Canadian Petty Officer Tony Falletta in wetsuit and SIVA Underwater Mine Countermeasures (MCM) Diving Apparatus (oxygen rebreather). grabs the reigns of a rubber dive boat during mine counter measure operations as part of Exercise KERNEL BLITZ '97.  The Canadian divers are part of a group of mine counter measure teams, including US and Austrailian teams,  working from USS Denver (LPD 9) off the coast of Southern California.  KERNEL BLITZ is a bi-annual Commander-in-Chief Pacific (CINCPAC) fleet training exercise (FLEETEX) focused on operational/tactical training of Commander, Third Fleet (C3F)/ I Marine Expeditionary Forces (MEF) and Commander, Amphibious Group 3 (CPG-3)/ 1st Marine Division (MARDIV).  KERNEL BLITZ is designed to enhance the training of Sailors and Marines in the complexities of brigade-size amphibious assault operations.
PH2 (NAC) Jeff Viano, USN
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