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U.S., Chilean Divers Share Knowledge

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS110622-10
6/22/2011

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Gregory N. Juday, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command & U.S. 4th Fleet Public Affairs

VALPARAISO, Chile (NNS) -- U.S. Navy divers assigned to Mobile Dive and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 2 Company 23, arrived in Valparaiso, Chile, to exchange knowledge and tactics with divers of the Armada de Chile June 21, as part of Navy Dive-Southern Partnership Station 2011 (ND-SPS 11).

The divers from MDSU 2 and the Armada de Chile shared knowledge and tactics on salvage diving, anti-terrorism force protection dive operations, basic dive medicine and recompression chamber operations.

"It is a great opportunity to share professional experience," said Lt. Javier Amor, Armada de Chile. "We are especially looking forward to exchanging tactics on side-scan sonar and managing and supervising dive operations."

In February 2010, Chile suffered an 8.0 earthquake followed by a tsunami. Armada de Chile divers responding rapidly to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) by utilizing their knowledge of salvage diving to assist the citizens along the coast.

"We at MDSU 2, look forward to the opportunity of working with the Armada de Chile divers and learning from their experience in HADR salvage diving," said Chief Warrant Officer James Hordinski, MDSU 2 Company 23 officer in charge. "We truly see the Chileans as the resident experts in HADR dive operations, with the vast experience gained during the earthquake and tsunami."

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet (COMUSNAVSO/C4F) support U.S. Southern Command joint and combined full-spectrum military operations by providing principally sea-based, forward presence to ensure freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain, to foster and sustain cooperative relationships with international partners and to fully exploit the sea as maneuver space in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American regions.