FORT BELVOIR, Va. -- Thursday afternoons, as the majority of the work force on Fort Belvoir is getting ready to head home, Army Management Staff College professor Addelier Guy heads to the pool, where he takes off his tie and puts on scuba gear.
Guy is an instructor for Soldiers Undertaking Disabled Scuba program. He is also an Advanced Course professor and has been teaching at AMSC for the past five years. AMSC gives Guy admin leave every Thursday to scuba certify and instruct Wounded Warriors.
SUDS is a non-profit organization that trains and certifies Wounded Warriors in scuba diving. The goal of SUDS is to give veterans confidence.
Aca,!A"Our clients are veterans who are receiving some form of physical rehabilitation. The majority are amputees,Aca,!A? Guy said.
Aca,!A"These are some tough kids,Aca,!A? Guy said. Aca,!A"They are 19, 20, 21, and they have their whole lives still ahead of them. They have experienced a significant emotional experience on their particular day.
Aca,!A"We want them to know and have the confidence they are still a whole person, they have incredible skills and abilities. The water helps give them a sense of normality,Aca,!A? he said.
Guy first heard about SUDS when Army Times posted the organization was looking for new instructors. Aca,!A"The program was about a year old and I asked if I could volunteer my time,Aca,!A? Guy said.
Guy said he volunteered so he could give back.
Guy is a retired Major. Aca,!A"During my 21-year career, I was a part of rapid deployment Special Operations, Special Forces, and I have 15 years jump status with the 82nd Airborne,Aca,!A? Guy said. Aca,!A"I was usually at the tip of the spear, and I was able to walk away from it all. I see people in the prime of their lives who are not as fortunate. I am giving back to them.Aca,!A?
For Guy, diving started in 1991 as a father-son graduation project.
Aca,!A"I was stationed at Fort Shafter at the time. I became instructor qualified and then qualified in 2008 to officially teach divers with disabilities,Aca,!A? Guy said.
Being a scuba instructor for Wounded Warriors has many rewards as well as challenges he said.
Aca,!A"Watching these veterans overcome any shortfalls is amazing,Aca,!A? Guys said. Aca,!A"IAca,!a,,cve got folks in the pool that are shaking when putting on the buoyancy compensator.Aca,!A?
A diving buoyancy compensator looks like a vest and is capable of regulating a diver and achieving rapid flotation of the diver in case of emergency.
Aca,!A"Some of the veterans have no muscle mass left,Aca,!A? said Guy. Aca,!A"They complete things with pure will. Some of the Wounded Warriors have one leg and one arm missing, some have both legs missing. They have sheer determination to complete what they have to do. The hard part as an instructor is not to help them. I just tell them Aca,!Eoeyou have to do this.Aca,!a,,c As an instructor, youAca,!a,,cre in overwatch mode.Aca,!A?
To become certified, Wounded Warriors must be able to meet basic dive requirements and demonstrate their skills.
Aca,!A"They go through about three or four pool sessions followed by a week-long open-water dive. There is an instructional text book session as well.Aca,!A? Guy said. Aca,!A"We are in the water once a week no matter what.Aca,!A?
Upon completion of the training Soldiers have six months to complete four open water dives for their scuba certification. Aca,!A"SUDS runs a number of trips throughout the year so the soldiers have the opportunity to complete their certification with us,Aca,!A? Guy said.
Aca,!A"About once a quarter we will head out to do an open-water dive. We have been to the Virgin Islands, Key West, Guantanamo, Key Largo, Puerto Rico, Fort Lauderdale and St. John,Aca,!A? he said.
Open water dives are 15 to 45 minutes. The dives are no deeper than 60 feet, but usually range between 25 to 40 feet. Aca,!A"The dives occur in warm water because, most of the time, the veterans are not completely healed,Aca,!A? Guy said.
To assist Wounded Warriors, SUDS has prosthetic swim legs, weight-integrated buoyancy compensators and webbed gloves. All of the equipment is donated so the training, equipment, and certification is free to the Wounded Warrior.
Bruce Gannaway was injured in December 2007 by an improvised explosive device while serving in Iraq as a company commander in the 3rd Infantry Division.
His injuries included a laceration to his left foot and multiple broken bones in his left arm and hand that required the amputation of his left middle finger and a below-the-knee amputation.
Gannaway wrote, Aca,!A"The great thing about being under water is many of the physical issues are reduced. The fact I wear a prosthetic leg is not a hindrance, once IAca,!a,,cm under the water. I became a certified scuba diver in May 2008. I participated in a SUDS dive trip that took eight Wounded Warriors to Key Largo, Florida. We spent a week diving the reefs and wrecks in the local area and formed some close bonds with each other, the SUDS staff, and the dive shop with whom we were working. Several Wounded Warriors on that trip have returned independently to Key Largo and continued to dive with the same dive shop.Aca,!A?
Aca,!A"ItAca,!a,,cs the most rewarding project I have ever been involved in,Aca,!A? John Thompson, SUDS President said. Thompson calls water the great equalizer.
Aca,!A"Many things are just easier to do in the water with these type of injuries. ItAca,!a,,cs part rehabilitation, part confidence building, part adventure for these Wounded Warriors. IAca,!a,,cm really inspired by the injured veterans at Walter Reed,Aca,!A? Thompson said.
More than 100 Wounded Warriors have gone through the program.
Aca,!A"WhatAca,!a,,cs unique is, at this stage of their life they are Soldiers. They know they are Soldiers. They are proud to be Soldiers. Most of them try to return to their units. They understand the mission as keeper of the gate. As a gatekeeper, they just had a really bad day.Aca,!A?
Currently, Wounded Warriors are trained by volunteers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center headed up by Larry Hammonds, Addeliar Guy and Lt. Col. Mark Berglund. National Naval Medical Center Bethesda is run by Kevin Davenport, Jane Spencer and Titus Mott.
The SUDS Diving program is run by President John Thompson & Training Director Larry Hammonds. They hold dive instructor ratings and have close to 40 years teaching experience combined.
More information on SUDS is available from www.sudsdiving.org.
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