Lt(Navy) Michael Cormie, FDU(Pacific)

  • Fleet Diving Unit(Pacific) hosted a two-week sea training aboard YDT Sooke to help junior Naval Warfare Officers complete bridge watch hours.
  • The voyage offered hands-on ship-handling experience, teamwork with the Canadian Coast Guard, and exposure to naval operations.

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Fleet Diving Unit(Pacific) (FDU[P]) is dedicated to supporting the Canadian fleet, but from Sept 22 to Oct 3, the team took that mission to a new level.

Sailing aboard Yard Dive Tender (YDT) Sooke, members of FDU(P) provided junior Naval Warfare Officers (NWOs) currently working towards completing their 600 bridge watch hours with hands-on experience with atypical fleet platforms. While on watch, the junior NWOs strengthened their bridge watchkeeping abilities, gaining confidence as professional mariners at sea.

First built in 1990 to support range operations in Nanoose, Sooke was modified in the late 1990s to better support diving missions. Typically used by clearance divers, the Canadian Armed Forces’ (CAF) experts in route clearing and mine countermeasures, Sooke usually carries a crew of 12. For this sail, capacity increased to 18 with aid from FDU(P)’s engineering department and Fleet Maintenance Facility (FMF) Cape Breton members. To achieve this, a repurposed sea container, or an ‘accommodation pod,’ was installed on the deck space normally utilized for the Containerized Diving System recompression chamber. Six newly promoted SubLieutenants (SLts) joined Sooke for the two-week sail, developing navigation, seamanship, and ship-handling skills. This included a rare chance for the SLts to manually steer the vessel during both departures and drills.

“This was a great event, with fantastic training quality. It allowed us to build skills and work towards our NWO 600 hours,” said SLt Conal Evans, originally from Vernon, British Columbia (B.C.). “It was an excellent opportunity to consolidate the skills I’ve learned and to develop myself as a bridge watchkeeper.”

The sail also provided an opportunity to work with the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG), recently welcomed into the Department of National Defence (DND). As such, CCG member Tory Martin joined the Sooke crew for a day.

“This was also a small way to break the ice with our new DND colleagues,” said Lieutenant Commander (LCdr) Erik Poirier, Commanding Officer (CO) of FDU(P). “FDU(P) has capabilities that could be of use to the Coast Guard, particularly in the Arctic, and they have capabilities and platforms that could help FDU(P) and the RCN for domestic operations.”

The voyage was also supported by members of the Naval Experience Program (NEP) and fleet augmentees who filled important roles on deck, in the engineering department, and in the galley. These sailors took part in ship-handling exercises and learned basic naval skills across different trades as they continue to explore future career paths within the navy.

“A secondary benefit to us at FDU(P) is that we got to sell Clearance Diving as an exciting career path to prospective officers and sailors,” said LCdr Poirier. “We have particularly stepped up our efforts to find fit, motivated intelligent officers, now from any occupation in the CAF.” As mentioned by LCdr Poirier, The Clearance Diver Officer occupation is now open to officers from any trade.

To learn more about becoming a Clearance Diver or Clearance Diving Officer, see CANFORGEN 152/25, visit the FDU(P) SharePoint site at collaborationnavy.forces.mil.ca/sites/FDUpacific, or contact your Base Personnel Selection Officer.