Qualifications Required
- Army Work Diver (equivalent to ADAS Part 2: SSBA to 30m)
Overview
Army Work Divers (AWD) carry out diving with surface supplied breathing apparatus and use hand, pneumatic, hydraulic, explosive powered tools, thermal arc cutting, welding equipment, underwater concreting, construction techniques to undertake work in support of the army operations.
Additionally an AWD is trained in search techniques and recovery. AWD must remain current diving status by diving for a minimum of 180 minutes during the every six months period, 60 minutes of which is to be at night or with zero visibility.
Tasks performed on the job
The role of the diver is to extend Army operations into the water. The functions provided by the diver can be grouped as follows:
Mobility. Divers have the ability to:
- reconnoiter wet gap crossings and bridges
- clear underwater obstacles and mines
- support wet gap crossing operations
- remove underwater battlefield hazards.
Counter mobility. Divers have the ability to:
- prepare and emplace underwater obstacles, including mines
- prepare and execute underwater demolitions
- enhance natural obstacles.
Sustainability. Divers have the ability to:
- conduct underwater damage assessment
- search for and recover equipment and other items from underwater
- maintain lines of communications
- support other engineering tasks
Survivability. Divers have the ability to:
- support emergency respondents in fighting fires in structures over water
- support emergency respondents in the conduct of personnel rescue from underwater, including flooded confined spaces
- support emergency respondents in the conduct of urban search and rescue tasks in and around water
- support emergency respondents in sealing underwater hazardous materials leaks.
Highlights and rewards
The ability to not only provide assistance to the battle group but also to assist the local community at home and around the world is certainly a highlight of the work. Activities can be very varied, for example, army divers have assisted the Brisbane community by removing car bodies from the Karawatha Dam, and during a time of need after the Tsunami hit Banda Ache, a Dive team assisted the local fisherman by recovering their sunken boats from the shipping channel to land.
Responsibilities and challenges
The Army Work Diver is essentially a Combat Engineer, therefore he would be on the salary dictated for his position, however when he conducts his Specialty of Diving he is paid a Diving allowance.
How to become an Army Work Diver
The course length for a Defence member to become an AWD is 48 days, and for a qualified diver to become a Supervisor is a further 53 days. Additionally a trained diver can attempt the Underwater Demolitions course. The durations for the diver and supervisor are 14 and 16 days. The course covers all the equipment listed in the above definition.
The candidates are taken through mentally and physically demanding routines, as they are assessed for their skills, knowledge, diving attributes and how they interact and bond with their team mates.
The course commences with classroom theory and land practical training. The candidates are first taught all the basic diving skills in clear water. They are then taken though attended diving, search schemes, navigating underwater, lift bag operation and hand tools. Once the divers are confident in the water they move onto pneumatic tools, hydraulic tools, air lifts, water lifts and dredges. They then go through to welding, thermal lance operation, and explosive power tools. Nearing completion they cover underwater concreting and construction of a structure.
ADAS Accredited Training Establishments providing Army Work Diving training:
Career pathways
Currently Diving within the Army is limited. There is an opportunity for a member to become an Instructor at the training school for military divers, additionally once qualified as an AWD the member is able to apply for a commercial ticket through ADAS.