July 10, 2015
SOUTH POTOMAC PILOT NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR THE NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY SOUTH POTOMAC DEFENSE COMMUNITY
EOD Divers Support 13th International Human-Powered Submarine Races Link directly to the NSASP Facebook page on your smart phone
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From NSWC IHEODTD Public Affairs Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Divers and support personnel from Technical Support Detachment’s (TSD) Combined Explosive Exploitation Cell (CEXC) supported the 13th International Human-Powered Submarine Races June 22-26, at Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Carderock Division in West Bethesda, Md. The bi-annual sub races sponsored by the Foundation for Underwater Research and Education - is an international engineering design competition that inspires high school and collegeage students of the various engineering disciplines to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Team design and build a oneor two-person “wet” submarine, relying upon the principles of hydrodynamic design, buoyancy, propulsion, guidance systems, underwater life support and systems engineering. Teams race their submarines using SelfContained Underwater Breathing Apparatus (SCUBA) equipment in Carderock’s 3,200 footlong model basin. Because the event is under-
U.S. Navy photo by Ryan Hanyok
Divers enter the water at the 13th International Human-Powered Submarine Races at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division in West Bethesda, Md. on June 24. water and held on Navy facilities, Navy-qualified divers are
participants. For the past few years, CEXC’s EOD divers have supported the local event. “Our divers were there to provide general diving support during the event,” said Lt. Mark Hyatt, TSD operations officer. “We inspected the participants’ air tanks to ensure they were DOT [Department of Transportation] compliant. We filled diver’s air tanks. We monitored underwater activity, and we were stationed at the end of the race to slow down the submarines as they crossed the finish line.” Since 1989, the sub race competition has grown to include entries from universities, colleges, corporations, research centers, high schools and privately sponsored teams from all over the world; and some previous participants have continued on to careers as Navy engineers. “Any time the racers had an issue in the water, our divers were right there to assist,” continued Hyatt. “It was amazing to see what these young men and women were able to accomplish. We glad the TSD was able to support this event.” At the end of the week-long competition, the winning teams
required throughout the event to ensure underwater safety of the
See Races, Page 2
Students Take on Navy Missions and Prepare for Future Careers with STEM NSWCDD PAO Staff
U.S. Navy photo
Students operate the Army Talon Ordnance Disposal Robot, mastering their skills on a robot designed to defeat counter-improvised explosive device at the Virginia Demonstration Project STEM summer academy at King George Middle School, King George, Va.
Teams of middle school students deployed robots they built and programmed to complete fictitious Navy missions at the Virginia Demonstration Project (VDP) Summer Academy from June 22-26. The students - and their parents, teachers, and mentors - believe that the same science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills applied to the complex scenarios
will give them control over their careers, income, and potential to make a positive impact for the United States and the Department of Defense. What’s more, the sixth, seventh and eighth graders enjoyed controlling the same real-world robot used by U.S. warfighters to clear mines and ordnance in Iraq and Afghanistan. In all, 96 students took turns operating the Army Talon Ordnance Disposal Robot, mastering their skills on a robot designed
to defeat counter-improvised explosive devices, or CIEDs. “It’s realistic and opens a bigger perspective on how real robots works,” said Meesam, a Stafford Middle School rising eight grader, who used the robot to inspect, collect, and dispose of make believe ordnance. The robot’s cameras transmitted four video feeds back to students as
See STEM, Page 3
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