Dateline: 10 February 2008, city of Los Angeles, California, a CEDU sanctioned event!
Crestline Experimental Dive Unit
Participates in the
SEAL Fitness Challenge
(Bob manning the deck gun with FEOR O2 Rebreather and Night Vision Goggle.)
It was a last minute decision to participate in the Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge which was to be held in two short days at UCLA. While driving to work on Thursday morning I heard about the event on the radio. When it was mentioned that there was NO Charge to participate, and a FREE T-Shirt would be given out to the participants, not to mention the possibility of "other" awards; I immediately decided that this was a CEDU event.
Phone calls were placed, and in no time, CEDU Detachment A was assembled. Myself, Erick and Dave would represent the Crestline Experimental Dive Unit as participants and my wife Jane would document the event, trying not to laugh loudly at her husband as he again attempts to make an utter fool of himself. The Navy never had a clue at what was coming.
The check-in on Sunday went without a hitch.
(Erick and Bob checking in.)
There was a feeling reminiscent of reporting to Quantico, VA, for Marine Officers Candidate School. No one in registration could guess what "contraband" I was packing. The bags contained my FEOR oxygen rebreather and a pair of my underwater night vision goggles. Both are homebuilt items of stealth diving equipment, but more about that later...
We joined up with Dave at the Pool.
(Bob and Dave
swimming in lane.)
For the first event, the 500 yard swim, the three of us shared, with a 15 second
per person delay, a single lane. The first event was attacked
with vengeance, and I must gloat at this point and say that I beat my friend Erick in the swim. This is
the second time I ever finished a swim ahead of him. With all respect, he did
finish better than me in ALL the other events, but this little victory was
sweet, and I must make the most of it now. (The only other time that I finished a swim
ahead of him was during the last Catalina Clearwater
Classic event, a long, over three
mile swim. But that is another story.)
(Closing in on Erick's 15 second lead.)
It was out of the pool, then next came the Push-ups and the Sit-ups . . .
(Dave deep into push-ups, and sit-ups.)
....then Pull-ups, and finally the mile-and-a-half Run.
(Erick burning up the track.)
The Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge has been met. It may not have been pretty, but the Mission was accomplished. All survived, and all were awarded shirts.
(Bob, Erick and Dave, with our fitness challenged.)
How did we do? You can log onto http://www.sealfitnesschallenge.com/ and click on the SCORES link, then click on the LOS ANGELES, CA (UCLA) - SUNDAY FEBRUARY 10, 2008 link to see how all the participants scored. Even though I finished ahead of Erick in the swim, he did better than me in all the other events and scored about the highest overall. Dave, at age 76, proudly finished the events (the SEALS were in awe of his guts). My score [ 54.5 ] was most respectable considering that the lowest score reported on the weekend was a negative score of [ -28.8 ] and the highest overall score that weekend was a [ 69.1 ]. My overall ranking placed me in the top 3 percent of over the two days.
This almost fifty seven year old was more than happy in doing as well as I did when you consider that the only exercise I do somewhat regularly is swimming, with very little running on the side. (I do need to work on my upper body strength. I am now so motivated that I just put in a pull up bar in my dental office: getting ready for next year.)
I must say that CEDU Det A did remarkably well considering our age, looks, and lack of any kind of training. I will leave it to the reader to compare our scores to the other participants of the day, those younger, less handsome and obliviously more physically challenged of America's youth. (And giving credit where credit was due, a couple of participants scored well enough to meet the minimum Seal standards overall and were rewarded.)
For the record: Lowest score -28.8 My score 54.5 Highest score 69.1*
( * The score of 69.1 happened to be Erick's score. Congratulations!)
Now for the rest of the story...................................................
This SEAL Fitness Challenge was no doubt a promotional event, not a recruiting event, though information about joining the Navy was immediately available if requested. Exhausted but exhilarated, CEDU participants relaxed after the event by viewing the static displays of Navy/SEAL/EOD equipment. After the CEDU enjoyed looking over all the cool Navy equipment a return of favors was offered when I displayed some of the (My) CEDU equipment.
I brought a FEOR Oxygen Rebreather and a couple of my under water night vision goggles for show. The Navy enjoyed seeing some of the stealth diving gear that comes from the "skunkworks" of the Crestline Experimental Dive Unit. (They did have a blast as seeing what comes out of the Minds of the CEDU.)
(CEDU show and tell: FEOR, and Night Vision scope. Navy trying on the
FEOR.)
(FEOR gets examined. Note Dave's "Seal Team Zero" shirt.)
(Bob showing a Night Vision Scope, an EOD member trying on the FEOR.)
(The Navy guys gave me some pointers on how to make the FEOR completely non-magnetic.
Thanks.)
(Demonstrating the PPO2 sensor/display)
(
Loading the FEOR on the inflatable.)
A wonderful day was had by all. I enjoyed participating in the event, getting a free T-Shirt, and sharing some of my home built diving equipment with the Navy. Hope to see you at the next SEAL Fitness Challenge.
Sincerely,
Robert Iannello
Additional Information:
RESULTS
Sunday
10 February 2008
Saturday
9 February 2008
Both days on one page (copy to my site)
My CEDU Rebreather Home
(Other rebreather and interests can be found here.)
Night Vision, mask
Night Visio, hand held
FEOR rebreather