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Increasing Underwater Visual Information Capability In Great Power Competition
by U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Ace Rheaume
Naval Special Warfare Command
February 9, 2020
Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Alexander Perlman
recently earned the SCUBA diver qualification and the Navy SCUBA
Diver pin during a graduation ceremony at the Navy Diving and
Salvage Training Center, Panama City, Florida.
Perlman,
assigned to Naval Special Warfare Command, completed the SCUBA class
as part of his endeavor to become an underwater photographer for the
Navy.
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November 5, 2019 - Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Alex Perlman (left), assigned to Commander, Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC) photographs U.S. Navy SEAL candidates participating in Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training. NSWC is the maritime component of U.S. Special Operations Command, and its mission is to provide maritime special operations forces to conduct full-spectrum operations, unilaterally or with partners, to support national objectives. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Sean Furey)
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"Underwater photographers provide a very unique force multiplier
to our underwater operations," said Master Chief Navy Diver Mike
Shields, NSW Group TWO Master Diver.
"They have the
capability to dive and photograph underwater operations that would
otherwise go undocumented. This visual feedback is valuable and
gives us the opportunity to see the challenges and successes members
of the special operations community meet while operating in an
austere environment. We can take that information and make changes
to improve everything from gear to tactical techniques and
procedures."
Perlman attended the Navy’s 33-day SCUBA Diver
course that provides non-diving personnel with the necessary
training to safely and effectively perform as a dive-team member and
SCUBA diver, including instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation,
basic diving physics and charting, basic diving medicine, SCUBA
operations and underwater searching operations.
With the
disestablishment of Navy Combat Camera commands in 2018, there is a
targeted effort within the Navy to reconstitute and task organize
high-end operational documentation capability across warfare domains
to provide better support to operational commanders at all levels.
“The training and qualification that Perlman received and earned
goes well beyond the NSW community,” said Senior Enlisted Advisor to
the Navy’s Chief of Information (CHINFO) Master Chief Mass
Communication Specialist Mike Lewis. “Our ability to capture, edit,
and rapidly transmit imagery in training and operational settings is
absolutely critical to the Navy’s ability to engage effectively in
the information environment in an era of great power competition.
This is just one example of where we are investing in our cadre of
mass communication specialists to support commanders’ requirements
Fleet-wide.”
With additional training at NSW, Perlman will
learn how to operate and manage underwater camera gear and equipment
to include lighting systems, cameras and specialized housings. These
skills will enable Perlman to capture underwater photos and video of
various NSW mission sets for training and archive purposes.
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