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U.S., Australian Divers Train Together During RIMPAC

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS080726-03
Release Date: 7/26/2008 8:11:00 AM

By Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist (SW/AW) Dave Nagle, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command Public Affairs

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Navy (RAN) divers are training together as part of the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2008 exercise.

Divers from U.S. Navy Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1 (MDSU-1) and the Australian Defense Forces Clearance Diving Team 4 (AUSCDT-4) have trained side-by-side at Pearl Harbor since July 17, exercising their diving and salvage capabilities in a variety of scenarios.

The U.S. and Australian divers worked together to salvage simulated downed airplane parts using side-scan sonar on small boats. They also conducted underwater cutting and welding and surface-supplied dives from the USNS Salvor (T-ARS 52).

The training scenarios were opportunities for the U.S. and Australian divers to observe each other's techniques and procedures.

"We compared notes on how we dive compared with how [the Australians] do it," said Navy Diver 1st Class (DSW/SW) Daniel Cherwin of MDSU-1. "It was interesting to see how another nation runs their dive ops."

"It's not so much as we're learning from each other, since we're running the same equipment and similar procedures that we have in our navy," said RAN Chief Petty Officer Eugene Maxwell of AUSCDT-4. "It's just really good to actually dive and work side-by-on the dive sites to see each other's procedures and set-ups and how we do things."

It is the working side-by-side that is making this training exchange during RIMPAC valuable for both MDSU-1 and AUSCDT-4.

"In every training evolution we've done, we've paired a U.S. and an Australian diver together, whether it's been on a dive, tending lines or manning the dive console," explained Chief Navy Diver (DSW/SW) Russ Ciardiello, a MDSU-1 diving supervisor. "We've run dive operations with one of the Australians supervising the dive station and vice versa. Because of this, we've learned each other's styles, and we can go from one style to another smoothly and operate comfortably."

The ability to operate together seamlessly is important for both sides, as the Maritime Strategy emphasizes the need to strengthen partnerships and work with other nations.

"This joint training is very important for us because if we go into a true operational area, and come across familiar faces you've exercised with in the past, it cuts through the red tape and you just get together and get on with the job," said Maxwell. "You know each other's achievements and standards and you can rely on each other."

MDSU-1 is part of a Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) adaptive force package participating in Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2008.

RIMPAC is the world's largest multinational exercise and is scheduled biennially by the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Participants include the United States, Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, the Netherlands, Peru, Republic of Korea, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.

NECC is a global force provider of adaptive force packages of expeditionary capabilities to joint warfighting commanders. NECC serves as a single manning functional command to centrally manage the current and future readiness, resources, manning, training and equipping of the Navy Expeditionary Force.

For more news from Navy Expeditionary Combat Command , visit www.navy.mil/local/necc/.