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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 17th, 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 10th, 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? ###
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