The first female Coast Guard rescue swimmer was Kelly Mogk Larson, who joined the Coast Guard in 1984 and later became the first woman to complete Navy Rescue Swimmer School, on May 23, 1986. The Coast Guard recommends a workout plan that includes cardio along with muscular fitness, strength, and flexibility training. Furthermore, maintaining a regular exercise routine and limiting alcohol use goes a long way in making sure youre completely prepared. Consequently, youll need to get in excellent shape and excel swimming and wading in water. It is a good baseline for what you can expect as an AST. Minimum Adult Buoyancy. After completion of A-School, all ASTs are sent to Training Center Petaluma, California to attend the Coast Guard's Emergency Medical Technician school. Recruits are allowed to receive letters throughout boot camp, and are encouraged to reach out to friends and family while they go through the grueling training. In todays post, we look at the story of this daring rescue through Robertss eyes. Right in your inbox. It is intended to provide operational guidance for Coast Guard personnel You can make the transition to the Coast Guard easier by exercising regularly, practicing your swimming skills, and eating healthy. Other rescue swimmers are members of the Danish Navy and operate from Westland Lynx Mk 90B helicopters based on Thetis-class ocean patrol vessels in the waters around Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and, occasionally, Iceland. His team was able to put a spotlight on the survivor. While Katrina brought domestic and international news coverage to Coast Guard rescue swimmers and their crews, their story was first shown on television in a series of 1999 specials on Discovery Channel, Coast Guard: Rescue Swimmers and Coast Guard: Helicopters to the Rescue. When you arrive at the Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer School in Elizabeth City, N.C., you will be expected to excel in one of the most stressful environments in military training. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. The crew departed the air station as a low-pressure storm system battered Southeast Alaska. They are highly trained and relentlessly conditioned field operatives. That ultimately, is the job of the ASTor, you know, the rescue swimmerto save lives in the harshest conditions imaginable. Minimum of 50 sit-ups in two minutes Minimum of 42 push-ups in two minutes 1.5 mile run in less than 12 minutes 400 meter swim in less than 11 minutes During your time as a SRS, you will be required to pass physical and swimming tests at designated intervals. Copyright 2023 www.OperationMilitaryKids.org. But in this case the enemy is the weather. As a collateral responsibility, an AST may be expected to fill aircrew positions such as Dropmaster or Loadmaster, Sensor Systems Operator, Helicopter Basic Aircrewman, and Helicopter Rescue Swimmer. He graduated from Saint Leo University with his B.A. Swiss pilot Yves Rossy, the person who had accepted the Webtel.mobi Intercontinental Challenge, had to ditch into the North Atlantic Ocean midway through the 30-mile flight from Morocco to Spain after his wing was destabilized by a large cumulonimbus cloud. The schooling and training is some of the most demanding you will find in any branch of the U.S. Military. AWS will associate with MH-60S and AWR will associate with MH-60R. HSC-2 located in Norfolk, VA or HSC-3 located in San Diego, CA. Its a good idea to already workout ready and become an advanced swimmer if you are not so already. Rescue swimmer school is conducted at the Coast Guard Aviation Technical Training Center in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. This syllabus can take from six to twelve months. In addition to the basic requirements of simply getting in to the Coast Guard, you also need to meet the following qualifications: Once you pass that hurdle, the real fun begins. But this is perhaps the most crucial part of the training; if these candidates can't endure extreme conditions, it's going to be hard to rescue someone in distress. Every USCG rating has a minimum ASVAB score needed to qualify for the position. Secondly, youll need to pass a medical screening at MEPS. Coast Guardsmen who attend Aviation Survival Technician A-School willingly undergo the most physically strenuous school the Coast . In order to qualify for Aviation Survival Technician (IE 'Rescue Swimmer), you will need a minimum ASVAB score of 162. This page was not helpful because the content, Read the full story by the U.S. Coast Guard, Extreme Rescue: Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Receives DHS Secretarys Award for Valor. These swimmers are generally recruited from the diver-corps (which has a 6-to-10-week diving course from the Danish Navy Diving School) and receive basic helicopter-crash-survival training. 1. Each branch of the military, including the Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Army, have some form of rescue swimmer. Rescue swimmers must have flexibility, strength, endurance, and be able to function for 30 minutes in heavy seas. Although aviation Rescue Swimmer's primary job is to search and recover downed pilots, there is a multitude of training for tactics. Training is tough and ongoing. SAR TECHs who demonstrate the required knowledge, experience, and leadership skills may also be selected as an instructor at the Canadian Forces School of Search and Rescue (CFSSAR), at 19 Wing Comox, British Columbia. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) The U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May serves as the training grounds. It prescribes policy, standards, instructions and capabilities pertinent to all phases of Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer operations and is intended for use by operational commanders, unit commanding officers, and aircrews tasked with rescue swimmer To become a Surface Rescue Swimmer you must be able to perform physically. 33.0 (150) I - Buoyant Foam or Kapok. An Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) registered to fishing vessel Irony had been activated in Earnest Sound, 150 miles southeast of Sitka. Meet the minimum Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) score: VE+AR+MK+MC=210 or VE+AR+MK+AS=210. One weak link and the whole rescue could fall apart. PJs are an elite special operations component, engaging in combat search and rescue. The attrition rate in some years reportedly was as high as 80 percent, though over a ten year average has been much lower approximately 54 percent. Most often, they are referred to as Search and rescue swimmers (or SARs), and their primary goal is to rescue downed aviators. While serving as Helicopter Rescue Swimmers, ASTs may find themselves deployed into a myriad of challenging scenarios ranging from hurricanes and cliff rescues to emergency medical evacuations from ships at sea. (LockA locked padlock) According to CareerBliss, U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers make about $38,000 per year. President George W. Bush awarded the active, reserve, auxiliary and civilian employees of the Coast Guard a Presidential Unit Citation and ribbon for their response to Hurricane Katrina.[11]. It averages to about $18 per hour. Candidates attend a four-week Aircrew School followed by a five-week Aviation Rescue Swimming School in Pensacola, Florida. AWS crewmen work with joint forces such as Navy SEALS, Navy EOD, MARSOC, and other special warfare units. MEPS exams your medical history as well as your psychological competence. Coast Guard rescue swimmers, AKA Aviation Survival Technicians, have a primary role of rescuing distressed persons from a myriad of situations. If you screen as overweight, your height and wrist measurements may be rechecked or verified. Visit the Recognizing DHS Excellence page for more stories about this years awardees. They are the ones jumping from helicopters into the open ocean to save human lives in any weather conditions. The Coast Guard rescue swimmer training program is very challenging and is one of the toughest U.S. military training courses. While they are going through the swimming and classroom phase of their training, candidates also must attend classes to learn about the aircraft they will serve on. Once they are NATOPS certified, and completed with the PQS and boards, they are eligible to wear Naval Aircrew wings. At the school students learn the challenges of helicopter rescues along with cliff operations and sea-cave traversing. Romeos and Sierras break apart during 'A' school and they begin to learn more specific parts of their jobs. It is little surprise that they must represent the best swimmers the U.S. Military has to offer as they deal with high seas and other challenging environments. To better your chances of being accepted, you should try to score higher. During Hurricane Katrina, the Coast Guard, drawing on 80-plus rescue swimmers, rescued more than 33,000 people."When Mom and Pop need to be rescued, we're the professionals," says Kiest, who . HH/MH-65 D/E (Dolphin) The mainstay of the Coast Guard's rotary wing fleet, the Dolphin has been with the Coast Guard since the early 1980's. U.S. Air Force Rescue Swimmers are known as pararescuemen. Finally, before graduating, candidates are required to pass a test involving multiple rescue scenarios. Further responsibilities include the storage and handling of aviation ordnance and pyrotechnic devices. Aviation Survival Technician (AST) is a rating or job specialty in the United States Coast Guard. PURPOSE. The RS must also possess Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) skills in order to provide basic pre-hospital life support for the rescued individual(s). Coastguards help prevent the loss of life along the coast and at sea by co-ordinating and supporting search and rescue operations. Although, to be considered "fully qualified", they will have to complete the Level II & III syllabus which can take another demanding 24 months. He was one of three that graduatedand for one of those guys, it was his second time trying. Summary. Hed originally been in a class with 11 would-be rescue swimmers who all washed out. Rescue swimmers usually are charged with the rescue, assessment, and rendering of medical aid to persons in distress in the sea, on the land, or in the air. Like every other US military branch, Coast Guard pay is determined by years of service and your rank within the branch. The U.S. Coast Guards Rescue Swimmers are considered to be one of the top rescue specialist units in the world. But it was too late for the majority of them. Age, Height, Weight, Education, and Dependents Coast Guard age limit: You must fall between 17-31 if joining for active duty, and 17-40 for reserve duty. Ask your recruiter about the Annex-X Program if interested in the AST rate! 1 mile Litter walk in 16 minutes or less. DISCLAIMER: This guidance is not a substitute for applicable legal requirements, nor is it itself a legal rule. The final operational phase is used to evaluate the individual's ability to use all previously learned skills and will be the deciding factor in awarding the qualification to Wings Standard. The instructors goal is to ensure that only those with the calmest nerves are dropping into the water. I thought I was going to die out here.. After a few years, the differences between what the candidates were learning in the combat-oriented Navy school and what was being required of them during civilian rescues required an organic Coast Guard helicopter rescue swimmer school to be begun. About half of prospective candidates make it to AST "A" School. There is only a reported 75 to 100 candidates that are selected each year for training. At-sea interdictions of pure cocaine are the most effective way for the Coast Guard to limit cartels and other criminal networks from trafficking their entire spectrum of illicit products. A rescue swimmer from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is hoisted back into an HH-60 Jayhawk after retrieving a rescue training dummy. Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and fitness author certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. After seven weeks of EMT training, they must take and pass the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians-Basic (NREMT-B) test as part of their qualification as a helicopter rescue swimmer. Ben Cournia, the swimmer who orchestrated the rescue of the Minouche, started his class with 9 trainees. A local Coast Guard recruiting office has more information on the requirements and expectations of the military branch. Romeos also go through a longer 'A' school than Sierras. After graduating from Rescue swimmer school (RSS), students go on to their respective 'A' School, also in Pensacola, Florida. Additionally, new recruits need to have a willingness to serve on or around water because of the unique duties of the military branch. Reportedly, only 75-100 Coast Guard personnel attend the school each year. The deploy from either the RIB or the J-Bar in order to conduct a rescue. To qualify for Rescue Swimmer Training, both men and women must: * Meet specific eyesight requirements: uncorrected vision no worse than 20/100; correctable to 20/20 in both eyes with normal depth and color perception * Meet the minimum Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) score: VE+AR+MK+MC=210 or . They also serve a variety of other purposes that are not nearly as romanticized, including: Becoming a U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer is considered by many one of the hardest things one can do in the US military. The rescue took place in extremely dangerous conditions in the North Atlantic, with the downed pilot being located in less than 15 minutes after his ditched entry into the ocean, in an area where the average time for locating a person in the water is four hours. Equally important to their role as Helicopter Rescue Swimmers, ASTs are trained to inspect, service, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair: cargo aerial delivery systems, drag parachute systems, aircraft oxygen systems, helicopter emergency flotation systems, portable dewatering pumps, air/sea rescue kits, and special-purpose protective clothing. There's a lot of range in that salary, though, depending on your rank. Most rescue swimmers in Denmark are Danish Air Force personnel from the Danish Transport and Rescue Squadron (Squadron 722 or in Danish Eskadrille 722), and operate from AgustaWestland EH101 helicopters. In fact, it has the highest failure to complete rate of any military branch (yes, even over the Marine Corps). The first few weeks of boot camp are especially difficult. Our success in meeting this goal is the result not only of how well the SAR system responds to maritime SAR incidents, but also the efforts of other maritime safety programs, including recreational boating safety and commercial vessel safety. The ultimate goal of the Coast Guard's SAR program is to prevent loss of life in every situation where our actions and performance could possibly be brought to bear. Complete the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). . The required monthly physical training test includes push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, chin-ups, a 12-minute crawl swim (500-yard minimum), a 25-yard underwater swim and a 200-yard buddy tow. They are also expected to know various in-flight procedures, such as hoist-operating procedures and in-flight trouble-shooting. He was one of three that graduatedand for one of those guys, it was his second time . The Coast Guard refers to military jobs as ratings. The team is currently composed of approximately 350 active-duty members. Stuart Sterzel was also the CEO of Webtel.mobi, the company staging the event. [4][5][6] In May 2013, Karen Voorhees was the first woman to be advanced to chief petty officer in the rating of aviation survival technician since women were integrated into Coast Guard active duty service in 1973. In 2014, a state of the art training center was opened under the command of the Aviation Technical Training Center aboard BASE Elizabeth City, NC and houses AST "A" School as well as Underwater Egress "C" School. What can you expect in terms of training and schooling to become an Aviation Survival Technician (AST)/Helicopter Rescue team member? Its the only training center dedicated to basic training for the U.S. Coast Guard. They are military aircrew who deploy from rotary or fixed-wing aircraft in any environment or climatic condition. In 1983, the disaster of the SSMarine Electric spawned a Congressional Inquiry that found the USCG was the only military service unable to deploy a member from an aircraft for search, rescue and recovery, and initiated a legal requirement for the armed force to do so. USCG boot camp is physically and mentally demanding. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers have been called upon in emergency situations such as natural disasters involving heavy flooding or hurricanes in the past. Candidates may face a pool full of shipwrecked fishermen, or an F-16 pilot tangled up in his own parachute. Watch the video of the rescue. Required fields are marked *. According to CareerBliss, U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers make about $38,000 per year. Born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama, Nick enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17. [citation needed], U.S. Coast Guard Presidential Unit Citation, Learn how and when to remove this template message, United States Navy SEAL selection and training, Canadian Forces School of Search and Rescue, The entire list of graduates can be found here, https://www.uscg.mil/Portals/0/OurOrganization/auxiliary/awards/PUC_citation0506.pdf?ver=2017-10-01-082256-360, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rescue_swimmer&oldid=1114378989, Wikipedia articles that are excessively detailed from August 2022, All articles that are excessively detailed, Wikipedia articles with style issues from August 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2021, Articles containing Japanese-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Meet specific eyesight requirements: uncorrected vision no worse than 20/100; correctable to 20/20 in both eyes with normal depth and color perception, Meet the minimum Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) score: VE+AR+MK+MC=210 or VE+AR+MK+AS=210, Must be a U.S. citizen and eligible for security clearance, 50 yard 50-pound dumbbell carry with 2 1-foot obstacle. 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