USA Diving is proud to announce DIVE INTO SERVICE. This new service program bringing veterans, active-duty military members and USA Diving athletes together will launch September 11th, in Colorado Springs, Colorado during a visit with the Air Force’s 21st Space Wing located at Peterson Air Force Base. USA Diving, in conjunction with American300 Tours, will be coordinating this year-round two-way exchange program for USA Diving athletes, veterans and military service members stationed around the world.
Donations to help support DIVE INTO SERVICE made be made here.
DIVE INTO SERVICE is a mentorship and relationship building program that partners military service members with USA Diving athletes to share like experiences as representatives of the United States. The commitment, training, high-intensity and pressure-driven nature of military service and top-level athletics has proven to be common ground for participants that provides a unique forum for communication and understanding.
“We are excited to launch this new mentoring initiative that will educate our athletes while engaging and supporting our military service personnel stationed around the world,” said Linda Paul, President and CEO of USA Diving.
As participants in DIVE INTO SERVICE, USA Diving athletes will have the opportunity to learn leadership and team-building skills through sessions run by military veterans sharing their personal experiences defending our nation. In turn, USA Diving athletes will have an opportunity to share their stories of setting both individual and team goals in a highly competitive arena while representing the USA. The shared experiences of a commitment to training to be the best, facing high pressure situations, representing the United States and traveling the world provide multiple subjects for interactions and engagement by all participants, resulting in supportive and enduring relationships.
Attending the first DIVE INTO SERVICE trip will be Troy Dumais, four-time U.S. Olympian and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist ; Terry Powers, USA Diving Vice President; and Rob Powers, founder of American300. During the Peterson Air Force base visit, USA Diving will announce plans for future DIVE INTO SERVICE trips, including a trip to Thule Air Base, located on the northern end of Greenland. Thule Air Base is 750 miles north of the Arctic Circle and is the U.S. Armed Forces’ most remote military base. USA Diving will continue planning additional trips with American300 to incorporate, engage and support the other four branches of military service.
About the 21st Space Wing and Peterson Air Force Base
The 21st Space Wing is headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. The 21st SW is the Air Force’s most geographically-dispersed wing, and the fifth largest wing in the Air Force by number of units. The wing consists of five groups and 40 units in eight countries across 12 times zones, literally covering the world with their operations. The 21st Space Wing provides missile warning and space control to North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Strategic Command through a network of command and control units and ground and space-based sensors operated by geographically separated units around the world. The wing is led by Col. Douglas Schiess,commander; Col. Eric Dorminey, vice commander; and Chief Master Sgt. Idalia Peele, command chief master sergeant.
About USA Diving
USA Diving is a not-for-profit organization that continues to take the sport of diving and its athletes of all ages to new levels. We’re passionate about sharing the excitement of the sport with new fans, and thanks to the support of a dedicated staff and other partner organizations, diving continues to be one of the United States’ most successful summer Olympic sports.
USA Diving selects, conditions, and trains teams to represent the United States in major diving events including the Olympic Games, World Championships, and the FINA Diving World Cup. Other well-known events include the AT&T National Diving Championships, the AT&T USA Diving Grand Prix, and Junior and senior level National Championships.
About American300.org
American300 Tours is an all-volunteer not-for-profit organization that supports our Department of Defense, Department of State and Homeland Security service members, their families and the countries in which they live and operate in with mentor programming. American300 selects mentors based on likability, relevance and reliability of individual life stories and places these mentors in areas of operation all over the world. To date American300 has placed mentors on over 500 bases worldwide and continues to organize over 30 tours a year.
Courtesy of USA Diving.
