Navy Diver David Bradrick "Hoo Yah Instructor Bradrick!"

A MK-5 Generation Navy Diver, David Bradrick, enlisted in the United States Navy in November 1973 and retired from active duty in August 2001. He attended Navy Boot Camp in Orlando, Florida. His first duty station was Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In Little Creek, Virginia, where David attended 2nd Class Dive School in 1975, he remembers seeing Master Diver Carl Brasher. David said that Master Diver Brasher, who overcame his physical challenges, inspired him to beat the grueling dive school physical requirements. 

During his tour of duty on the USS Mataco ATF-86, David endured three WestPac deployments. David recalled standing watch on the USS Mataco while the ship took heavy rolls from nearby typhoons. His most memorable times on the Mataco were his “Crossing the Line Ceremonies”, the times when the ship would pull into the Philippines, and his dives in the MK-5 deep-sea dive helmet and dress. David tells a story about his Dad, Thomas Bradrick Jr., visiting him on the Mataco. 

After some reserve duty time at a Navy Reserve Unit in Ohio, David returned to active duty and completed 1st Class Dive School in 1985. Other tours of duty during his Navy Dive career were with the Experimental Dive Unit in Panama City, Florida, USS Dixon AS-37, instructor duty at 2nd Class Dive School, Navy Amphibious Base Coronado, California, USS Acadia AD-42, Consolidated Divers Unit, USS Safeguard ARS-50, and Shore Intermediate Maintenance Activity, Virginia. 

David mentioned these Navy Divers as being influential to him during his Navy career: MDV David Snoden, MDV/CWO4 Frank Perna, MDV Bill Staples, MDV Boots Clark, DV Frank Miller, DV Rick Jones, DV Don Moore, DV Cesar Torres, MDV Bobby Cave, MDV/CWO5 Rick Armstrong, DV Paul Drezmala, MDV Rusty Hunt, Commander/DMO Jed Morrison, MDV George Powell, MDV Paul Schadow, and MDV Steve Wiggins.

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