SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii – The 569th Engineer Dive Detachment holds a flag uncasing ceremony to celebrate their reorganization from the 92nd Engineer Battalion, 20th Engineer Brigade to the 84th Engineer Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, Oct. 27, 2023.
“Our inbound battalion, 84th Engineer Battalion, has a motto of ‘Never Daunted.’ The motto is symbolic of a gritty and relentless attitude, a spirit of initiative and perseverance regardless of situational circumstances and obstacles. The Megalodons already embody this fighting spirit well. Over time, we hope to continue to prove faithful to the 84th Engineer Battalion,” said Capt. Danielle Nuszkowski, 569th Engineer Dive Detachment, commander.
According to Lt. Col. Michael Kendall, 84th Engineer Battalion commander, leaders from the 130th Engineer Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, and U.S. Army Pacific have fought hard for additional dive capabilities following the last two decades of wars in the Middle East. Last year, after making their case, headquarters of the Army ultimately decided to re-station the 569th Dive Detachment to Hawaii.
“Within the Indo-Pacific area of operations, we have over half of the world’s water and over half of the world’s populations,” said Kendall. “Yet, we only had one fifth of the Army’s dive detachments assigned to this theater.”
The history of divers in the Army dates back to 1898, but it was not until World War 2 that official Army dive companies were organized. In 1987 three dive sections in Germany combined to make two detachments, one of those being the 569th Dive Detachments.
By 1992, 569th transferred to Fort Eustis, Virginia where they executed missions all around the globe under the 92nd Engineer Battalion at Fort Stewart, Georgia and the 20th Engineer Brigade at Fort Liberty, N.C.
The 569th Dive Detachment made five deployments to the U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Spartan Shield. The three decade run at Fort Eustis came to a close when the team received orders to relocate to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.
“We handled this re-stationing like divers. We stayed calm under pressure. It is no small feat to uproot your lives and relocate thousands of miles away from your homes and loved ones. The sacrifices you and your families have made to rebuild the Megalodon shiver here in Hawaii are not to be underestimated,” said Nuszkowski.
Over the next quarter, the detachment will help get all maintenance, supply, and personnel systems to support the new organization. Plans are being put into action to send the 569th Dive Detachment to Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, and several other countries by next spring.
“They will be ready to respond to crises and critical support missions. And that is just the beginning,” said Kendall.
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