He graduated from Saint Leo University with his B.A. 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. Stuart Sterzel was also the CEO of Webtel.mobi, the company staging the event. She was nominated by the International Maritime Organization for its Exceptional Bravery at Sea award for rescuing three people from a sailboat during a storm with 45-knot winds and 15-foot seas. Visit the Recognizing DHS Excellence page for more stories about this years awardees. Not all ASTs serve as rotary wing helicopter rescue swimmers. Coast Guard basic training takes place in New Jersey. While in an Aircrew position an AST may find themselves being deployed into a myriad of challenging rescues ranging from hurricanes and cliff rescues, to emergency medical evacuations from ships at sea. Training is extremely stressful and is designed to identify those candidates who possess the physical and mental skills to handle the rigors of being a helicopter rescue swimmer. U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers make about $38,000 per year, which averages out to around $18 per hour. Coast Guard/Getty Images. Calling them rescue swimmers would be a lot easier of course, theres little thats easy when it comes to the Coast Guards most elite unit. Born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama, Nick enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17. Operation Military Kids was founded to be a resource for teens and young adults who are interested in joining the military, but don't know where to begin. In 1999, along with the realignment of enlisted aviation rates throughout the USCG, the Aviation Survivalman rating was redesignated to Aviation Survival Technician. in Accounting and is a graduate student at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, pursuing an M.B.A. in Finance. Today, at what is known as A-School, the days start early with land-based endurance training: sprints, push-ups, rope climbing, endurance jogs, kettle bell training, followed by water-based endurance in the form of 2000-yard laps, 500-yard sprints, swimming with weights, treading water with weights, underwater exertion. 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. The U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May serves as the training grounds. The team is currently composed of approximately 350 active-duty members. According to CareerBliss, U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers make about $38,000 per year. 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. Aviation Rescue Swimmers may help just about anyone, in almost any environment. HSC-2 located in Norfolk, VA or HSC-3 located in San Diego, CA. Trained to operate in a variety of maritime environments, ASTs are highly conditioned rescue and survival experts, as well as highly capable aviation life support equipment technicians. There are two FRS's for AWS's. Coastguards help prevent the loss of life along the coast and at sea by co-ordinating and supporting search and rescue operations. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) The Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer School is based out of Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers attend a one-week Advanced Helicopter Rescue School (AHRS) at Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment in Washington. The instructors goal is to ensure that only those with the calmest nerves are dropping into the water. Requirements for Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers, Standards for Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers, Training Regimen for Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers, Pros and Cons of Enlisting in the Coast Guard, Air Force Pararescue Physical Ability and Stamina Test PAST, What to Know About Special Operations Fitness Tests, Some Tips and Tricks for Surviving Coast Guard Boot Camp, Overview of Coast Guard Health Services Technician, Coast Guard Job Description: Aviation Maintenance Technician, Coast Guard College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative (CSPI), Enlisted Jobs in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. 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. The Coast Guard requirements on physical fitness are intense for a reason. Therefore, there are positions available in the Coast Guard with the right dedication and discipline. The Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) is one of the last junctures needed to qualify for service. Pararescue is a notoriously rigorous CSAR (combat search and rescue) unit, with eight out of every ten candidates failing the indoctrination course. He was one of three that graduatedand for one of those guys, it was his second time . Read more about the deadliest American maritime disaster in decades: Watch: Into the Storm: What It Was Like to Rescue a Ship's Crew, The Real-Life Diet of Pro Surfer Nathan Florence, Who Runs on Raw Fish, 17 Streamlined Workout Shorts for Men That Look Pretty Great Beyond the Gym, Too. The training you are seeking is hardcore physical and mental training that will challenge you to your core. Candidates may face a pool full of shipwrecked fishermen, or an F-16 pilot tangled up in his own parachute. At 17 you need. 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. All fully qualified AWS crewmen are also gunners. To become an active duty officer, the maximum age limit is down to how you get your commission: The minimum age to join the Coast Guard Academy is 17 while the maximum age is 22 years Ben Cournia, the swimmer who orchestrated the rescue of the Minouche, started his class with 9 trainees. Consequently, Coast Guard Rescue Swimming training is considered one of the toughest U.S. Military training courses. 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. Helicopter Rescue Swimmer Capabilities: The RS must have the mental capacity, flexibility, mobility, strength, power, agility, endurance, and equipment to function for at least 30 minutes in heavy seas, on unstable platforms, on rugged terrain during severe adverse weather conditions. 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. The time before getting recognized as an official member of the unit is long. Here's the Twelve-Mile Run Plan. The first six weeks of the four-month course is loaded with rescue swimmer training. 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 The maximum age limit to enlist in active duty Coast Guard ranges from 27 to 32 years for those who join advanced training school immediately after enlistment. It will test your strength and endurance to see if you have what it takes to survive in the Coast Guard. It is obviously far and above the normal lifeguard course; you're not just treading water, you're expected to be able to hold your breath, and perform challenging tasks. It averages to about $18 per hour. It also goes without saying that it helps to limit your alcohol intake and stop using tobacco products before you arrive to basic training. I swam over to him, got on the door with him or what looked like a door or some sort of debris from the boat and talked to him, Roberts continued. 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. A rescue swimmer saves Tom Cruise's character Maverick in Top Gun. ), An aptitude for mechanics, with a focus on school courses like algebra, geometry, and machinery being helpful, 25 Yard Underwater swim: Completed 4 times. or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. The Coast Guard basic requirements allow the coastal defense and maritime branch to make sure you are fit for service: *NOTE: Coast Guard Reservists may enlist between the ages of 17-40. AST2 Grant Roberts, a rescue swimmer with the Coast Guard Air Station Sitkas MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and three of his fellow crewmembers Lt. Justin Neal, Lt. Jonathan Orthman, and AET2 James Schwader received the DHS Secretarys award for Valor for their heroic actions while rescuing a 70-year-old fishing vessel owner and operator from stormy seas in 70 mph headwinds and zero visibility over the water and at the shoreline. The coastal defense and maritime law enforcement branch has strict physical fitness standards. The release of the 2006 motion picture The Guardian, starring Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher, introduced viewers to this small group of elite rescue workers. They need the. They qualify on the M-240, GAU-21, M4, and M11. They are highly trained and relentlessly conditioned field operatives. Welcome to the hazardous, high-pressure world of Coast Guard rescue swimmers, who are trained to jump from helicopters into the water to save lives. The Coast Guard requirements make sure that you are physically and mentally prepared for service. But the frigid sailors in the water were too numb from the cold to pull themselves into the baskets. The focus is to run shorter and faster runs in the week and a long, slower run at a comfortable pace on the weekend. They must also complete six months of apprenticeship before completing the syllabus and officially becoming a team member. AST2 Grant Roberts, a rescue swimmer with the Coast Guard Air Station Sitka's MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and three of his fellow crewmembers - Lt. Justin Neal, Lt. Jonathan Orthman, and AET2 James Schwader - received the DHS Secretary's award for Valor for their heroic actions while rescuing a 70-year-old fishing vessel owner and operator from stormy seas in 70 mph headwinds and zero visibility over the water and at the shoreline. During war, they rescue downed pilots, special-operations troops left behind, and other stranded military men and women. And as part of their training, candidates must complete a four-week emergency medical training course at the Coast Guard EMT school in Petaluma, California. They can perform ground handling/servicing of aircraft, conduct routine aircraft inspections, and aviation administrative duties. Rescue swimmer school is conducted at the Coast Guard Aviation Technical Training Center in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Watch the video of the rescue. 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. It will test your strength and endurance to see if you have what it takes to survive in the Coast Guard. You will learn how to perform the crawl stroke, underwater swim and buddy tow properly with this preparatory lifeguard course. ASTs also facilitate survival training such as swim tests, land/sea survival lectures, and shallow water egress training. Though ASTs experience some of the most demanding schooling and training of any known U.S. Military unit, there are no reported deaths during training. Finally, before graduating, candidates are required to pass a test involving multiple rescue scenarios. Full qualification as a rescue swimmer can take up to a year from graduation of A-School, as graduates must learn the aircraft systems and emergency procedures of their assigned aircraft. Candidates selected for the school must first go through what is called the airmen training course. According to the same source, the pay is approximately 27 percent lower than the national average for rescue swimmers. There's a lot of range in that salary, though, depending on your rank. USCG boot camp is physically and mentally demanding. U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmers attracted international attention during the rescue operations following Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Louisiana, and surrounding areas. The water-entry shock was reduced only by their succeeding in entering the water at an optimal entry angle despite the high wind and an unstable exit platform. In the anime television series Yomigaeru Sora Rescue Wings , the main character is a rescue helicopter pilot, but rescue swimmers also appear as regular members in each episode. They are the ones jumping from helicopters into the open ocean to save human lives in any weather conditions. They may offer something a little more suitable to your needs, depending on their current recruiting targets. 160th SOAR(A) has had personnel complete the course. The attrition rate in some years has been as high as 85%, although the 10-year average is just over 73%. Currently assigned to Helicopter SeaCombat Squadron 28, Gibson is the only female Senior Chief in the Navy and serves HSC-28 as the Leading Chief Petty Officer. Additionally, recruits need to pass the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) medical exam before they can begin basic training. It helps gauge how candidates can do under very stressful circumstances. Romeos and Sierras break apart during 'A' school and they begin to learn more specific parts of their jobs. Here are some frequently asked questions. The military branch will look into any criminal record as well as history with alcohol or drug abuse. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Coast Guard Aviation Technical Training Center, National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, "Coast Guard School Tough Swimming, Few Pass Rescue Course", IMO Awards for Exceptional Bravery at Sea 2013 go to American rescuers and a Chinese seafarer, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aviation_Survival_Technician&oldid=1125439053, This page was last edited on 4 December 2022, at 00:54. 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