by people qualified as life support equipment specialists or civilian contractors. The maintenance is done by strict schedule and inspection checklists and signed off on by the maintainer and officers charged with overseeing the maintenance. Rick
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