Special Forces
Underwater Operations
2001 BY JOE COCOZZA
The US Army’s combat divers are trained at the Special Forces
Underwater Operation School, located in Key West Florida. Heading
up this intense training program is Sergeant Major William
Barcher.
The school’s main mission is to train Green Berets and the
occasional Ranger in waterborne infiltration. In addition to a
grueling schedule of PT (Physical training) students are immersed
in the skills of: small boat handling, surface swimming, navigation
and special reconnaissance. The diving part of the training
consists of the use of both open circuit scuba and closed circuit
oxygen rebreathers. Students are also given an orientation in
submarine lockout procedures.
The US Army’s Special Forces are the highly skilled, and
superbly trained experts in unconventional warfare. A fighter of
uncommon physical and mental caliber, the Green Beret is a soldier
ready to serve anywhere at any time.
Among the many specialized teams in Special Forces, there are 18
teams whose mission statement requires them to conduct sub-surface
waterborne infiltration's.
The Special Forces believe in a low tek and stealthy method of
attack. In a fairly “typical” sub-surface waterborne
infiltration, the team and its gear would be parachuted 35 miles
off a hostile coastline. Once in the water, the team members would
swim to a small Zodiac boat, rig the motor, stow the dive gear and
proceed slowly to shore. The Special Forces Combat Divers believe
in the adage “ The faster you move- the faster you are
compromised.” When the team would get within a few miles from
shore, they would cache the boat, swim in below the surface using
Drager LAR 5 rebreathers. This type of infiltration is almost
impossible to detect.
As Sergeant Major Barcher said “The mission is as simple as I
just described except you know how things can go on the ocean. And
that is why it requires a lot of training and rehearsal of the very
simple skills that it takes to do the job.”