Fleet Maintenance Officer Trades Desk for Dive, Sees Fleet Readiness from the Seafloor
13 August 2025
NORFOLK, Va. -
Rear Adm. Dianna Wolfson, Fleet Maintenance Officer for U.S. Fleet Forces Command, stepped out of her office and into the water Aug. 8, joining active-duty and civilian divers for her first-ever dive. Her mission: to see firsthand the work being done under the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS San Antonio (LPD 17).
The dive, conducted alongside Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center divers, gave Wolfson an up-close view of the routine underwater ship husbandry work vital to keeping the fleet at sea and mission-ready.
“Every trip to the waterfront is time well spent, but getting underneath an [Amphibious Ready Group] amphib in the final days of her deployment preps was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Wolfson.
For the past month, ten divers from Navy Expeditionary Combat Command’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit have been working hand-in-hand with MARMC’s teams in Norfolk and Mayport, Fla., to keep regular, pre-deployment maintenance on track. Those divers were on station during Wolfson’s visit, guiding her through the repair site.
“As a member of Navy’s Dive Executive Steering Committee, I engage frequently in matters critical to the operational readiness of our dive-enabled mission areas,” Wolfson said. “Gaining personal exposure to an actual productive dive not only deepened my appreciation for our active-duty and civilian divers, it also gave me a unique perspective that could’ve only been gained by putting on the helmet and getting under that ship.”
Chief Warrant Officer Five Jason Potts, Fleet Diving Officer with USFFC, has been participating in, overseeing, and coordinating this kind of underwater maintenance for over two decades.
“Friday’s familiarization dive on San Antonio facilitated the Fleet Maintenance Officer’s direct exposure to the world-class underwater ship husbandry capabilities that keep our fleet away from the dry docks and out to sea,” said Potts. “This engagement uniquely captured Global Maritime Response in action and gave the Admiral a front-row seat to the complex, technical operations of our [underwater ship husbandry] teams.”
The Global Maritime Response Plan is a strategic framework the U.S. Navy is developing to help it quickly shift from peacetime readiness to full wartime posture. It serves as a playbook that guides how the Navy ramps up operations, including deploying ships, submarines, aircraft, and personnel at speed.
Potts called the dive a “massive win” for both the crews in the water and Navy leadership.
“‘We dive the world over’ isn’t just a phrase on a blue t-shirt — it’s a way of life for the quiet professionals who were proud to offer Admiral Wolfson a brief glimpse into a day in the life of a Navy Deep Sea Diver,” he said.
The experience highlighted the teamwork and specialized skills that keep Navy ships ready to go, whether the work happens on deck, in a dry dock, or dozens of feet underwater.
U.S. Fleet Forces Command is responsible for manning, training, equipping and employing more than 125 ships, 1,000 aircraft, and 103,000 active-duty service members and government employees, and providing combat-ready forces forward to numbered fleets and combatant commanders around the globe in support of U.S. national interests.