laststandonzombieisland

The French Navy has some 640 assorted full-time diver billets, with most (320) being Plongeurs de mineurs (PLD) who serve as clearance/EOD divers, followed by 170 Plongeurs de Bord (PLB) who ship out and serve as on-board divers for such tasks as hull inspections, disaster response, and man-overboard rescues. A select group of 60 Plongeurs d’Helicoptere (PLH) serve as CSAR rescue swimmers.

Then we have the 90 Naguers de Combat (NC), which are some of the most professional frogmen-style combat divers in the world, skilled in the use of closed-circuit breathing apparatus, HALO jumps, submarine operations, demo, kayak insertions/exfils, and all things commando.

The NCs have been around since 1952 and, drawn from the ranks of the fleet, complete a grueling 7-month training class (CNC) which typically graduates fewer than 10 members each cycle.

In all, just over 1,000 NCs have ever been minted by the French Navy in the past seven decades– the 101st course just graduated– and 19 have lost their lives while on active service.

The French Navy recently dedicated a memorial to those 19 at Brest, which, at high tide, is submerged and slowly emerges when the tide falls.

Sculpted by Nacera Kainou, who used two active duty NCs as models, the plinth contains 52 Saint-Michel medals, the patron saint of paratroopers, which were blessed in the chapel of Notre Dame de Rocamadour.

Of note, the marker contains space for more NC numbers.