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What They Do
About This Career
Underwater missions undertaken by military divers can be very demanding. They perform such tasks as reconnaissance, demolition, ship repair, search for missing persons, and salvage in underwater conditions. They usually specialize in either scuba diving or deep-sea diving.
This career is part of the Government and Public Administration cluster National Security pathway.
A person in this career:
- Performs basic explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) related diving procedures, including bottom and hull searches, day or night, using SCUBA, surface supplied, and mixed or gas diving equipment
- Tests, repairs, and adjusts scuba and associated underwater equipment
- Recognizes and assists in the treatment of diving-related injuries such as decompression sickness and other forms of barotrauma
- Performs diving, demolition, ordnance location and identification, EOD detachment operational support, and staff and logistics support to EOD commands
- Supervises deep sea diving missions and dives conducted deeper than 100 feet in salt water
- Formulates demolition plan for operational and training missions
- Performs underwater work such as taking measurements, making templates and fittings, placing shores, pouring cement, using excavating nozzles, and removing and repairing ships appendages
- Manages preventive and corrective maintenance on diving equipment, support systems, salvage machinery, handling systems, and submarine rescue systems
- Conducts day and general underwater search, detailed ship-bottom search and routine inspections to a depth of 60 feet using underwater compass, depth indicators, and associated underwater equipment
- Performs adjustments and field shop maintenance on SCUBA and underwater accessories
Working Conditions and Physical Demands
People who do this job report that:
- You would often handle loads up to 50 lbs., sometimes up to 100 lbs. You will need a lot of strength at this level.
- Conditions are very hot (above 90 F) or very cold (under 32 F)
- Exposed to hazardous situations involving possible injury such as cuts, bites, stings, and minor burns more than once a month
- Work in this occupation requires being outside most of the time
- Work in this occupation involves use of special protective items such as a breathing apparatus, safety harness, full protection suit, or radiation protection
Working in this career involves (physical activities):
- Moving the arms, legs and torso together when the whole body is in motion
- Judging how far away an object is, or which of several objects is closer or farther away
- Using muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring
- Seeing clearly up close
- Seeing objects or movement to one's side when looking forward
Work Hours and Travel
Every year the U.S. Department of Labor conducts national surveys of wage data by occupation in every state and in all industry divisions. These surveys are conducted through the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program.
The statistics collected for one year are published the next fall. For example, 2013 wage information was published in the fall of 2014.
There are over 800 occupations in the surveys, and these occupations cover the entire U.S. labor market. The surveys ask for reports in a scale of ranges for both hourly wages and annual wages.
In many cases, these occupations are broad enough to cover many more detailed specialties of an occupation. A specific occupation may be included in a broader occupational category for which labor market data is available. When you look at the statistics for a broad category, be aware that the salary data for a specific career may differ.
For more details about how wage information is collected and calculated by the U.S. Department of Labor, visit their website at http://www.bls.gov/bls/blswage.htm.
Every year the U.S. Department of Labor conducts a national survey of over 400,000
employers in every state and in all industry divisions. This survey is conducted
through the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program. Every other year the
department publishes outlook information based on these surveys.
Each outlook period covers 10 years. For example, in 2003 the outlook information
was published for 2004-2014. Employers are asked to report the number of employees
in about 770 different occupations that cover the entire U.S. labor market.
From this information, staffing patterns for different industries are established.
Industry growth is projected into the future based on past trends and current economic
conditions. Industry staffing patterns are then applied to the industry projections
to obtain occupational projections.
In many cases, these occupations are broad enough to cover many more detailed specialties
of an occupation. A specific occupation may be included in a broader occupational
category for which labor market data is available. When you look at the statistics
for a broad category, be aware that the employment data for a specific field may
differ.
For more details about how employment information is collected and calculated by
the U.S. Department of Labor, visit their website at http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.tn.htm.
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