The unit picture from the 7th Engineer Dive Detachment’s deployment from November 2006 through February 2008

Painting on the Sprung shelter at Kuwaiti Naval Base, Camp Patriot

1956-57: US Army Port Operations, Naha, Okinawa: Army diver, Fred Neylon (left) and fellow Japanese divers set up static display for visiting US dignitaries. The United States had a huge presence in the Port of Naha and the Army divers owned several watercraft (ex: a LCM, a diving barge (shown in photo), a small tug, and floating crane).

MK5 dressing-Kelly O’brian-Chris Bruneau-Karl Groninger

Honduras hurricane recovery. Divers are connecting 8 inch pumping hose to lower into the vessel and finish the dewatering of the vessel.

During the very early days of World War II, the Military recognized the need for specialized Engineer outfits that could repair damaged harbors so that large ships could dock and unload their much needed supplies. So in the spring of 1943 the U.S. Army Port Construction and Repair Groups were formed. Each group consisted of 255 enlisted men and 17 officers. Most of the men were already professionals in their line of work, but there was also a need for Salvage Divers and there was not many of these to be found. The Divers would have to be trained.

The first Army Divers were trained by the U.S. Navy at Pier 88, on the North River in New York City beside the berth where the former liner “Normandy” was laying on her side after burning and sinking. The school later moved to the New York Naval Shipyard in Bayonne, New Jersey.
The strenuous training took 14 weeks and consisted of underwater welding and burning, rigging, the use of pneumatic tools, and various other skills that would be invaluable to them in the months to come.

Upon graduation from the Navy School of Diving and Salvage as Navy certified Second Class Divers, these Army Divers were sent to Fort Screven, Ga. in 1943 where they established and operated the U.S. Army Engineers Diving and Salvage School under the command of A.L. Mercer, Capt. C.E.

The curriculum at this school was patterned after the Navy school but stressed underwater welding, burning, rigging, and added the underwater use of explosives for demolition.
There were 16 Divers assigned to each of the following units:

1051 Engineer Port Construction and Repair Group
1052 Engineer Port Construction and Repair Group
1053 Engineer Port Construction and Repair Group
1054 Engineer Port Construction and Repair Group
1055 Engineer Port Construction and Repair Group
1056 Engineer Port Construction and Repair Group
1057 Engineer Port Construction and Repair Group
1058 Engineer Port Construction and Repair Group
1059 Engineer Port Construction and Repair Group
1060 Engineer Port Construction and Repair Group
1061 Engineer Port Construction and Repair Group

Below is a list of pages that will soon be populated with as much information and photos as I can get moved over. Soon there each of these history pages will allow you to upload pictures, documents and add blog type writing.