Wounded American Veterans Experience SCUBA Project July 2021

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Five female veterans of the US Armed Services joined the National Park Service for a week of removing marine debris from Biscayne National Park, July 5-11, 2021. The veterans were sponsored by the Wounded American Veterans Experience SCUBA Project (WAVES), non-profit established to provide opportunities for veterans with service-connected disabilities and their families to experience scuba diving. Other partners in the project included the Women Divers Hall of Fame, an organization that recognizes women leaders and innovators in the diving community. The project was made possible through funding from the National Park Foundation, the official charitable partner of the National Park Service.

The veterans are part of an all-female National Park Service and partner organization dive team, with staff members from Biscayne National Park and the National Park Service’s Submerged Resources Center, as well as the University of Miami. The team is working from a Horizon Divers charter boat, also crewed by an entirely female team. Meet some of the veterans who participated. Find more information about Biscayne National Park.

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Esmerelda Ortega spent 13 years in the Marine Corps as a meteorologist and oceanographer.She said, "After my deployment to Afghanistan, I started to lose my Marine brothers to suicide year after year and with the addition of traumas, I lost myself. Diving has been the first thing and the only thing that has pulled me out of the darkness I was living in for the past six years. I'm finally seeing some semblance of a more normal life. Participating in this project is providing me the opportunity to continue gaining the independence I lost and having a clear path to make a difference provides me a sense of accomplishment and advances my journey towards healing."

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Credit: Courtesy of Karen Cocozza

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Credit: NPS Photo

Karen Cocozza is a US Army combat veteran, having served in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2009. "Iraq was such a big experience. Some was bad, some was good, but it was all big. Afterwards, regular life felt a little dull in comparison. It was tough to feel excited about anything. When I found WAVES, I knew it was going to be something important in my life. They specifically work with veterans, so I felt comfortable taking that first step in reaching out and applying for the program. I immediately felt at home there. They know that we're coming to them with mental and/or physical issues from our time in the military and they work with each one of us, wherever we're at, to get us comfortable diving. And there is nothing like diving. It is peace and quiet and excitement and wonder all at the same time. It has given me a sense of purpose and fulfillment. I am so grateful for this opportunity to work with the National Park Service because, not only do I get to dive in a beautiful location with a group of amazing women, but I get to give something back at the same time." 

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Credit: Courtesy of Abbie Johnson

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Credit: NPS Photo

Abbie Johnson served as a musician in the US Navy, stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Her favorite part of the week was the opportunity to participate in ocean conservation. Abbie says, “The ocean did a lot for me and my recovery, so it was amazing to have the opportunity to give back to the ocean. I also love to surf, and have previously spent more time on the surface of the water, so it was incredible to be able to spend more time under the surface, healing myself through healing the ocean. I also loved having a task to do underwater. It gave our dives a sense of purpose and was a great way to give back in a small way."

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Credit: Courtesy of Charlamain Caycedo

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Credit: NPS Photo

Charlamain Caycedo served 4 years as a Master at Arms in the US Navy. She is a third generation veteran. Her grandfather served in the Korean War and her father in the Vietnam era. She says she “enlisted to serve her country and follow in their footsteps.” Her first duty station was in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba from 2001-2003 and then the USS Peleliu in 2003 with the 1st Expeditionary Strike Group, where she assisted with Operation Enduring Freedom. This week, Char has most enjoyed the camaraderie with other female veterans and scientists, working towards the mission of cleaning and protecting our coral reefs. 

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Credit: Courtesy of Linsay Rousseau Burnett

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Credit: NPS Photo

Linsay Rousseau Burnett is a US Army Iraq War combat veteran. She was a combat photographer and public affairs sergeant for the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. Linsay was deployed to Iraq from 2005-2006, documenting U.S. Army combat and humanitarian operations. 

This is not Linsay’s first experience with the National Park Service. Both of her parents are retired National Park visitor and resource protection rangers, Ginny Rousseau and Dennis Burnett. They had long and storied careers. Ginny and Dennis met and married in Yosemite National Park, and Linsay was born in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Growing up, she lived in Sequoia, Gateway National Recreation Area, Arch National Park, Cape Cod National Seashore, and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Her family later moved to northern Virginia where Ginny was the Chief Ranger at Shenandoah National Park and Dennis worked in Washington DC as the Deputy Chief of Law Enforcement, Security & Emergency Services. Early in their careers they were maintenance, Search and Rescue (SAR) and resource management divers at Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Yosemite National Park. Ginny was the second female to go through American Academy for Underwater Sciences scientific diver training at Scripps Institute of Oceanography for the National Park Service. 

They retired after 35 years having worked in 13 different parks. Linsay says, “I grew up in the Park Service, so being able to participate in this trip is incredibly important to me. I am a Park Service kid through and through. I'm also a water baby, so the ocean has always been my happy place. Being out in nature is where I feel the most at home—hiking, camping, etc. Protecting the environment and conservation has always been vitally important to me. I was raised with a deep respect for the environment and protecting our vital natural resources. This led to me being an environmental and human rights activist for many years. Despite my careers having taken many turns, that passion has always stayed with me. I'm excited to be diving in the parks like my parents before me. I even carry my dad’s engraved dive knife that he received in 1977 while at Lake Mead."