Majority Statement

• Maria Cantwell

  Senator
  Read statement

  Majority Statement

  Maria Cantwell

  Thank you all for being here today, and thank you Senator Snowe, for holding this important hearing with me on the future of Coast Guard’s dive program.

   

  I’d like to welcome our witnesses:

  • Rear Admiral Higgins, Director of Health and Safety, U.S. Coast Guard;
  • Rear Admiral Wayne E. Justice, Assistant Commandant for Response, U.S. Coast Guard; and
  • Rear Admiral Tillotson, Deputy Director, Standing Joint Task Force Headquarters-North, U.S. Navy.

  Thank you for testifying before us today at this difficult but necessary hearing. 

  On August 17^th, 2006 Lieutenant Jessica Hill and Petty Officer Steven Duque (say “Doo-KAY”) lost their lives while conducting a training dive off the polar icebreaker HEALY. 

   

  My office has spoken with the families of Lieutenant Hill and Petty Officer Duque (say “Doo-KAY”).  We’ve shared with them our sadness over their losses and they’ve told us that they believe the deaths of these brave young people will not be in vain if they result in needed changes to the coast guard dive program in order to save future lives.

   

  Petty Officer Duque’s (say “Doo-KAY’s”) family would like you all to know that today is his birthday.  While this is not by design, his family feels this is fitting given his love for the Coast Guard and the fact that he would do anything to protect his fellow servicemen and women.

   

  Let us be clear: These tragic deaths were preventable.  

   

  While there is plenty of blame to go around, the honest truth is: the Coast Guard’s dive program was an accident waiting to happen.

   

  We owe it to the young divers who lost their lives, and to their families, to understand the causes behind this tragedy and make sure this never happens again.

   

  We owe it to them to make sure that there is real accountability and real change in the program.

   

  Culture that Disregards Diving Safety

   

  Diving is a risky activity. So I want to know why diving has been consistently neglected or ignored in the Coast Guard.

   

  That people were allowed to consume alcohol so close to a dive operation and even serve as line tenders tells me that the Coast Guard does not put safety first when it comes to diving.    

   

  In diving, safety must be the first consideration. I expect the Coast Guard to convince me TODAY that it will be in the future.

   

  Diving as a “Collateral Duty”

   

  In the Coast Guard, diving is not considered a full time job.  Instead, it is a “collateral duty” and relegated to secondary status.

   

  This tells me that the Coast Guard feels diving is not as important as other programs.  But this dangerous duty requires full-time professional attention. 

   

  If the Coast Guard feels it needs a dive team aboard polar icebreakers, it needs to be sure that those divers are prepared for the challenges they will face.  Diving, particularly in hazardous arctic conditions, is very risky.

   

  I don’t understand how we can expect our young men and women to perform their missions safely when they don’t have the time or resources to devote to training, practice, and maintenance of equipment. 

   

  “Collateral duty” simply won’t do in this case. 

   

  Programmatic Neglect of Dive Program

   

  It is clear from the Commandant’s January 10^th, 2007 final accident report that the Coast Guard’s dive program has suffered from a culture of neglect. 

  For example:

  • The required Diving Program Safety Surveys had never happened aboard the HEALY before this accident.
  • The Coast Guard hasn’t kept accurate records of its dive program, especially equipment and safety checks. Much of the equipment in the HEALY’s dive locker was not functional.
  • The dive program has tripled in size post 9-11, but the number of managers has remained the same. And no additional funding has been requested.Coast Guard divers have little incentive to get advanced training or accumulate experience – two of the biggest factors in safe diving.  In fact, the Coast Guard does not have a single “Master Diver” and only has one “first-class diver.”

  Training

   

  It is clear from the HEALY accident that the Coast Guard’s program to train divers and other key operational personnel must be improved.

   

  Coast Guard divers are initially trained in the rigorous Navy dive school.  But once they pass their initial training period, they have little chance to maintain or sharpen their skills, unlike Navy divers.

   

  For example, Coast Guard divers are not required to obtain specialized training for cold water conditions. Expecting a diver trained in the warm waters of Florida to dive professionally in 29-degree water for the first time on a mission is simply asking too much.

   

  It’s also apparent that the officers aboard the HEALY lacked sufficient knowledge of diving protocols which ensure safe operations.

   

  Conclusion

   

  The safety of the Coast Guard dive program will remain a priority of this Subcommittee.

   

  I understand that the Coast Guard plans to release their report on how they will implement the changes required by their initial review of the accident. 

   

  I want you all to know that we will be watching this closely.  While the Coast Guard has investigated this incident carefully and recommended improvements, this Subcommittee will continue to conduct oversight on this issue and offer legislation to improve the program if necessary.

   

  I sincerely hope this hearing will shed enough light on the Coast Guard dive program, so we can fix the mistakes of the past and protect the Coast Guard’s present and future divers.

   

  The families of Lieutenant Hill and Petty Officer Duque deserve no less.

   

  Thank you again for being here, Senator Snowe, your opening comments?

   

  ###

Minority Statement

• Olympia J. Snowe

  Senator
  Read statement

  Minority Statement

  Olympia J. Snowe

  Thank you, Senator Cantwell, for calling this hearing to explore the future of the Coast Guard’s dive program.  As Ranking Member on this subcommittee, I am personally vested in the operations of this noble service, and I am pleased to be here today as we review the policies currently being developed to increase oversight of this inherently dangerous specialty of the service.

  We are all aware of the tragic events that claimed the lives of two crew members of the Coast Guard ice-breaker Healy on August 17, 2006.  Before I continue with my statement, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the families of Lieutenant Jessica Hill and Petty Officer Steven Duque.  While it is inexcusable that such a tragedy had to occur to expose the cracks that have developed in the foundation of the Coast Guard’s dive program, in its aftermath, I pledge to do everything in my power to minimize the possibility of such an incident occurring again.

  I would also like to thank Admirals Justice and Higgins for being here today to share with us how the Coast Guard plans to revise its dive training–both for divers and for shipboard command cadres–to ensure that future missions are treated with the same level of caution and gravity as are the Coast Guard’s other high-risk missions such as aviation and rescue swimming.  I extend my thanks as well to Admiral Tilloston for being here today to discuss how similar operations are handled in the Navy.

  
  

  The Coast Guard has relied on divers to carry out elements of its missions since 1940, and until last August, had experienced only a single fatality, in 1974.  However, when the service was asked to take on additional homeland security responsibilities following the attacks of September 11th, 2001, its dive program grew from a total of five teams to seventeen.  There are clear risks inherent in expanding capability and building experience concurrently, which is what the Coast Guard was forced to do in this case.  Experience and oversight are complimentary, and as one dissipates, the other must increase.  Tragically, in the case of the Coast Guard diving specialty, this did not occur.  While the program expanded significantly, only one additional person was added in an oversight capacity.  Naturally, inspections and policy development fell behind mission execution.

  I have served on this subcommittee for over twelve years, and during that time, I have developed an understanding for the culture under which the Coast Guard operates.  When issued a new task, no matter the magnitude, the immediate reaction of service men and women at all levels is a rousing “can do.”  What more is to be expected of an organization whose motto is semper paratus–always ready–and whose main responsibility is to deploy into the teeth of nature’s most furious storms.   Your service’s reluctance to shrink from any task is what makes it so valuable to our Nation.  So I understand how the Coast Guard could increase its dive force by more than three hundred percent and choose to allocate nearly all of that personnel increase to the front lines of our national security rather than hold some assets in reserve to ensure the safety of the divers. 

  But just as we must protect our Nation’s shores, we must also protect those who serve.  The responsibility falls on a ship’s command cadre, the program managers, Coast Guard leadership, and ultimately, this Committee to ensure that the management and oversight is in place to keep an inexperienced but highly motivated young diver safe. 

  
  

  I know that the Coast Guard has already initiated this process.  It is working with the Navy, as it has done for decades, to develop stronger standards for diver qualifications and tighter enforcement of safety regulations.  It is developing a training module for all Operations Officers, Executive Officers, and Commanding Officers to familiarize them with these procedures and the inherent dangers affiliated with dive missions.  And perhaps most importantly, the Coast Guard is taking a long, hard look, not just at the dive program, but also at the way it approaches all its high-risk missions to ensure that similar failings do not lead to further tragedies.

  I look forward to the testimony of all three witnesses, and once again, I thank Chairwoman Cantwell for holding this hearing today.

Opening Remarks

• Rear Admiral Michael P. Tillotson

  Deputy Director

  Standing Joint Task Force Headquarters-North, U.S. Navy
  Read statement

  Opening Remarks

  Rear Admiral Michael P. Tillotson

  STATEMENT OF

  RDML MICHAEL P. TILLOTSON

  DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR STANDING JOINT FORCE HEADQUARTERS NORTH AMERICAN AEROSPACE DEFENSE COMMAND

  BEFORE THE

  SENATE COMMITTEE

  ON

  COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION

  28 MARCH 2007

   

  Thank you for inviting me to brief the committee on the procedures, programs, and processes the Navy has in place for the management and execution of our Diving Program.   I will also discuss the Navy’s initial Dive Training Pipeline.  As the next Deputy Commander, Naval Expeditionary Combat Command, among other responsibilities, I will be responsible for manning, training and equipping the Navy’s operational Diving force.  

   

  The Navy Dive Program is robust and mature.  All aspects of the program are continuously reviewed and changes made based on current and future operational requirements.  Technical rigor and safe diving practices are a hallmark of the Navy’s role within the Department of Defense as the lead service for diving policy, technology and training.  Establishing and maintaining Navy technical standards for diving serves as the foundation for personnel training and for the procurement and maintenance of diving systems.  Rigorous adherence to these technical standards and procedures is what leads to safe diving practices and ensures mission accomplishment.  The Navy updates those standards through biomedical research that leads to continuous modifications of Navy diving policy which is incorporated into the U.S. Navy Diving Manual and associated publications.  The Navy has institutionalized a diving systems certification program that ensures the systems used for Navy diving operations are maintained properly and are not a source of risk to personnel.    For portable and personal diving equipment, the Navy publishes a list of acceptable equipment “authorized for Navy use” that has been tested at the Navy Experimental Diving Unit to ensure dependable and safe operation. 

   

  The operational readiness of diving commands is monitored at the Fleet level by a formal assessment program called the Diving Operational Readiness Assessment (DORA) that has the advocacy of all levels of the chain of command.  These assessments are conducted periodically on all Navy Diving commands and ensure all commands comply with established policies and regulations in the areas of diving program administration, and operational readiness.  The diving assessments performed by Fleet Forces Command parallel the operational readiness assessments that are performed on afloat commands to ensure their readiness for deployment.  In addition to these command operational assessments, the Naval Safety Center provides periodic Diving Safety Survey (DSS) which assesses a diving command’s compliance with established naval safety programs including compliance with U.S. Navy Diving Manual safety provisions. Naval Safety Center assessment results are provided directly to the Commanding Officer of the diving command and serve as a non-punitive feedback mechanism for command self correction.

   

  The Navy recently modified its diving personnel structure with the implementation of a single enlisted Navy Diver rating.  The rating change was approved by the Chief of Naval Operations in October 2005.  The enlisted rating aligned 19 enlisted source ratings into one and streamlines all aspects of force structure and training into a career continuum.  This now allows the Diver to concentrate on his or her primary responsibilities as a Diver and focus all energies on learning and honing diving skill sets thereby allowing for a more dedicated, safe, and effective force. 

   

  Navy Divers are trained in all categories of diving, salvage, and underwater ships husbandry missions.  Navy Divers also conduct and support a variety of unique mission areas to include open ocean towing, command control and communications, fleet support operations, mobility, non-combat operations, anti-terrorism/force protection, submarine rescue and Naval Special Warfare and Explosive Ordnance Disposal support.  Navy Divers are also frequently tasked to participate in coalition support (Theater Engagement Strategy), Civil Disaster operations (post-Hurricane Katrina recovery), and Humanitarian Assistance (tsunami relief in Indonesia).   The Navy Diving force provides specially trained, combat ready, highly mobile Divers in support of Amphibious Task Forces, Special Forces, and contingency operations.  Contingency operations include emergent littoral, coastal, and blue water salvage, range/waterway clearance, aircraft recovery, Chief of Naval Operations priority projects, riverine operations, and other operations as directed by higher authority.  Navy Diving forces are trained to operate in high density, multi-threat environments. 

   

  The enlisted Navy Diving community has a well defined career path.  The Navy has an aggressive recruiting program for divers that is designed to draw in individuals with a high probability of success.  Potential accessions into our program are required to pass a rigorous screening process that includes a thorough dive medical evaluation, physical screening test and a higher than average score on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude (ASVAB) test.  Once accepted as a student, the enlisted Sailor begins training at the Center for Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Diving Detachment Great Lakes. This is a seven-week preparatory course that delivers knowledge, skills and abilities in fundamentals of diving, cardio pulmonary resuscitation, small arms qualifications, and basic shipboard engineering.  The course also stresses the physical preparation for dive training by focusing on aquatic adaptability, cardio vascular conditioning, and strength improvement.  Upon successful completion students are transferred to Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center, Panama City, Florida.   NDSTC, as we refer to it, delivers 17 different courses of instruction totaling 74 convenings per year.  Annual throughput averages 1450 students.  It trains all military Divers (with the exception of Army Special Forces and SEALs), foreign national students, and Department of Defense and other federal agency civilians.   While some of the training is similar regardless of service, for example Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus or SCUBA, each service is trained to its unique requirements.  However all procedures and policies at the school as well as at the operational commands are governed by the U. S. Navy Diving Manual.   

   

  The initial course in the Navy fleet diver training continuum is ‘Second Class Diver’. The 15-week Second Class Diver course trains students in all diving rigs used by the Navy, underwater cutting and welding, underwater pneumatic tools, salvage, basic demolitions, and more advanced diving medicine and physics.  The attrition in this initial training pipeline historically runs 30%.  (This course touches briefly on cold water diving operations in the class room only.  Practical cold and extreme cold water diving training and certifications occur at the operational command level.)  Upon completion, the Sailor is classified as a Navy Diver and sent to an operational unit.  During his or her first two operational tours, normally six years, the Navy Diver is expected to complete demanding personal qualifications standards and earn the Diving and Salvage Warfare Specialist designation.  Navy Divers are required to re-qualify Diving and Salvage Warfare Specialist at each subsequent command throughout their career, ensuring all team members are fully qualified in the specific mission area of the command.  Those who qualify and complete the prerequisites are sent to formal advanced First Class Diving training at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center.  This 13-week course stresses supervisory, mixed gas diving, and advance salvage skills.  A minimum of two operational tours and advanced qualifications follow and nominally take six more years.  At this stage in a Navy Diver’s career, and with the recommendation of the commanding officer, qualified Navy Divers who meet the demanding prerequisites have the opportunity to attain the Master Diver qualification through another rigorous formal school and performance evaluation at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center.  Few Navy Divers become Master Divers.  This course is arguably the hardest diving course the Navy offers and has a failure rate of 50%.  The Navy Master Diver qualification is the pinnacle qualification for the enlisted Navy Diver and represents the community’s senior enlisted leadership.  Master Divers are operators.  But more than that, they are intimately involved in every facet of the Navy Diving mission.  They manage, supervise, conduct long range deliberate planning, assess, inspect, train, and participate in the requirements generations process.   Becoming a Navy Master Diver takes an average of 14 years.

   

  The Underwater Construction Team, or UCT, Divers are another distinct Navy diving community.  The primary missions of the UCT is to provide inshore and deep ocean underwater construction and demolition capabilities to the Navy, Marine Corps, and other forces in joint military operations, provide battle-damage repair, inspection and engineering reconnaissance to ocean, waterfront, river and bridge facilities, provide hydrographic reconnaissance to support amphibious operations and subsequent combat support ashore, and provide ocean bottom surveys for site selection of underwater facilities.  These missions include conducting defensive operations as required by the deployment environment and operations in every extreme, from the desert to the Arctic Circle.  The secondary missions of a UCT are to conduct disaster recovery, humanitarian assistance and civic action operations.  Accessions into this community primarily come from the fleet Navy Mobile Construction Battalions.  Sailors/SEABEES who have completed at least one tour with the Naval Construction Force (SEABEEs) and have earned their SEABEE Combat Warfare (SCW) qualification become eligible for dive training.  Basic and advance Diver Training is delivered at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center.  Like other diving students, they are trained in the Diving Fundamentals (physics, physiology) and SCUBA.  Their training also includes unique SEABEE tools, tactics, techniques, and procedures with an emphasis on underwater construction and demolition procedures.  SEABEE Divers can expect repeat tours in one of two Underwater Construction Teams as well as higher headquarter and training commands.  SEABEE Divers return for  24 weeks of advanced training after completing personal qualification standards and are recommended by the commanding officers.  They are also afforded the opportunity to qualify as a UCT Master Underwater Construction Diver through the formal Navy Master Diver qualification process followed by Fleet Divers.

   

  The Navy delivers SCUBA only specific diving training to various customers at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center in Panama City, FL and Pearl Harbor, HI.  The majority of the students come from the Coast Guard and the Navy’s submarine force.  The Navy’s submarine force maintains an organic SCUBA capability in its submarines.  The SCUBA diving mission is a collateral duty for the submarine divers.  Their primary dive missions are:  security hull inspections; emergency voyage assessments; and minor repairs.

   

  As a result of overall manning of 76%, combined with the high risk nature of Navy Diving operations and the significant investment in training, the Navy Diving community offers significant monetary incentives for its Sailors.  New recruits who chose to be Navy Divers receive an enlistment bonus of $35,000 upon successful completion of the initial training.  Additionally, based on their qualification levels, Navy Divers receive diving pay up to $340 per month and demolition duty pay of $150 per month and special duty assignment pay up to $375 per month.  Selective reenlistment bonuses up to $45,000 are offered through 16 years of service if they chose to reenlist.    The enlisted Navy Diving program is very demanding and rewarding.  This coupled with monetary incentives results in a retention rate that exceeds the Navy’s overall averages.   Retention for the first term Navy Divers, years one through six, is 78%.  Second term, or years seven through twelve, retention is 88%.  After that 94% chose to remain until retirement eligible.

   

  On the officer side, Navy Diving officers come from two primary sources, direct commissioning and from within the enlisted ranks.  Direct commission officers who desire to become Navy Divers must successfully complete a screening process similar to that of the enlisted person.  The only difference being there is no requirement to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude test I discussed earlier.  Several officer communities have qualified Divers and follow their own career paths and qualifications.  Their training mirrors enlisted training.  Experienced enlisted Navy Divers also have the opportunity to apply for the Chief Warrant or Limited Duty Diving Officer programs. 

   

  In summary, the Navy Diving Program is robust, mature and operationally effective.  The Navy Diving Program follows a rigorous screening, training, and qualification regimen, with senior leadership support, which has led to exceptional operational readiness and an enduring safety record.

• Rear Admiral Paul Higgins M.D.

  Director of Health and Safety

  U.S. Coast Guard
  Read statement

  Opening Remarks

  Rear Admiral Paul Higgins M.D.

  DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

  U. S. COAST GUARD

  STATEMENT OF

  RDML WAYNE JUSTICE 

  AND

  RADM PAUL HIGGINS

  ON THE

  The Future of the Coast Guard Dive Program

  BEFORE THE

  SUBCOMMITTEE ON OCEANS, ATMOSPHERE, FISHERIES & COAST GUARD

  COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE & TRANSPORTATION

  U. S. SENATE

   

  MARCH 28, 2007

   

  Good morning Madam Chairwoman and distinguished members of the Committee.  This is a joint statement of Rear Admiral Wayne Justice, Assistant Commandant for Response, and Rear Admiral Paul Higgins, the Director of the Health and Safety Directorate, at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters.  We appear before you today to discuss the Coast Guard’s Diving Program, lessons learned from the accident onboard CGC HEALY, and the steps taken to prevent future diving accidents.

   

  OVERVIEW OF DIVING PROGRAM:

  The Coast Guard has conducted diving operations since the 1940s.  Early diving missions included Aids to Navigation (ATON) and Polar Icebreaker Support.  Recently, however, the events of September 11^th prompted a significant expansion of the CG Diving program.

   

  Prior to September 11^th, there were only 6 dive capable units (3 Pacific-based buoy tenders and 3 polar icebreakers).  After September 11^th, 13 Maritime Safety and Security Teams (MSST) were created, all with a dive capability, to conduct our security mission.  Presently, there are 17 units with a designated diving capability (12 MSSTs and 5 cutters).

   

  DIVING MISSIONS:

  The Coast Guard has three primary diving missions.  Port, Waterway, and Coastal Security; Aids to Navigation (ATON); and Polar Icebreaker and Science Support.

   

  Port, Waterways, and Coastal Security – Coast Guard port security divers conduct routine and threat-driven underwater operations that include sweeping of piers and vessel hulls to locate, identify, and mark hazardous underwater devices.  While public safety divers (those belonging to the police and fire departments) may be available for routine operations, it is likely that they will be unavailable to support underwater port security missions during a crisis.

   

  Aids to Navigation – The Coast Guard uses divers in the Pacific region of Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, Kwajalein, Midway Island, and Wake Island to service navigation aids that are in shallow water and beyond the reach of a cutter.  Divers are the only resource with special techniques and procedures capable of conducting these operations in environmentally sensitive areas, and dive teams can be can be flown to remote locations to provide a more rapid response time than can be provided by cutters.  .

   

  Polar Icebreaker and Science Support – Divers onboard the polar icebreakers provide damage control and repair capability in remote and harsh environments.  Additionally, they conduct dive operations for maintenance, calibration and inspections of hull and running gear.  This is particularly important to the Polar-class icebreakers due to the maintenance requirements of their complex variable pitch propulsion system.  All polar divers provide science support by collecting biological samples and installing/retrieving scientific equipment.

   

  DIVER TRAINING:

  All Coast Guard divers are collateral duty volunteers who are initially trained at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center (NDSTC) in Panama City, Florida and are graduates of either the 17-week Dive Officer course or 6-week SCUBA Diver course.  Interested members typically come from junior enlisted to junior officer ranks and must pass stringent medical and physical fitness standards.  Approximately 40 Coast Guard members graduate each year from the NDSTC to fill the Service’s 102 collateral duty diving positions.  Because of this relatively small number of positions, however, a typical diver has one diving duty assignment during his/her career. 

  
  

  Over the past 50 plus years of diving operations, the Coast Guard has had a nearly spotless record.  Prior the HEALY incident on August 17, 2006, the last Coast Guard death associated with dive operations was on April 17, 1974.  The diver, a member of the Atlantic Strike Team, died during an incident on the Great Lakes and the cause of death remains unknown.

   

  HEALY LESSONS LEARNED:

  The incident onboard HEALY highlighted failures at the Service, unit, and individual levels.  Mishaps typically involve a chain of errors that if not broken, result in an accident, and that was true in this case. 

   

  The investigation revealed a number of major systemic issues that reduced the margin available to guard against human error.  The Coast Guard dive program has expanded substantially over the past several years, yet there has not been commensurate growth in oversight and management of that program from a Service– or Headquarters perspective.  This is reflected in the fact that HEALY’s dive program had not been inspected for compliance with Coast Guard dive safety standards since the ship was placed in service in 1999.

   

  As a result of this tragedy, the Commandant has elevated management and oversight of the Coast Guard Dive Program to bring it on par with other high-risk, training-intensive Coast Guard operations.  We have increased our active oversight by conducting regular, comprehensive site visits to all operational Coast Guard dive units to ensure diving gear is being properly maintained, personnel qualifications are current and standard procedures are understood and exercised.  All 17 dive units have been inspected since the HEALY incident.  A comprehensive review of the entire diving program is underway to determine the best way to meet the Coast Guard’s requirements for diving services.  Additionally, the Coast Guard Dive Manual is being revised to include comprehensive policy on cold water diving and the use of Operational Risk Management for planning and conducting Coast Guard dive operations.

  Our personnel system needs the capability to track dive training and qualifications – and we need to improve our dive training program.  We will ensure those assigned to diving duty receive all the training necessary to safely complete their mission and will indoctrinate command cadre and supervisory personnel by adding a training module to the Commanding Officers’ indoctrination course specifically dedicated to diving operations.  These courses are being taught at our Command and Operations School at the Leadership and Development Center in New London, CT.

   

  ACTIONS TAKEN THUS FAR:

  In the wake of the HEALY incident, the Coast Guard has upgraded the Headquarters Diving Program Manager position from a Lieutenant to a Lieutenant Commander, and has established a senior enlisted assistant manager billet.  Additionally, dive program managers have been established at Coast Guard Area and District commands responsible for dive capable units to better track the readiness, qualification, and training status of these units.

   

  In addition, a senior level work group has been formed, including expert consultants from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, and Smithsonian Institute, to evaluate the requirements, management, and policy guidance of the Coast Guard’s Diving Program and recommend the way forward.  Its final report is expected by June 1, 2007.

   

  
  

  In an effort to further our understanding of how our international counterparts operate and train, a Coast Guard representative attended the International Polar Diving Workshop in Svalbard, Norway on March 15-22, 2007.  This workshop is an international, interdisciplinary assessment of polar diving operations, and served as an excellent baseline against which to measure Coast Guard polar diving policies and procedures.

   

  Immediately following the HEALY incident, a safety inspection was conducted onboard HEALY, and the cutter’s dive capabilities were suspended.  We also ensured all dive capable units had undergone a Dive Program Safety survey within the previous 12 months.  One unit was found to be deficient in its readiness and training and was directed to suspend dive operations.  Upon correcting all discrepancies, the unit successfully completed a follow-up inspection and was authorized to resume all diving operations.

   

  The Final Decision on the Commandant’s Vessel Safety Board’s report is nearly complete. 

   

  The normal time frame for completion of this type of accident investigation and report can be as much as a year or more.  For HEALY, this process was accelerated and the results are expected to be released in the next several weeks.

   

  CONCLUSION:

  The Coast Guard strives to minimize hazards through sound judgment, planning, and risk management.  Despite the professionalism, bravery, and dedication of our workforce, in rare cases we suffer serious injury or death in the line of duty.  As Coast Guard men and women we accept that risk, but we will not accept preventable loss or injury.  When it comes to dangerous operations such as diving, "good enough" is never good enough.  Across the Coast Guard, we will honor LT Hill and Petty Officer Duque through the actions we are taking at all levels to prevent such a tragedy in the future.

   

  This concludes our statement.  Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today.  We will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

   

• Rear Admiral Wayne Justice

  Assistant Commandant for Response

  United States Coast Guard
  Read statement

  Opening Remarks

  Rear Admiral Wayne Justice

  DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

  U. S. COAST GUARD

  STATEMENT OF

  RDML WAYNE JUSTICE 

  AND

  RADM PAUL HIGGINS

  ON THE

  The Future of the Coast Guard Dive Program

  BEFORE THE

  SUBCOMMITTEE ON OCEANS, ATMOSPHERE, FISHERIES & COAST GUARD

  COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE & TRANSPORTATION

  U. S. SENATE

   

  MARCH 28, 2007

   

  Good morning Madam Chairwoman and distinguished members of the Committee.  This is a joint statement of Rear Admiral Wayne Justice, Assistant Commandant for Response, and Rear Admiral Paul Higgins, the Director of the Health and Safety Directorate, at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters.  We appear before you today to discuss the Coast Guard’s Diving Program, lessons learned from the accident onboard CGC HEALY, and the steps taken to prevent future diving accidents.

   

  OVERVIEW OF DIVING PROGRAM:

  The Coast Guard has conducted diving operations since the 1940s.  Early diving missions included Aids to Navigation (ATON) and Polar Icebreaker Support.  Recently, however, the events of September 11^th prompted a significant expansion of the CG Diving program.

   

  Prior to September 11^th, there were only 6 dive capable units (3 Pacific-based buoy tenders and 3 polar icebreakers).  After September 11^th, 13 Maritime Safety and Security Teams (MSST) were created, all with a dive capability, to conduct our security mission.  Presently, there are 17 units with a designated diving capability (12 MSSTs and 5 cutters).

   

  DIVING MISSIONS:

  The Coast Guard has three primary diving missions.  Port, Waterway, and Coastal Security; Aids to Navigation (ATON); and Polar Icebreaker and Science Support.

   

  Port, Waterways, and Coastal Security – Coast Guard port security divers conduct routine and threat-driven underwater operations that include sweeping of piers and vessel hulls to locate, identify, and mark hazardous underwater devices.  While public safety divers (those belonging to the police and fire departments) may be available for routine operations, it is likely that they will be unavailable to support underwater port security missions during a crisis.

   

  Aids to Navigation – The Coast Guard uses divers in the Pacific region of Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, Kwajalein, Midway Island, and Wake Island to service navigation aids that are in shallow water and beyond the reach of a cutter.  Divers are the only resource with special techniques and procedures capable of conducting these operations in environmentally sensitive areas, and dive teams can be can be flown to remote locations to provide a more rapid response time than can be provided by cutters.  .

   

  Polar Icebreaker and Science Support – Divers onboard the polar icebreakers provide damage control and repair capability in remote and harsh environments.  Additionally, they conduct dive operations for maintenance, calibration and inspections of hull and running gear.  This is particularly important to the Polar-class icebreakers due to the maintenance requirements of their complex variable pitch propulsion system.  All polar divers provide science support by collecting biological samples and installing/retrieving scientific equipment.

   

  DIVER TRAINING:

  All Coast Guard divers are collateral duty volunteers who are initially trained at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center (NDSTC) in Panama City, Florida and are graduates of either the 17-week Dive Officer course or 6-week SCUBA Diver course.  Interested members typically come from junior enlisted to junior officer ranks and must pass stringent medical and physical fitness standards.  Approximately 40 Coast Guard members graduate each year from the NDSTC to fill the Service’s 102 collateral duty diving positions.  Because of this relatively small number of positions, however, a typical diver has one diving duty assignment during his/her career. 

  
  

  Over the past 50 plus years of diving operations, the Coast Guard has had a nearly spotless record.  Prior the HEALY incident on August 17, 2006, the last Coast Guard death associated with dive operations was on April 17, 1974.  The diver, a member of the Atlantic Strike Team, died during an incident on the Great Lakes and the cause of death remains unknown.

   

  HEALY LESSONS LEARNED:

  The incident onboard HEALY highlighted failures at the Service, unit, and individual levels.  Mishaps typically involve a chain of errors that if not broken, result in an accident, and that was true in this case. 

   

  The investigation revealed a number of major systemic issues that reduced the margin available to guard against human error.  The Coast Guard dive program has expanded substantially over the past several years, yet there has not been commensurate growth in oversight and management of that program from a Service– or Headquarters perspective.  This is reflected in the fact that HEALY’s dive program had not been inspected for compliance with Coast Guard dive safety standards since the ship was placed in service in 1999.

   

  As a result of this tragedy, the Commandant has elevated management and oversight of the Coast Guard Dive Program to bring it on par with other high-risk, training-intensive Coast Guard operations.  We have increased our active oversight by conducting regular, comprehensive site visits to all operational Coast Guard dive units to ensure diving gear is being properly maintained, personnel qualifications are current and standard procedures are understood and exercised.  All 17 dive units have been inspected since the HEALY incident.  A comprehensive review of the entire diving program is underway to determine the best way to meet the Coast Guard’s requirements for diving services.  Additionally, the Coast Guard Dive Manual is being revised to include comprehensive policy on cold water diving and the use of Operational Risk Management for planning and conducting Coast Guard dive operations.

  Our personnel system needs the capability to track dive training and qualifications – and we need to improve our dive training program.  We will ensure those assigned to diving duty receive all the training necessary to safely complete their mission and will indoctrinate command cadre and supervisory personnel by adding a training module to the Commanding Officers’ indoctrination course specifically dedicated to diving operations.  These courses are being taught at our Command and Operations School at the Leadership and Development Center in New London, CT.

   

  ACTIONS TAKEN THUS FAR:

  In the wake of the HEALY incident, the Coast Guard has upgraded the Headquarters Diving Program Manager position from a Lieutenant to a Lieutenant Commander, and has established a senior enlisted assistant manager billet.  Additionally, dive program managers have been established at Coast Guard Area and District commands responsible for dive capable units to better track the readiness, qualification, and training status of these units.

   

  In addition, a senior level work group has been formed, including expert consultants from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, and Smithsonian Institute, to evaluate the requirements, management, and policy guidance of the Coast Guard’s Diving Program and recommend the way forward.  Its final report is expected by June 1, 2007.

   

  
  

  In an effort to further our understanding of how our international counterparts operate and train, a Coast Guard representative attended the International Polar Diving Workshop in Svalbard, Norway on March 15-22, 2007.  This workshop is an international, interdisciplinary assessment of polar diving operations, and served as an excellent baseline against which to measure Coast Guard polar diving policies and procedures.

   

  Immediately following the HEALY incident, a safety inspection was conducted onboard HEALY, and the cutter’s dive capabilities were suspended.  We also ensured all dive capable units had undergone a Dive Program Safety survey within the previous 12 months.  One unit was found to be deficient in its readiness and training and was directed to suspend dive operations.  Upon correcting all discrepancies, the unit successfully completed a follow-up inspection and was authorized to resume all diving operations.

   

  The Final Decision on the Commandant’s Vessel Safety Board’s report is nearly complete. 

   

  The normal time frame for completion of this type of accident investigation and report can be as much as a year or more.  For HEALY, this process was accelerated and the results are expected to be released in the next several weeks.

   

  CONCLUSION:

  The Coast Guard strives to minimize hazards through sound judgment, planning, and risk management.  Despite the professionalism, bravery, and dedication of our workforce, in rare cases we suffer serious injury or death in the line of duty.  As Coast Guard men and women we accept that risk, but we will not accept preventable loss or injury.  When it comes to dangerous operations such as diving, "good enough" is never good enough.  Across the Coast Guard, we will honor LT Hill and Petty Officer Duque through the actions we are taking at all levels to prevent such a tragedy in the future.

   

  This concludes our statement.  Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today.  We will be happy to answer any questions you may have.