FORT EUSTIS, Va. –
Everyone on the team was trying to remember the words to a famous quote that best described their efforts during a recent mission to New York, one that would convey how they wished they could have done more to help if they only had more time.
The 400-mile drive to reach the devastated area didn't deter the team from making an impact. Whether they believed their influence was small or large, they said they knew their highly-specialized skills would be useful.
Seventeen Soldiers from three dive detachments, assigned to the Special Troops Battalion, 7th Sustainment Brigade, loaded their equipment on Light Medium Tactical Vehicles, moving trucks and SUVs, and drove north, Nov. 3, for a week-long mission to the New York state metropolitan area to aid Hurricane Sandy relief efforts.
"Our higher headquarters were looking to assist in the recovery efforts, so they looked to us because of our special capabilities," said 86th Dive Detachment commander Capt. Jon-Paul Navarro, officer in charge of the team.
Their initiative was seen immediately the next day as they were sent to Fort Hamilton, N.Y. to live temporarily.
"We talked to key leaders and offered our assistance in any way we could. When we got to Hamilton, we dropped our bags and went straight to work on our first mission," said Capt. Nathan Brenan, 544th Dive Detachment commander.
The team was tasked for missions on all sides of the upper and lower Hudson Bay. Much of the area did not have power, which limited outdoor missions; but they worked outside whenever possible. When necessary, the team worked long into the night.
"It is a great achievement when you are successful on a tough mission," said Navarro. "It makes leaders proud and gives Army divers, the Army and the 7th Sustainment Brigade a great image for the public. Our Soldiers will be able to see their efforts pay off."
One group of Soldiers drove to Staten Island, where they helped pump water from residential homes that were along the Hudson Bay coastline. Most homes in the area were still without power a week after Sandy's arrival.
"For many people in the neighborhood, we were the only form of military assistance they had seen," said Brenan. "Many of the families were very appreciative of what we were doing. New York is a very military friendly area and it showed."
The water pumps the team brought to assist in the efforts are capable of pumping 1500 gallons per minute, allowing them to assist in flooded areas, said Navarro. The dive team put the pump to use, assisting the New Jersey and New York fire departments by pumping out thousands of gallons of water from the subway.
In addition to pumping the subway, the team used a floatable bladder to stop a leak at an Amtrak facility in Kerney, N.J., said Brenan. The facility flooded after a drainage valve was severed by the surge.
Initially, the team's missions involved pumping out flooded areas, but after they arrived, they took the initiative to do much more, said Navarro.
The dive team spent the majority of their time at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Caven Point Marine Terminal in Jersey City, N.J. The pier holds survey and debris removal ships assigned to the Corps and the Environmental Protection Agency; however it was partially destroyed and incapable of use when the team arrived. They were able to fully recover the structure, replacing wood beams and steel rods to make it even stronger than before.
"A group of us spent the whole week repairing the pier, using a stockpile of wood to replace and remove any damage found," said Brenan. "The subway and the pier at Caven Point were inoperable but when we left, the subway was back and running and the pier was complete. The feedback we have received so far made our trip here worthwhile."
Before the team returned home, they also assisted a team of U.S. Navy divers by assessing flood damage at Battery Park in Manhattan, NY, helping to set the stage for a full recovery of the pier there.
"It was amazing to see three different detachments come together for the mission in New York and New Jersey, giving the same motivation on day one through day 10," said Navarro. "It was a great thing for everyone to come together and flawlessly execute the mission."
Even before returning to Fort Eustis, Va., the team was asked to come back and continue with recovery efforts if possible, said Brenan. They received phone calls and emails about how exemplary the dive teams' efforts were, and some divers are scheduled to go back for finishing touches to the Caven Point pier.
Finally, the team did remember the quote, eloquently stated by Mother Theresa of Calcutta, "We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop."
It summed up their feelings perfectly.