US Army Nuclear Disablement Teams Conduct Water Survival Training

Soldiers from the U.S. Army’s Nuclear Disablement Teams (NDTs) conducted water survival training at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Leveraging the diving well at LeJeune Hall, members of the teams achieved the U.S. Navy 2nd class swimmer qualification.

The three NDTs - NDT 1 “Manhattan,” NDT 2 “Iron Maiden” and NDT 3 “Vandals” - are part of the 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command, the U.S. Department of Defense’s premier all hazards command. The specialized NDTs directly contribute to the nation’s strategic deterrence by staying ready to exploit and disable nuclear and radiological Weapons of Mass Destruction infrastructure and components to deny near-term capability to adversaries.

Col. John P. Kunstbeck, the 20th CBRNE Command chief of staff and senior Nuclear and Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction officer in the multifunctional command, participated in the water survival training along with nine NDT members and six Soldiers from the command’s G6 Communications Directorate. Kunstbeck is from Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Made up of Nuclear and Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) officers, Explosive Ordnance Disposal officers, health physicists and Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear specialists, the NDTs provide advanced forensics and attribution capabilities in support of overseas and domestic missions. The teams also facilitate follow-on WMD elimination operations.

Maj. Aaron J. Heffelfinger, a nuclear operations officer from NDT 1, said this was the second year that the NDTs had trained at the Naval Academy aquatic facility.

“It increases our lethality by improving our ability to survive in the water if needed – like if an aircraft carrying the team had to make an emergency water landing,” said Heffelfinger. “Important as well, the training provided a good cardiovascular workout to build on our physical fitness.”

During the qualification training, the Soldiers jumped from a 10-meter-high elevated platform to simulate a fall into the water from a ship or aircraft and followed the proper technique needed to avoid injury. The team members then practiced survival flotation by using the U.S. Navy’s face down approach and Army Combat Uniform trousers as makeshift life preservers.

“These two techniques greatly increase the time someone can survive in the water without reaching exhaustion and drowning,” said Heffelfinger, an 18-year U.S. Army veteran from Moore Township, Pennsylvania. “The team also practiced multiple swimming strokes during a 50-meter swim to better familiarize ourselves with techniques to remain afloat.”