Waterproof: Missile Retrievers not afraid to dive in

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Rachelle Elsea
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  When the weather channel reports tall waves, mean currents and high winds, the last thing anyone is eager to do is jump into open water.

But, for Ray Gallien and Chris Geradine, commercial divers aboard one of three 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron's Missile Retrievers, it sometimes becomes part of the job.

The 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron, a tenant unit at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., is the only Subscale Aerial Target provider in the Air Force, housing nearly 30 BM-167A remote controlled drones which are water and land recoverable. The drones are a means to test and evaluate air-to-air weapons, the effectiveness of counter measures during sorties and the effectiveness of the weapons systems.

The men of the 133 ton-117.5 ft MR boats are responsible for the location and recovery of Subscale Aerial Targets in the Gulf of Mexico W151 Live-Fire Range.

"Usually, the recovery area is anywhere from 45 to 85 miles out ...for us to go pick up a drone it averages about a 10-and-a-half-hour day," Gallien said.

With a crew of half a dozen, everyone is put to work.

"It's a six-man crew - a captain, an engineer, a wiper and three deck hands, two of which, double as divers," Gallien said.

Gallien has been a diver for 35 years and aboard the MR for 17, while Geradine just recently joined the team in the beginning of January.

"He is the newest member of the team, but is very experienced for his age," Gallien said. "He is also a member of the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, teaching others how to dive."

Chris is only 25 and has already done a fair amount of diving, he added.

For both divers, operations include recovering drone targets, aircraft parts and related equipment both floating and submerged. They have the ability to dive up to 100 feet.

"I love being in the water," Gallien said. "But, it's not fun if it's bad weather."

The divers have no problem diving into waves up to five feet, but are prepared to recover into waves up to eight feet depending on the situation.

"The mission itself is pretty straightforward," Gallien said. "But, things get complicated by the sea state. Sometimes in rough seas with a bad current, there is no way a diver can get back to the boat's ladder. So, we have to throw a life ring out to the diver and pull them back in. The boat can be going up and down several feet, so it is real tricky getting back on the boat."

He said it's even difficult for crew members on board to stay on their feet.

But, rough weather isn't their only rival.

"Some of the challenges, other than the seas themselves, is that the drone sometimes has a lot of damage on it, so you have to be really careful in maneuvering around it because it can have a lot of sharp edges," Gallien said. "It can cut you pretty badly if you are not careful. You also have to be cautious of the parachute, if it is still wrapped around it. You can get tangled up in that."

The parachute may have up to 100 lines.

But in the end the crew members, thoroughly love what they do and grow to become like a family.

"We primarily stay with one boat and one crew throughout our career here," Gallien said. "Together, with the other two boats, we recover from 20 to 25 missiles a year."

According to 82nd ATRS officials, the mission of the Missile Retriever saves the Air Force several million dollars a year.