Army Student Information

Alpha Company, 169^th Engineer Battalion is the training unit assigned to the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center (NDTSC) in Panama City, Florida. Alpha Company is responsible for conducting four courses of instruction: Basic Engineer Diver (BED), Joint Diving Officer (JDO), Advanced Leaders Course (ALC), and the Senior Leader Course (SLC). In addition to these courses Alpha Company hosts the Army’s Master Diver Evaluations at the NDSTC. These courses’ program of instruction range from teaching entry level diving skills to training soldiers to be subject matter experts on military diving operations. Skills learned in these courses include underwater construction, searching operations, underwater demolition, diving medicine, diving physics, and supervisory skills. Upon graduation from their respective course, Army Divers leave Alpha Company with the knowledge and expertise to accomplish their mission in the operational force.
     

The Dive Officer Selection process is conducted twice a year – one event in the Spring and one event in the Fall. Between the two selections up to six officer candidates will be selected to undergo six months of dive training. Upon graduation of the Joint Diving Officer course at the Naval and Diving Salvage Training Center (NDSTC), officer candidates will be awarded the 5V ASI and serve as an Executive Officer and/or Commander of a dive detachment. Potential follow-on duty stations are located at Hickam AFB in Hawaii, Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia, and the NDSTC in Panama City, Florida.
  To be eligible for selection, an officer candidate must:

• Complete the Engineer Basic Officer Leader Course
• Be on Active Duty
• Not Flagged
• Have more than 18 months until promotion to Captain at the time of selection
• No Profiles
• Complete and be selected from a Dive Officer Selection

  The selection event is a multi-day event that will begin on a Friday afternoon with packet submission and a Diver Physical Fitness Test (DPFT). The selection will continue the following morning on a Saturday with an in-water physical assessment and end with a selection board that will review candidate packets and conduct interviews.  
Diver Physical Fitness Test (DPFT)
The DPFT consists of a 500-yard swim, 2 minutes max push-ups, 2 minutes max curl-ups, max pull-ups, and a 1.5 mile run. The scoring is shown below with historical competitive scores highlighted. The minimum passing score for each event is 12:30 swim, 50 push-ups, 50 sit-ups, 6 pull-ups, and 12:30 run.
    Each candidate’s packet will be submitted at the beginning of the selection event on Thursday. The packet will consist of the following items:

• Soldier Talent Profile
• Resume – Civilian Style and/or AIM 2.0 Officer Record Brief (ORB)
• One page essay on “Why they want to become a Dive Officer” in AR 25-50 memo format
• College Transcripts
• Captains will provide their three most recent Officer Evaluation Reports (OER)

  Phase 1: Selected officers will attend the three week prerequisite course (Army Diver Phase I) at Ft. Leonard Wood in January the fiscal year following their selection.
Requirements to pass Phase I:

• Basic Dive Physics and Medicine
• DPFT
• 1000 Yard Bay Swim
• Drown Proofing
• Water Confidence Training

Phase 2: Upon completion of Phase I officers will attend the 26 week Joint Diving Officer course in Panama City Beach, FL.

• Module 1: Basic Dive Physics, Charting, Basic Dive Medicine, SCUBA
• Module 2: Air-Decompression, Surface Supplied Diving, and Underwater Tools & Equipment
• Module 3: Advanced Diving Medicine, Air Diving Supervisor
• Module 4: Ships Husbandry, Salvage and Recovery, Hydrographic Survey, Side Scan Sonar, ROV, Swift Water Diving
• MES: Underwater Demolition, Small Boat Operations

Post-Graduation: Upon graduation of the Joint Diving Officer course officers may have the opportunity to serve as dive detachment Executive Officers and/or Commanders.
   

The Engineer Dive field is looking highly motivated and physically fit soldiers ranking from Private (E-1) to Specialist (E-4), who want to re-class their MOS to 12D – Engineer Diver. Soldiers who are selected for the 12D re-class program will undergo Advanced Individual Training for the 12D MOS. The training consists of three weeks at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri and 29 weeks at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center in Panama City Beach, Florida. Upon successful completion of all training re-classed soldiers will be assigned to operational dive detachments located at Hickam AFB in Hawaii and Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia.
 

• Formally apply for reclassification or reenlistment for MOS 12D by completing a DA Form 4187 (Personnel Action), DA Form 5030 (Engineer Diver Training Application) and in some instances, a reenlistment contract.
• Be in the rank of PVT, PFC, or SPC/CPL. SPC and CPL must be in a NON-PROMOTABLE status when reporting for initial MOS 12D training and duty. Please note that all Soldiers in the ranks of SPC and CPL will remain in a NON-PROMOTABLE status until evaluation by their leadership at their first diving duty assignment. NOTE: Soldiers will be disenrolled from the Diver Phase 1 and 2 courses if they arrive in an E-4 (promotable) status.
• Soldiers must meet the 24 months service-remaining requirements IAW AR 614-200, Ch. 4 upon graduation from the Diver Phase 2 course. If on a current term of enlistment in which an enlistment bonus (EB) or selective reenlistment bonus (SRB) has been received, Soldier should be advised that the bonus MAY be prorated and he/she MAY be responsible to pay the unearned portion back to the government. Contact your career counselor to discuss your situation.
• Have attained a minimum score of 107 in aptitude area General Technical (GT) or a minimum score of 106 in aptitude area Skilled Technical (ST) and attained a minimum score of 98 in aptitude area General Mechanical (GM).
• Have attained a minimum score of 480 or higher on the APFT in the last 6 months. (Keep in mind these are the minimum standards. It is highly recommended that Diver candidates score a minimum of 540 or above on the APFT with at least 90 points in each event).
• Have successfully completed the Diver Physical Fitness Test (DPFT) according to standards outlined in MILPERSMAN 1220-410, dated 06 January 2013. Have undergone a Diving Medical Examination as prescribed in AR 40-501 within 9 months of attending Phase I.
• Have a physical profile of 111111 (PULHES) and meet the height and weight standards prescribed in AR 600-9.  

  Follow these steps to apply for reclassification to MOS 12D – Engineer Diver:

• Have your retention NCO/Career Counselor contact the Chief Diving Supervisor
• Contact installation medical facility and schedule a dive physical examination. Tell them you need a “Dive Physical” for your application to be an Engineer Diver.
• As part of the medical examination, all dive candidates must complete a sickle cell test, CBC w/Differential, and G6PD test with results recorded on the 2808 and Medical Screening Form.
• Once completed make several copies of your dive physical, DD Form 2808, DD Form 2807-1, and Medical Screening Form.
• While waiting on your physical exam, work on completing the rest of the application process.
• If you have more than one year left in service, complete a Personnel Action, DA Form 4187, indicating that you want to reclassify as an Engineer Diver 12D.
• If you have less than one year before ETS you must re-enlist for Engineer Diver 12D. NOTE: For Soldiers in a critical shortage MOS, re-enlisting for Engineer Dive – MOS 12D is the only way out of your current MOS. You must re-up under option 3 (retraining) for MOS 12D.
• Complete Engineer Diver Training Application, DA Form 5030 with updated Diver’s Physical Fitness Test results.
• Complete waiver(s) as required.
• Provide a current STP.
• Provide ACFT Score Card, DA Form 705; within 6 months.
• Provide Separate copies of labs report, vaccine report, and radiology report from chest x-ray.
• Once all your forms and your physical are complete, scan and e-mail the application packet to the Chief Diving Supervisor.

Ensure that all scanned documents are clear and legible. If you can’t read it, we can’t read it.
Do not submit your packet from a digital scanner. It must be sent from your professional email provided to you from the Army.

• While waiting for approval of you packet, begin increasing the intensity of your physical fitness level. It is imperative that you report to the Army Diver Phase I Course in the best physical condition of your life.
• If approved, you will receive a signed memorandum from the Chief Diving Supervisor stating that you are a qualified candidate for dive training. Take this memorandum to your Retention NCO for processing.

NOTES:   If selected to re-class to MOS 12D, you will undergo three weeks of Army Diver Phase I at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri and 29 weeks of Phase II at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center in Panama City, Florida. The training at Ft. Leonard Wood is conducted either “TDY en-route” or “TDY and return” before conducting a PCS to NSA Panama City to complete the remaining 29 weeks of training. Upon completion of all training you will be assigned to an operational dive detachment at Hickam AFB in Hawaii or Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia.

Phase 1: Selected MOS-T candidates will attend the three week pre-screen course, Army Diver Phase I, at Ft. Leonard Wood.
Requirements to pass Phase I:

• Basic Dive Physics and Medicine
• DPFT
• 1000 Yard Bay Swim
• Drown Proofing
• Water Confidence Training

Phase 2: Upon completion of Phase I, MOS-T candidates will attend the 29 week joint service Basic Engineer Diver course in Panama City Beach, FL.

• Module 1: Basic Dive Physics, Charting, Basic Dive Medicine, SCUBA
• Module 2: Air-Decompression, Surface Supplied Diving, and Underwater Tools & Equipment
• Module 3: Small Boat Operations, Hydrographic Survey, Side Scan Sonar, ROV, Underwater Demolition

Phase 3:

• Module 4: FTX, Rifle Qualification, Land Navigation, Basic Warrior Tasks & Drills. (ARMY ONLY)

 

Basic Engineer Diver (BED) is the initial entry training course for new soldiers who have completed Basic Training and soldiers re-classing to the 12D MOS. This is a joint course in which Navy Seabees and Army Engineers train alongside each other for 29 weeks at the NDSTC in Panama City, FL. To attend, Army students must attend the three week Army Diver Phase I prerequisite course in Ft. Leonard Wood, MO. Upon successful graduation from the BED course students will be 2^nd Class Divers and be assigned to operational dive detachments.

Phase 1: MOS 12D students will attend the three week prerequisite course, Army Diver Phase I, at Ft. Leonard Wood.
Requirements to pass:

• Basic Dive Physics and Medicine
• DPFT
• 1000 Yard Bay Swim
• Drown Proofing
• Water Confidence Training

 
Phase 2: Upon completion of Phase I, MOS 12D students will attend the 29 week joint service Basic Engineer Diver course in Panama City Beach, FL.

• Module 1: Basic Dive Physics, Charting, Basic Dive Medicine, SCUBA
• Module 2: Air-Decompression, Surface Supplied Diving, and Underwater Tools & Equipment
• Module 3: Small Boat Operations, Hydrographic Survey, Side Scan Sonar, ROV, Underwater Demolition

 
Phase 3:

• Module 4: FTX, Rifle Qualification, Land Navigation, Basic Warrior Tasks & Drills. (ARMY ONLY)

 
MOS Reclassification students will attend the Basic Engineer Diver (BED) course.
   

• U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident with a valid Green Card
• 17 to 34 Years Old
• High School Diploma or GED (minimum)
• No Major Law Violations
• No Medical Concerns
• 106 ASVAB Score: Skilled Technical (ST) or 98 ASVAB Score: General Maintenance (GM) and 107 ASVAB Score: General Technical (GT)
• Must Enlist Active Duty for MOS 12D
• Complete Army Diver Phase I
• Graduate Basic Engineer Diver

 
For personnel interested in becoming a diver it is highly recommended that you are a strong swimmer as the majority of your time will be spent training in the water. You should be in the best shape of your life starting the BED course.
  For personnel interested in becoming a diver it is highly recommended that you are a strong swimmer as the majority of your time will be spent training in the water. You should be in the best shape of your life starting the BED course.
   

The Advanced Leaders Course or the Army 1^st Class Diver course is the next step for Salvage Divers to become 1^St Class Divers. In this course, students will be taught advanced diving medicine, chamber supervisor, SCUBA supervisor, surface supplied supervisor and mission planning skills. Upon graduation from this course junior NCOs will be prepared to plan and supervise all air diving operations on an operational dive detachment.
      

The Senior Leader Course is the pinnacle of formal diving education in the Army. Students in SLC will be taught company level responsibilities such as rating schemes, advanced mission planning, and supervising high risk diving operations. Designed for Senior 1^st Class Divers and Master Divers, students who graduate SLC will be prepared to supervise and execute any military diving operation in the future.
   

Updated NOV 2024