Clearence Divers...

[Cole]

I saw a TV show on Navy Clearence divers. Are they a special ops team similar to the SEALs, if not, is this cabibility covered by JTF-2?

[pete]

cole,

Dont quote me on this, but i believe that clearance divers just specialize in clearing of mines and what not. I dont think they are a commando unit. Canada does have combat divers in the Navy, i dont know if they are similar to the SEALs or not. I also know that a lot of clearance divers try out for JTF. I dont know if they JTF does that stuff, any body know if JTF does combat diving and stuff along those lines?

[pete]

cole,

Dont quote me on this, but i believe that clearance divers just specialize in clearing of mines and what not. I dont think they are a commando unit. Canada does have combat divers in the Navy, i dont know if they are similar to the SEALs or not. I also know that a lot of clearance divers try out for JTF. I dont know if they JTF does that stuff, any body know if JTF does combat diving and stuff along those lines?

[TonyM]

The only combat divers I've heard of in the CF are the engineers based at Esquimalt. They do get to train with SEALS, etc, but there're part of Land Force Command not the Navy.

[Enfield]

I would consider Clearance Divers an elite unit, though they are different than the SEALs. Candidates from the Navy undergo a a very hard selection program, and then go through a long and tough training cycle that turns them into the best divers in Canada.

They do train with SEALs, and naval divers from other country's,and they're actually pretty busy. They dive pretty much daily, I think, and are always being called out for various duties. They just do pure diving, no "naval special warfare" stuff here, except maybe beach recce's, but the engineer divers do that too, as far as I know. They dispose of ordnance underwater, defuse mines, look for mines, look for things (they were pulling pieces out of SwissAir 111), and a little while ago a few got arrested for taking lobster without a lisence...

The engineers, I think, do stuff like beach recce's, checking out rivers (they work inland a lot) and they would be carrying their rifles with them.

A lot of Clearance Divers do try out for JTF, and a good number make it, from the rumours and stories I've heard.

JTF does dive - some recruiting materials my unit has shows JTF guys in wet suits, and that article in in Maple Lead last year showed JTF divers coming ashore. I was surprised at how much JTf recruiting stuff there up in Admin Land (The Orderly Room), pamphlets and posters...

Enfield

[This message has been edited by Enfield (edited 04-20-2000).]