A MILITARY lieutenant has become one of the first female divers to graduate into the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) Clearance Diving trade at Devonport – that’s Devonport, in New Zealand.
Lieutenant Bethany Ward, 26, from Plymouth, formerly worked at HMNB Devonport, but has become one of 10 personnel to complete the five-month course in Devonport Naval Base, in Auckland.
The course provides training in military diving equipment and techniques, mine countermeasure, underwater maintenance and battle damage repair, demolitions, maritime explosive ordnance disposal and search techniques.
“A number of females have completed the Defence Divers Course over the years but for a variety of reason none have ever taken the next step to becoming full-time clearance divers,” says Commander Trevor Leslie, Commanding Officer HMNZS Matataua, the RNZN’s littoral warfare unit.
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