26 new clearance divers graduate
After ten months of training, 26 student clearance divers graduated at the École de plongée de Saint-Mandrier-sur-Mer on July 17.
After ten months of intensive and demanding training, 26 students from the three clearance diver courses (brevet d’aptitude technique, brevet supérieur, and officer) completed their curriculum. The graduation ceremony was held at the École de plongée de Saint-Mandrier-sur-Mer.
The event was presided over by Contre-amiral David Samson, commander of the Pôle Écoles Méditerranée (PEM). In the presence of civil and military authorities and their families, the new graduates received their specialty insignia from their sponsor, a former clearance diver, perpetuating a tradition of transmission and camaraderie.
A tribute to diving pioneers
Before the graduation ceremony, a highly symbolic moment marked the day with the naming ceremony of a school building which now bears the name "Mousquemers". This tribute recalls the legacy left by the legendary trio composed of Philippe Tailliez, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, and Frédéric Dumas, the fathers of modern scuba diving in France. Their innovations and pioneering spirit continue to inspire generations of divers.
Created in 1958, the École de plongée is the reference training center for all underwater operations of the Marine. Each year, it trains nearly 500 trainees from the Marine, but also from the other armed forces (Terre, Air) and the Gendarmerie nationale.
More than 150 shipboard divers are trained there annually, alongside the most advanced specialists such as clearance divers or combat swimmers. Management is provided by nearly 70 instructors, who supervise around 25,000 training dives per year, ensuring a maximum level of excellence and safety.
At the heart of the Pôle Écoles Méditerranée
The École de plongée is one of the six schools that make up the Pôle Écoles Méditerranée (PEM). Spanning 150 hectares, the PEM is the largest training center of the Marine. It trains more than 8,500 military personnel each year.
The pole provides 50% of the Marine's recruitments and initial training, as well as more than 60% of higher training for brevets and certificates. It employs nearly 850 people, including 130 Defense civilians and teachers seconded from the Éducation nationale. The courses taught prepare sailors for their future assignments.
Article from the paper edition of La Gazette du Var