WEBVTT 00:01.779 --> 00:04.139 On a warm late September day , the US 00:04.150 --> 00:06.372 Army Corps of Engineers dive team suits 00:06.372 --> 00:09.970 up and descends into the murky 00:09.979 --> 00:12.035 waters of the Upper Chesapeake Bay . 00:13.010 --> 00:16.979 Today's mission , inspect a pier for 00:16.989 --> 00:19.760 Aberdeen proving grounds . You feel uh 00:19.770 --> 00:21.937 today we are completing the underwater 00:21.940 --> 00:24.079 portion of the inspection of those 00:24.090 --> 00:26.459 piles to check the condition . Uh and 00:26.469 --> 00:28.899 we'll conduct a , a 100% level one 00:28.909 --> 00:31.076 inspection which is more or less a fly 00:31.076 --> 00:33.720 by and just uh a swim by the entire 00:33.860 --> 00:35.971 underwater structure . And then we'll 00:35.971 --> 00:38.360 uh conduct at least 10% level two which 00:38.369 --> 00:40.750 is clearing off the marine growth and 00:40.759 --> 00:43.650 actually seeing the , the soundness and 00:43.659 --> 00:46.090 the structural uh capacity and 00:46.099 --> 00:48.155 stability of the , the wooden timber 00:48.155 --> 00:50.266 piles that are here . Even before the 00:50.266 --> 00:52.266 first diver suits up and enters the 00:52.266 --> 00:54.321 water . The team meets and goes over 00:54.321 --> 00:56.488 the plan and safety procedures for the 00:56.488 --> 00:58.488 mission . You can go down , you got 00:58.488 --> 01:00.655 plenty of room to go down there and do 01:00.655 --> 01:02.766 your service checks . Safety is the , 01:02.766 --> 01:02.514 is the number one thing that we're 01:02.525 --> 01:04.636 concerned with . We want everybody to 01:04.636 --> 01:06.858 go home at the end of the day just like 01:06.858 --> 01:08.969 they showed up on the site that day , 01:08.969 --> 01:08.794 especially since most of the work this 01:08.805 --> 01:11.165 crew does is in near zero visibility . 01:13.470 --> 01:16.680 95% of what we dive in our in the core 01:16.690 --> 01:19.589 dive program is dark water diving as we 01:19.599 --> 01:21.690 call it . You can't see your hand in 01:21.699 --> 01:23.810 front of your face in most cases just 01:23.810 --> 01:26.489 because of the murky conditions . Uh So 01:26.510 --> 01:29.169 uh you're very tactile and you move 01:29.180 --> 01:31.402 very slow and methodical on what you're 01:31.402 --> 01:33.470 doing down there to make sure that 01:33.480 --> 01:35.424 you're capturing anything but that 01:35.424 --> 01:37.480 you're doing it safely . The work is 01:37.480 --> 01:39.647 critical to making sure infrastructure 01:39.647 --> 01:41.869 is safe and functional and it gives the 01:41.869 --> 01:44.091 agencies responsible for the structures 01:44.091 --> 01:46.091 and understanding on the conditions 01:46.091 --> 01:48.313 they are in and when they might need to 01:48.313 --> 01:50.424 have maintenance completed , once the 01:50.424 --> 01:52.536 report was ready , it goes to reviews 01:52.536 --> 01:56.139 it and they send it up to ICOM for uh 01:56.870 --> 01:59.250 being put on a priority list for 01:59.260 --> 02:01.589 budgeting to get repairs made and keep 02:01.599 --> 02:04.610 the structure up to up to par the 02:04.620 --> 02:07.750 support that they provide worldwide to , 02:07.760 --> 02:09.871 to inspect our structures , to ensure 02:09.871 --> 02:12.093 that we're operationally ready to fight 02:12.093 --> 02:14.260 and win our nation's war is absolutely 02:14.260 --> 02:16.427 incredible . Each one of these members 02:16.427 --> 02:18.649 of the U A dive team are volunteers and 02:18.649 --> 02:20.760 they come from all over the country . 02:20.760 --> 02:22.927 Our ancillary duties to their everyday 02:22.927 --> 02:25.149 functions within the US , army Corps of 02:25.149 --> 02:27.371 Engineers and for many of the members , 02:27.371 --> 02:26.729 it's a chance to give back to the 02:26.740 --> 02:28.962 nation . Been diving recreationally for 02:28.962 --> 02:31.910 over three decades . Um So what great 02:31.919 --> 02:34.030 opportunity to do it for work as well 02:34.030 --> 02:36.030 and support the war fighter and the 02:36.030 --> 02:38.086 great mission that we do as the Army 02:38.086 --> 02:39.919 Corps from Aberdeen , Maryland , 02:39.919 --> 02:42.086 Patrick Bloodgood , us , Army Corps of 02:42.086 --> 02:42.350 Engineers .