Overview
MISSION SUPPORT SCUBA (MSS) uses SCUBA diving to holistically address the health and mental well-being of veterans of the U.S. military.¬ The physical and mental benefits of scuba diving are only the start.¬ After the Open Water scuba diver certification, veterans are trained as members of the AquaCorps, to assist in the management and habitat conservation of Spring Lake. Additional environmental stewardship, public service, research and training opportunities are provided in which the veteran can participate, engage, and make a difference.
3-4 times per year, a group of 8 veterans is trained to SCUBA dive (NAUI Open Water certification) and help maintain Spring Lake. The veterans are then encouraged to continue diving and find additional volunteer opportunities.
Twice a year, local veterans are invited to the Dive Shop San Marcos to experience Try SCUBA. Try SCUBA is a 1-2 hour period in the swimming pool where veterans are introduced to diving and allowed to “blow bubbles” underwater. Some veterans become interested in SCUBA diving and apply for the diving program. Some veterans are not interested in certification but are interested in the psychological and physiological benefits of SCUBA diving. For these individuals we offer to bring them back to the pool at their request to “blow bubbles”. This can be a recreational diversion, or a therapy guided by a counselor or other medical professional.
Mission
Mission Support SCUBA (MSS) provides eligible U.S. military veterans in Central Texas with SCUBA diving training and certification; serviceable equipment; and SCUBA diving opportunities that benefit the veterans and the community in which they live. Many veteran organizations support the worthy cause of providing disabled veterans with opportunities to which they may not otherwise have access. MSS offers ALL veterans the opportunity to engage with a network of peers who share similar backgrounds in a structured environment where camaraderie and purpose flourish.
Goals
Mission Support SCUBA (MSS) uses SCUBA diving and the requisite training to holistically address the physical and mental well-being of U.S. military veterans. The physical and mental benefits of SCUBA diving are only the start. By acting as a central point of contact, veterans have access to an entire network of divers with different ties to the local community – and a worldwide sport. MSS provides community engagement and service through our network of dive professionals, researchers, benefactors, hobbyists, and local businesses.
After the SCUBA diver certification, veterans are trained as members of the AquaCorps. The AquaCorps assists the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment in the management and habitat conservation of Spring Lake, one of the longest continually inhabited locations in North America (over 14,000 years!). Spring Lake is also home to 8 threatened or endangered species, an archaeological dig site, the sacred land of Native American tribes from Central Texas area, and the primary location for countless research projects. Veterans are also given the opportunity to join the South Hays Fire Department Dive Team, a volunteer underwater search and recovery team in South Hays County, Texas. Additional environmental stewardship, public service, and research opportunities are continually sought in which the veteran can participate, engage, and make a difference.
