# SF Scuba Teams



## riptide (Sep 21, 2008)

If any of you guys have some knowledge on SF Scuba Teams it would be much appreciated to have these three questions answered:

How important are SF scuba teams within the Army Special Forces? How much of a contribution do they make towards SF operations? Finally, in order to be assigned to an SF scuba team is the only requirement going to the Army Combat Divers School(assuming one is already in SF).


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## Trip_Wire (Sep 21, 2008)

riptide said:


> If any of you guys have some knowledge on SF Scuba Teams it would be much appreciated to have these three questions answered:
> 
> How important are SF scuba teams within the Army Special Forces? How much of a contribution do they make towards SF operations? Finally, in order to be assigned to an SF scuba team is the only requirement going to the Army Combat Divers School?



I'll say this about that. If your primary interest is SCUBA diving, in a Spec. Ops. unit I'd tell you to go for the following in the order presented:

1.) SEALS

2.) Navy EOD

3.) Marine Force Recon

4.) Air Force PJ or CCT

5.) Special Forces SCUBA ODA

If you would like to do Deep Sea diving try the Navy program. The Army also has a 'hard hat' diving program for engineer soldiers. The School is at the Navy base at Panama City Beach, FL.

You wouldn't do much SCUBA Diving in SF, IMO. :2c:


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## riptide (Sep 21, 2008)

thanks for the input trip


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## JustAnotherJ (Sep 22, 2008)

I've got to agree with Trip.  I was collocated with EOD once and they were diving damn near every day...granted it was into some, quite literally, shitty water.


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## al2004 (Sep 22, 2008)

This should have an article on the CDQC down in Key West if you're interested in some reading on the SF Combat Diver school. 

http://www.soc.mil/swcs/swmag/Archives/05_Nov.pdf


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## riptide (Sep 22, 2008)

Cool article, very ineteresting thanks a lot al2004.


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## Trip_Wire (Sep 22, 2008)

All though it is a little dated this may give you some idea of the course at Key West.

http://members.tripod.com/thede/scuba.html


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## Farang (Sep 23, 2008)

If you wanna SCUBA dive try Hawaii,Borneo, South China Sea etc.. If you wanna become a Combat Diver join the Marines and maybe if your lucky and make it thru Recon Indoc and ARC/ARS and get to reconaissance Bn. or Company you can go to MCCDQC at Panama City.


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## 8'Duece (Sep 23, 2008)

I believe the question was more towards "is special forces underwater operations/CDQC/SCUBA a viable skill set in today's assymetrical warfare"

Any discussion in depth should not be on an open internet forum. 

Just my .02


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## surgicalcric (Sep 23, 2008)

82ndtrooper said:


> I believe the question was more towards "is special forces underwater operations/CDQC/SCUBA a viable skill set in today's assymetrical warfare"



I didnt read AW anywhere in the original post. 

There is little more thats a secret about scuba teams than there is MFF, Ruck, Mountain, or Mobility teams.  Its a means of insertion into the OBJ, little more.  ;)

That being said, in answer to your questions Riptide:

1.) Scuba teams comprise 1/6th of the ODA's in an SF Company.  They are fairly important when needed as a means of insertion to an objective or other UWO.

2.)  The scuba teams are just another ODA until their UWO skills are needed.

3.)  A person doesnt need to be CDQC qualified when assigned to a scuba team however if one wants to stay on a scuba team he will be required to attend and graduate from CDQC.  And its a requirement to be SF qualified to be on an ODA, no assumption necessary.

All that being said, I am on a scuba team and I will tell you the chances of doing anything super high speed on a SFUW ODA is highly unlikely, unless you consider requal dives in the Caymen Islands or Antigua as high speed.  If diving is what you are after I would look at the units listed above for the reasons previously noted.  

SF is more than just its mean of insertion, its a mindset.  

Crip


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## 8'Duece (Sep 23, 2008)

So when's your slot to SFUO ? ;)

You don't to really need to tell me that, but good luck and God Speed when you do go or if you've already been, good job !!!


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## surgicalcric (Sep 23, 2008)

After Ranger School...  Probably mid '09.

Crip


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## Trip_Wire (Sep 23, 2008)

surgicalcric said:


> I didnt read AW anywhere in the original post.
> 
> There is little more thats a secret about scuba teams than there is MFF, Ruck, Mountain, or Mobility teams.  Its a means of insertion into the OBJ, little more.  ;)
> 
> ...




Well stated surgicalcric and VERY good advice for a newbie! :2c:


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## riptide (Sep 23, 2008)

Thank you for addressing my questions guys you have been very helpful.


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## tjwest (Sep 24, 2008)

Trip_Wire said:


> I'll say this about that. If your primary interest is SCUBA diving, in a Spec. Ops. unit I'd tell you to go for the following in the order presented:
> 
> 1.) SEALS
> 
> ...




I spent my last 9 months or so at 3/75 as the Battalion Schools NCO.  It always drove me nuts that we had SCUBA slots allocated to us but I was never allowed to send anyone.  I think it's a totally under-utilized school and skill-set.  Usually, the guys that got to go were allowed to do so as a reward for doing something that caught the BCO's attention, or because it was promised to them as a condition of re-enlistment.  Things might be different now that there are recon elements organic to each of the Battalions, but if that's the case I haven't heard about it yet.

That being said, I agree with Trip above that outside of certain units, there isn't a whole lot of call for it.  During our rotations through the sand-box (where there is little water to begin with) I recall only once where we were tasked with a "water" mission, and even that didn't require SCUBA qualified rangers.  We were being sent out to roll up some HVT just outside of Bagdad that lived in a house along the river.  Higher was afraid the he might try to flee by boat, so they wanted us on the water to block the egress route.  In the end, the blocking part of the mission was passed off to 4th ID because they had boats in theater and our Zodiacs were all back in Benning.


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## carlos (Sep 24, 2008)

Trip_Wire said:


> I'll say this about that. If your primary interest is SCUBA diving, in a Spec. Ops. unit I'd tell you to go for the following in the order presented:
> 
> 1.) SEALS
> 
> ...


Great answer, but what if my primary interest is MFF in a special operations unit?
:)


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## shortbrownguy (Sep 24, 2008)

carlos said:


> Great answer, but what if my primary interest is MFF in a special operations unit?
> :)



MFF is an infil method. Re-read the previous posts and insert "MFF" where you see "Scuba".


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## Ajax (Sep 24, 2008)

Not a whole lot of diving going on in the GWOT.  Simple enough answer?

Cool merit badge though, and a nice bump on the paycheck.


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## riptide (Sep 24, 2008)

I figured there werent too many combat dive ops goin on in Iraq or Afghanistan  hmmmm......fall into the Euphrates with gear on and sink to the bottom? Combat Dive? lol


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## Trip_Wire (Sep 24, 2008)

Ajax said:


> Not a whole lot of diving going on in the GWOT.  Simple enough answer?
> 
> Cool merit badge though, and a nice bump on the paycheck.



I'm sure that that Special Forces teams are not doing much if any diving; however, it seems to me that the Brit navy was busy with some UW mine clearance in Iraq and Gulf AO.

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/ASIN-7EWLMH?OpenDocument


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## car (Sep 25, 2008)

I had to call in an Army dive team to help us recover the black box from one of our UAVs that crashed in one of the ponds on Camp Victory.....:doh:


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## rv808 (Sep 25, 2008)

car said:


> I had to call in an Army dive team to help us recover the black box from one of our UAVs that crashed in one of the ponds on Camp Victory.....:doh:



They actully let people in those things????  :eek:


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## Trip_Wire (Sep 25, 2008)

car said:


> I had to call in an Army dive team to help us recover the black box from one of our UAVs that crashed in one of the ponds on Camp Victory.....:doh:



Were they from an Engineer unit? If so, they were graduates of the Army 'Hard Hat' dive school at Panama City Beach, FL. I visited that school awhile back and had the 'grand' tour. I was impressed.


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## car (Sep 25, 2008)

I think they were. They were based down in Basra at the time.


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