III 112th CONGRESS 2d Session S. CON. RES. 46 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 6, 2012 Mr. Webb submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of Congress that an appropriate site at the former Navy Dive School at the Washington Navy Yard should be provided for the Man in the Sea Memorial Monument to honor the members of the Armed Forces who have served as divers and whose service in defense of the United States has been carried out beneath the waters of the world.

Whereas United States Navy divers have received 7 Medals of Honor for multiple acts of heroism dating back to 1915; Whereas United States Navy divers received the only Medals of Honor ever awarded for actions during peacetime; Whereas United States Navy divers have addressed critical beach and harbor clearances and recoveries in World War I and all subsequent wars fought by the United States; Whereas United States Navy divers significantly contributed to the salvage and restoration of Pearl Harbor after the attack by Japan in 1941; Whereas United States Navy divers significantly contributed to the United States victory in the Cold War by diving on communications cables of the Soviet Union at extreme depths; Whereas United States Navy divers made critical recoveries of Space Shuttles Challenger and Columbia; Whereas United States Army divers were instrumental in the clearance of underwater munitions at ports and harbors during World War II; Whereas United States Army divers were crucial to the maintenance and repair of vessels and the recovery of aircraft during the Vietnam War; Whereas United States Army divers salvaged vessels during the Persian Gulf War, vessels of the Soviet Union during Operation Restore Hope in Somalia, and numerous vessels during the humanitarian operation in Haiti; Whereas United States Army divers deployed to the Persian Gulf region in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom; Whereas United States Army divers have participated in humanitarian relief efforts to clear international ports and harbors after natural disasters; Whereas United States Army divers have performed hundreds of missions for the Corps of Engineers to maintain the dams, locks, and waterways of the United States; Whereas United States Army divers have performed lifesaving recompression treatments on injured military and civilian personnel; Whereas United States Marine Corps divers were essential to the development of the buoyant ascent technique, which allows forces to deploy from submarines at depth and return to a submerged submarine, thus enabling the completion of a range of covert missions; Whereas United States Marine Corps divers were essential to the testing and development of the Fulton Skyhook, intended for the sophisticated snatch pickup of troops from remote areas; Whereas United States Air Force divers, specifically Pararescuemen and Combat Controllers, have supported crucial missions of the Department of Defense in Iraq and Afghanistan and crucial missions of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Whereas United States Coast Guard divers undertook clandestine infiltration missions in the European and Pacific theaters of World War II; Whereas United States Coast Guard divers provided critical underwater ship husbandry support during the historic exploration of the Northwest Passage by the Coast Guard in 1957; Whereas United States Coast Guard divers assisted in the recoveries of Air Florida Flight 90, the Space Shuttle Challenger, and numerous other aircraft and vehicles; Whereas United States Coast Guard divers have enhanced scientific achievements through the collection of marine samples in the Arctic and Antarctic regions; Whereas United States Coast Guard divers have ensured the safety of shipping in the Pacific Islands; and Whereas United States Coast Guard divers have established a security posture throughout the United States during inspections of ports, waterways, and coastal security facilities since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001: Now, therefore, be it

That it is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of the Navy should provide an appropriate site at the former Navy Dive School at the Washington Navy Yard for the Man in the Sea Memorial Monument, to be paid for with private funds, to honor the members of the Armed Forces who have served as divers and whose service in defense of the United States has been carried out beneath the waters of the world, so long as the Secretary of the Navy has exclusive authority to approve the design and site of the monument.