OCTOBER 2020 SEALAB I, II & III INSIDE: 8 On & Off Capitol Hill 24 Navy SEAL Museum 36 Veterans’ Matters Bad to the Bone Full tang stainless steel blade with natural bone handle —now ONLY$79! he very best hunting knives possess a perfect balance of form and Tfunction. They’re carefully constructed from fine materials, but also have that little something extra to connect the owner with nature. EXCLUSIVE If you’re on the hunt for a knife that combines impeccable craftsmanship with a sense of wonder, the $79 Huntsman Blade is the trophy you’re FREEStauer® 8x21 looking for. Compact The blade is full tang, meaning it doesn’t stop at the handle but extends Binoculars to the length of the grip for the ultimate in strength. The blade is made -a $99 value- from 420 surgical steel, famed for its sharpness and its resistance to with purchase of corrosion. 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Feel the knife in your hands, wear it on your êêêêê hip, inspect the impeccable craftsmanship. “This knife is beautiful!” If you don’t feel like we cut you a fair deal, — J., La Crescent, MN send it back within 30 days for a complete refund of the item price. êêêêê Limited Reserves. A deal like this won’t last “The feel of this knife long. We have only 1120 Huntsman Blades is unbelievable...this for this ad only. Don’t let this beauty slip BONUS! Call today and is an incredibly fine through your fingers. Call today! you’ll also receive this instrument.” genuine leather sheath! — H., Arvada, CO Huntsman Blade $249* Offer Code Price Only $79 + S&P Save $170 1-800-333-2045 Your Insider Offer Code: HUK263-01 You must use the insider offer code to get our special price. Rating of A+ ® 14101 Southcross Drive W., Ste 155, Dept. HUK263-01 Stauer Burnsville, Minnesota 55337 www.stauer.com *Discount is only for customers who useNot the offershown code versus the listed original Stauer.com price. actual size. California residents please call 1-800-333-2045 regarding Proposition 65 regulations before purchasing this product. • 12" overall length; 6 ¹⁄2" stainless steel full tang blade • Genuine bone handle with brass hand guard & bolsters • Includes genuine leather sheath Stauer… Afford the Extraordinary.® Contents October 2020 Volume 99 Number 10 Cover: A student at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center walks across the seafloor during surface-supplied diving operations. The NDSTC is the largest diving facility in the world and trains more than 1,200 military divers from every branch of service each year. Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael Scichilone. Above: Petty Officer 2nd Class Nick Barna, a salvage and repair Navy diver assigned to the Naval Station Guantanamo Bay Dive Locker, conducts a pre-training equipment check on a decompression chamber. Barna, a native of Washington, D.C., is one of several Navy Divers who perform underwater missions in support of joint task force and naval station operations. Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Joseph Ebalo. Features Sealab: How the U.S. Navy Established a New Front in the Cold War Sealab I, II and III were expeditions into ocean depths during the 1960s that explored the boundaries of human physiology and psychology. What were the impacts of novel 16 breathing gases and continuous extreme pressure? How long could humans stay down, and how deep could they go? These were questions no one could answer — yet. The National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum Imagine, an entire museum honoring a remarkable military force that operated largely in secret, left few records, appeared in hardly any photographs, carried most of their 24 equipment themselves, and dressed for action in swim trunks, masks, flippers, and very little else. Departments LOYALTY, PROTECTION 2 Communications 40 Shipmate News AND SERVICE 4 From the Fantail 42 TAPS The FRA is a 6 Shipmate Forum 44 Statement of Ownership congressionally chartered, nonprofit 8 On & Off Capitol Hill 47 Auxiliary of the FRA News organization advocating on Legislative Updates A Message from LA FRA RPNW Capitol Hill for 32 Essay Contest Rules Terri Johnson current and former 48 Finance Matters enlisted members 36 Veterans’ Matters of the U.S. Navy, Six Priorities for the Sandwich Generation Marine Corps and Coast Guard. FRAtoday /// October 2020 1 COMMUNICATIONS National Officers/Board Of Directors National President Donna M. Jansky, North Shore Branch 31 National Vice President Michael “Mick” Fulton, Imperial Beach Branch 289 The 2021 FRA Calendar National Executive Dir. Christopher J. Slawinski, Navy Department Branch 181 Finance Officer Phillip Reid, MAL Junior PNP Robert Washington, Navy Department Branch 181 ach year, we try to National Parliamentarian PNP George P. Hyland, Groton Branch 20 provide a calendar National Chaplain Paul R. Gunther, Triangle Branch 182 for the upcoming Regional Presidents year that Shipmates will E Northeast/New England Abe Zino, Buffalo Branch 23 look forward to receiving East Coast Sha'ron D. Martin, Virginia Beach Branch 166 and proudly display on Southeast Laurie A. Bailey, Low Country Branch 269 their wall at home or in North Central Donald A. Watkins Jr., Omaha-Council Bluffs Branch 276 South Central Emmett H. Smith Jr., Shreveport Bossier Branch 98 their office. Southwest John F. Quesnel Jr., Imperial Beach Branch 289 After the calendar West Coast William S. Matthews, Modesto Branch 197 is shipped along with Northwest William H. Hall, Gem State Branch 382 the October issue of Active Duty Advisory Council FRAtoday, we always receive several comments about what we forgot to include in the pages, photos and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Russell Smith Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Troy E. Black captions. Everyone’s input is valued and staff always share Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Jason M. Vanderhaden with each other what Shipmates say. The balance we try to keep with the images and content Reserve Advisory Council is first and foremost, to have the same quantity of large Force Master Chief of the Navy Reserve Christopher D. Kotz images for each branch of our membership — four images Sergeant Major of Marine Forces Reserve Patrick Kimble Force Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard of the Marines, Navy and Coast Guard. Reserve George M. Williamson The cover image has always rotated between the three branches until this year. We have been asked to feature FRAtoday Magazine aircraft, Seabees, helicopters, tanks, Marines and just about The monthly membership publication of the Fleet Reserve Association every rating that is out there. We recently received so Publisher Fleet Reserve Association National Executive Director Christopher J. Slawinski many requests for submarines, that we decided to honor Editor-in-Chief William D. Stevenson those Shipmates who serve and have served underwater Editor Elise M. Howard with this year’s calendar. Contributing Writer Ann Norvell Gray Design and Art Direction FRA Staff The calendar is also one of three fundraising appeals Advertising Sales: GLM Communications 212-929-1300 that the FRA conducts each year. The calendar appeal has [email protected] always generated a decent amount of net revenue, which FRAtoday (ISSN 1935-7192) is published monthly by the FRA, 125 N. West St., Alexandria, VA. the board and staff all appreciate very much. It helps us 22314-2754. A member’s subscription is covered by the member’s annual dues. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, Virginia, and additional offices. Publication of nonsponsored with our operations at the office, and although we could advertising in FRAtoday does not constitute an endorsement by the FRA or its function without the funds, they help us stay on budget representatives. Postmaster: Send address changes to Member Services, FRA, 125 N. West St., Alexandria, VA 22314-2754. FRAtoday is published in the interests of all each year. current and former enlisted personnel of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Eligible nonmembers are entitled to subscription rates of $45. Established Nov. 1, 1923. Sometimes there are some extra calendars sent to Title registered with the U.S. Patent Office. headquarters, so if you want to honor someone with their own FRA calendar, call or email headquarters and ask if FRA Administrative Headquarters 125 N. West St., Alexandria, VA 22314-2754 we have any extras that you could pass out. Telephone: 703-683-1400, 800-FRA-1924 I hope each of you enjoys your calendar this year. Please Fax: 703-549-6610 • email: [email protected] • www.fra.org reach out and let me know what we forgot to include or Volume 99 Number 10 what you might want to see next year. FRA Find us on Facebook: www.fra.org/fb In Loyalty, Protection and Service, Follow us on Twitter: William D. Stevenson, Editor-in-Chief www.twitter.com/FRAHQ Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/FRA_HQ 2 FRAtoday /// October 2020 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ 5 1 1 3 3 5 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 4 4 4 4 ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ 1 1 3 3 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 7 13 10 ⁄8 10 ⁄8 13 3 10 ⁄16 10 ⁄16 3 10 ⁄4 10 ⁄4 1 1 10 ⁄2 10 ⁄2 ® Set with genuine diamonds Sculpted U.S.