What I like the most about being a Navy Diver is just the freedom.
Just being able to float and move around in the water so easily and just
being able to see everything there is to see.
I'm Chief Petty Officer Rebecca Jones and I'm a Navy Diver.
We have the capabilities of doing a wide array of different jobs.
From working underwater on a ship or doing salvage work recovering any
asset that has been lost in the water. Or recovering after a storm or
doing humanitarian aide. At a moments notice we can be ready to deploy
and do whatever recovery or whatever job that we're told to do.
To work on the recovery for hurricane Katrina was quite an experience.
We drove through there and from the coast to a mile inland it was gone.
Complete destruction, I've never seen anything like that, and just to be
able to be down there and help with the recovery was a great feeling.
Some of the cool equipment that I get to use as a Navy Diver range from scuba,
we also use surface supply diving apparatus. That's the big yellow helmet
with the umbilical that goes to the surface that provides air um
communication so we can talk back and forth and if we were diving in
cold water it even provides hot water to the diver. Other apparatus that
we use are specifically for SEALs, which is the Mark 25, which is a re-breather,
so there's no bubbles, so its super stealthy.
If you wanted to become a Navy Diver you would go visit your Navy Recruiter
let them know, "I want to be a Navy Diver," and they would let you know that
you need to pass the physical screening test, the PST.
How you can prepare if you want to become a Navy Diver is to start working out.
Run, swim, do push-ups, do sit-ups, do pull-ups. Get physically ready because
that's one of the most demanding parts of dive school, is the physical part of it.
Women do exactly the same thing that the men do. Were- there's no special standard
for a woman.
So after you pass the PST test you will go to Great Lakes and go to boot camp.
After boot camp you'll go to a Navy Diver prep course for 32 days,
and once you graduate that prep course you'll then go to Panama City, Florida
and go through Second Class Dive School.
After you graduate second class dive school you can go to a command where
you do ships husbandry, which is working on ships in the water and ship repair.
You can go to a salvage command, you can go to an E.O.D. command, which is
Explosive Ordnance Disposal Command and support E.O.D. You can go to a
Naval Special Warfare command where you'll support the SEALs.
Some of the other training you can receive as a Navy Diver ranges from being
able to jump out of an airplane and do parachuting.
Being able to work with explosives in the water and out of the water.
Being able to handle a weapon.
As a Navy Diver you-there's so many different commands that you can go to
all over the world. You go from Guam, to Hawaii, Japan, Florida, Virginia,
California, Washington. There's just so many places and so many choices as a Navy Diver.
What makes a good Navy Diver? Someone who is loyal, someone who's committed,
someone who is part of the team and wants to be a team player.
Diving is a very dangerous job. You have to be able to understand physics,
and diving medicine and how the ocean and pressure affects a human body.
The job is very demanding, whether you are moving a giant patch to a ship that
weighs hundreds of pounds in the water or if you're swimming the entire length
of an aircraft carrier.
While you're Active Duty the Navy will provide tuition assistance so that you
can take college courses. Also the travel. I personally have traveled all over
the world several times and seen so many countries I couldn't even list them all.
How have I changed as a person since I became a Navy Diver? I'm stronger,
I'm more confident and I know there's nothing that I can't do.
If you wanted to become a Navy Diver, go for it. It's the best job in the world.
I hope this webcast was informative and if you want to learn more about being a
Navy Diver visit our Facebook page or go to Navy.com.