By
Graham Davis
Clearance
Divers
(MPEG video 6.71 MB)
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In
close formation, divers line-up during training in Sydney’s
Pittwater.
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Photo:
Phil Barling
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A
group of trainee divers gather under a wharf in Sydney.
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The
Royal Australian Navy’s Diving School has entered an unprecedented
high level of training.
A number of factors have seen the commanding officer of the school,
LCDR Scott Hamilton and his staff called upon to increase the
flow of clearance divers.
The first is to have fully qualified and experienced divers available
for the Tactical Assault Group/East.
This unit is part of the Incident Response Regiment.
It is based at Holsworthy and has an anti-terrorist role for Eastern
Australia.
When the Minister for Defence, Senator Robert Hill formally announced
the formation of TAG/East in September, 2002, there were already
13 Navy divers on its staff.
Apart from their diving skills, the 13 were showing their weapons
prowess.
“Another contributing factor is that the clearance diving branch
was already under-staffed prior to September 11,” LCDR Hamilton
told Navy News.
“The recruiting tap has been opened.
“During 2002-4 the training output has been significant.
“Now the RAN Diving School training tempo is unprecedented.
“We are meeting the training throughput schedules.”
Not only are LCDR Hamilton and instructors preparing divers for
work with the permanent diving teams, AUSCDTONE at Waterhen in
Sydney and AUSCDTFOUR at Stirling, they are also training divers
for assignment to ships.
In addition they are providing instruction for the many Reserve
diving teams which are positioned in each of the major cities
of Australia.
Backing the Diving School are the Navy’s weapons and ordnance
instructors who have to bring the divers to a skills level where
they can operate with senior clearance diving teams and wear the
“Clearance Diver” shoulder patch.
Part of the instruction sees the trainees do a tactical dive.
The most recent tactical dive was done in the waters of Pittwater
in Sydney a few weeks ago.
