Mililani resident becomes first female civilian diver at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard

Kamele Taylor, a Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF) diver, exits the water during a repair on USS Columbus (SSN 762) on Aug. 19. U.S. Navy photo by Katie Vanes

Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard Public Affairs

When Kamele Taylor broke the water’s surface for the first time in her Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard dive suit, she also made history.

Taylor became the first female civilian U.S. Navy diver at Pearl Harbor when she graduated from Navy Diving and Salvage Training Center (NDSTC) in Panama City, Fla. on Aug. 5. Taylor is also the first female civilian diver at any of the four naval shipyards. Although there are no regulations banning civilian females from this specialty, none had previously applied for the dive program.

“I’m glad I made it through dive school,” said Taylor. “It was pretty tough – physically and emotionally challenging.”

NDSTC students undergo grueling physical training, perform hundreds of push-ups and run an average 5 to 10 miles daily, according to Chief Warrant Officer 4 Chris Spann, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF) diving division head Dive students additionally endure mentally stressful tasks to build their confidence. For example, instructors temporarily cut off the divers’ air supply to masks, remove equipment while in use underwater, and impose numerous other underwater challenges to test students’ ability to maintain composure.

These obstacles did not stop Taylor from soaring to the top. After four and a half months of training at NDSTC, she placed second in her class of 15 divers.

Taylor, a Mililani resident and PHNSY & IMF rigger with seven years of experience, decided to pursue a dive career last spring after PHNSY & IMF divers Garrett Doi and Derek Maikai noticed her swimming laps in Scott Pool on the naval base every morning. They told her that she would be a prime candidate for the program. “I was a strong swimmer at Mililani High School, and my dad was a free diver,” Taylor said.

PHNSY & IMF riggers are eligible to apply to the diving program after working in their trade for five years. Only one other diver, Eric Akumu, made the transition from rigger to diver in the past seven years. Taylor was the first female to ‘take the plunge.’

“We’ve been impressed with Kamele ever since she was an apprentice,” Doi said. “I’m proud of her for finishing at the top of her class. That’s quite an accomplishment.”

Chief Navy Diver Jason Potts, Taylor’s lead instructor at NDSTC, said, “Ms. Taylor’s effort, motivation and positive attitude were infectious. No matter the task, she rose to the top while never ceasing to amaze my teammates and me. I am proud to call her a fellow deep-sea diver.”

As a novice PHNSY & IMF diver, Taylor knows she has a lot to learn in terms of hands-on diving projects, especially with submarines. On her second day, she was already underwater supporting a propeller replacement on USS Columbus (SSN 762).

“If you have it in your heart, anything’s possible. Some people let their minds take control of them, but you have to take control of your mind,” Taylor said. “Pride was my motivation to represent the islands at dive school in Florida – showing that local girls from Hawaii can do it, too.”