During Fleet Week, US Navy shows off its superior diving skills
Fox News Digital caught up with Chief Navy Diver Kyle Weiss during Fleet Week in NYC
Many of America's highly skilled heroes have a new purpose.
Nonprofit organization Force Blue is applying the talents of special operations military veterans in underwater conservation missions across the country.
Force Blue co-founder and executive director Jim Ritterhoff shared in an interview with Fox News Digital that his organization is the only nonprofit in the world that retrains and redeploys military-trained divers, from across all branches, to work with scientists and environmentalists on marine conservation missions.
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The idea married two unrelated issues: the rapid decline of the health of our oceans and veterans who experience an often bumpy transition back to civilian life.
A military veteran dives in Islamorada, Florida, on a coral reef conservation mission with Force Blue, Inc., in June 2022. (Force Blue, Inc.)
"Maybe we could give them back that sense of belonging, sense of teamwork — most importantly, that sense of mission," Ritterhoff said.
"And serving something larger than yourself — what's larger than yourself than the health of the planet?"
Ritterhoff emphasized that the South Carolina-based business has offered veterans the opportunity to feel "a part of something again."
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Ret. Lt. Col. Suze MacDonald, who’s been involved with Force Blue for nearly two years, agreed that the organization’s mission to re-purpose the skill set of veterans is an important one.
"You spend so much time training and learning a skill, then you retire and feel a little bit lost," she told Fox News Digital. "Because what do you do with that skill?"
Military veterans pose with the Force Blue team at a dive mission in Islamorada, Florida, in June 2022. (The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation)
The Army veteran of nearly three decades said her experience as an intel officer helped give her the skills to plan effectively and coordinate missions.
"Every operation starts with intel," she said.
Even though she wasn’t a military-trained diver, MacDonald has been diving as a hobby since 1986. She actively works as a scuba instructor in Florida.
"Everything I took from the military was always to be better."
Now 10 missions in, MacDonald said she feels inspired by the "passion" in others around her.
She mentioned that the camaraderie on these missions has been seamless, since prioritizing teamwork is very much being in the military.
"Everything I took from the military was always to be better," she said.
Military veteran Suze MacDonald zip-ties coral to the reef in Islamorada, Florida. (Force Blue, Inc.)
"And everybody at Force Blue wants to continue to improve their skill sets, their knowledge — and be able to produce more results."
Army veteran First Sgt. Dan Henderson, recently retired after 20.5 years of active duty, first joined Force Blue as he readied himself to transition out of the military.
"It just seemed like a perfect fit," he said to Fox News Digital.
"From doing what I was doing in the military to this — it's a very similar mindset."
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The former green beret and combat diver received his certification as a scuba instructor through his work in the military. He now serves as lead scuba instructor at the Divers Institute of Technology in Seattle.
Henderson completed one of several Force Blue missions in June, alongside MacDonald in Islamorada, Florida, in which veterans, scientists and students outplanted coral in the area's reefs.
Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation co-chair Jessica Harvey and a Force Blue team member dive on a coral reef conservation mission in Islamorada, Florida, in June 2022. (Force Blue, Inc.)
The mission partnered with conservation organizations like I.CARE and the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, which conducts scientific research and hosts educational marine care programming.
Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation co-chair Jessica Harvey even took the dive herself.
"The scientific community partnering with special operations veterans brings a different perspective to it," Henderson said.
Army veterans Dan Henderson (third from right) and Suze MacDonald (second from right) join the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation team at a conservation mission in Islamorada, Florida, in June 2022. Jessica Harvey (third from left) is shown in the pink hat and teal shirt. (The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation)
"We're on the right track as far as the conservation side of things go."
Force Blue’s first class in 2017 brought in six Special Ops veterans, including a British Royal Marine.
The partnership between military and scientific personnel immediately "just meshed," Ritterhoff described.
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"And we have been operational ever since," he said. "Just doing all manner of projects."
Force Blue has since completed various marine conservation missions, including coral reef restorations in partnership with the NFL, debris removals and green sea turtle surveys.
A diver is spotted working on a reef in Islamorada, Florida. (Force Blue, Inc.)
Since some missions require veterans to spend long periods of time away from home, Ritterhoff mentioned that Force Blue members are always paid for their work.
"We're trying to break that cycle of running around the world like in the military," he said. "That doesn’t have to be your whole life."
"But we do keep a pretty steady work flow going, so I'm pleased with that."
Ritterhoff shared his intentions to branch out Force Blue's efforts internationally, since there are special operations veterans looking to implement chapters "all over the world."
Army veterans, scientists and members of Force Blue and the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation hold up the American flag underwater while on a mission to conserve coral reefs in Islamorada, Florida. (Force Blue, Inc.)
"If we can be thought of as the next branch of service for veterans, we can take that global," he said.
Still, for the co-founder, the real highlight of these initiatives is the reinstatement of humanity.
"It's like everybody's learning to love again," he said.
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"You've been on military station for 20 years and you lose a little bit of your humanity … And you see our veterans finding that again."
