ISSUE 01 - Magazine - Page 6
04 — DeepSea Issue 01
05 —The Aquanaut of Norway
06 —The Aquanaut of Norway
07 — Destination Mossel Bay
06
DEEPSEA MGZN
US NAVY
DEEP SEA
What I did know was that I was an angry, insecure
kid with something to prove to the many people who
questioned my toughness, intelligence, or ability to
succeed in life. The military seemed like the natural
choice for someone like me. Going to college was a
non-negotiable fact of life for my parents, so I applied
for and was fortunately accepted to attend the United
States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD.
EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTOR: EDDIE ZHANG
/ USN DIVING OFFICER
While attending Annapolis, I was drawn to the
caliber of men within the Special Operations
community. Their physical and mental attributes as
well as the tight-knit brotherhood formed through
shared hardships allured me, and I made it my goal to
become a Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD)
o昀케cer. Unfortunately, I was medically disquali昀椀ed
shortly after the selection process due to my eyesight
color de昀椀ciency. While I was no doubt devastated by
the news, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise
as I was able to stumble across a Navy Civil Engineer
Corps (CEC) o昀케cer who served with the Navy
Underwater Construction Teams (UCT). Through him,
I was able to learn about this hidden gem of a
community and made it my new goal to become a
Navy CEC diving o昀케cer. Through no shortage of
networking, interviews, and PT sessions, I was
fortunate enough to commision as a CEC o昀케cer,
complete Navy dive school, and serve an incredible
tour as the O昀케cer-in-Charge (OIC) for a UCT
Construction Dive Detachment (CDD). My time spent
as a UCT OIC has been the most challenging and
rewarding experience of my life. The men and women
I’ve had the privilege of working with inside the Navy
deep sea diving community are some of the 昀椀nest I’ve
ever met in my life, and it is truly the honor of my life
to have been accepted into and served within this
incredible brotherhood. Thanks DeepSea Magazine
for allowing me to share my story, I appreciate
everything you’re doing for the community.
HOOYAH DEEP SEA!
My name is Eddie Zhang, and I am an active duty
US Navy Diving O昀케cer. I was born in rural China
and moved to Japan at the age of one. When I was
three, my father was fortunate enough to secure a
US work visa and thereby allow my whole family to
immigrate to the United States, whereby we settled
in Pittsburgh, PA. Growing up as the only Asian kid
in my high school, I had a large chip on my
shoulder and constantly felt the need to prove
myself through rebellious behavior and an
unrelenting worth ethic. As the only child of
hardworking Chinese immigrants, my parents
wanted me to pursue a stable, well-paying career
as a lawyer, doctor, or banker. Unfortunately for
them, I had other ideas. I didn’t grow up with an
overwhelming desire to join the military nor did I
ever feel the “call” to serve. Hell I barely knew
anything about the military until my junior year of
high school.
