Making the Grade as a Navy Rescue Swimmer

By Clark Pierce, Jax Air News

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (NNS) — The Rescue Swimmer School (RSS) at Naval Air Station Jacksonville (NAS Jax) provides rigorous training and significantly contributes to fleet readiness.

“The U.S. Navy Rescue Swimmer School (RSS) at NAS Jax impacts fleet readiness virtually around the world,” said Lt. Thomas Doane, officer in charge. “Our classes are filled with Sailors from as far away as Japan, Hawaii and San Diego  and as close as Mayport and Norfolk.”

RSS teaches three courses:
CAT 1  a four-week course for surface (ship-borne) swimmers that teaches basic lifesaving procedures and how to use lifesaving equipment. Doane explained, “Each Navy ship is required to have two qualified rescue swimmers on board before it can pull away from the pier  so our graduates are considered ‘mission essential.’ Their training is centered on the J-bar davit, which is the apparatus on a ship’s foc’sle that lowers and raises rescue swimmers.”

CAT II  a two-week refresher course for surface and aviation rescue swimmers whose careers took them away from the water for more than a year. “Before they can come back to fill that billet again, we outfit them, make sure they’re physically fit, and run them through any updated procedures,” said Doane.

Aviation SAR (search and rescue) Petty Officer Course teaches senior enlisted how to plan and document training and evaluations of rescue swimmers in their helicopter squadron or wing.

Senior Chief Naval Air Crewman (AW/NAC) Bruce Kane, leading chief petty officer, noted that after graduating from RSS, rescue swimmers must complete a swimmer fitness test (SFT) every six months to evaluate their medical and equipment knowledge, as well as in-water performance.

“For surface rescue swimmers, the SFT consists of four pull-ups, a 500-meter equipment swim and a 400-meter buddy tow in 27 minutes or less,” said Kane.

The SFT for aviation rescue swimmers consists of four pull-ups, but adds a carry of two 55-pound dumbbells over obstacles for 100 feet, a one-mile litter walk (completed within 16.5 minutes), followed by the 500-meter equipment swim and a 400-meter buddy tow in 27 minutes or less.

Naval Air Crewman 1st Class William Davis, an instructor, said, “Rescue swimmers must be CPR-current and able to evaluate victims and provide first aid treatment. Students must also perform a rescue of an individual in the water who is entangled with parachutes and other aviation gear. The school has a tower platform by the pool with two J-bars. Depending on the sea state, the rescue swimmer may also deploy a small rigid-hull inflatable boat.”

This particular day of the four-week school featured training scenario one, where students learn to rescue two survivors in the water.

“A lot of instruction goes on in the pool,” said Chief Naval Air Crewman Daniel Wilson. “This drill will be practiced at least four times. Up until this point, we’ve taught them about a lot of lifesaving tactics, techniques and equipment. Today they’re putting it all together to effect a multiple-survivors rescue.”

There is a grade sheet for each student, for each scenario. The instructor in the water will debrief each student, reinforcing what went right and what needs improvement, and then assign a grade of one to four, with one being the highest.

Ens. Adam Niznik, a supply officer aboard the Mayport-based cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58), graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2007 and applied to the rescue swimmer school.

“I played football and rugby at the academy, so I like physical challenges  and this school is an extreme challenge. Since it’s rare for officers to attend this school, the rescue swimmers aboard my ship warned me that I would probably be designated the class leader. That means when I violate a procedure  I get yelled at. And when somebody in our class messes up  I get yelled at.

“We do evening study groups at the BEQ because the curriculum calls for lots of time in the pool practicing rescue procedures under various scenarios. Near the end of week three, our instructors put us on the bus and drove to the NAS Jax Boathouse where we boarded a SAR vessel for an afternoon and into-the-night evolution of real-water training in the St. Johns River. It was great to get out of the classroom and apply what we’ve learned in an unfamiliar body of water,” said Niznik.

Seaman Justan Mounts of Rogersville, Tenn. is a member of the USS Philippine Sea deck division. He requested RSS for its unusual athletic challenge.

“I attended dive school in Panama City, Fla. and am scuba qualified  so I knew there would be a lot of physical training. This is a great program I really love it.

“RSS is focused on a Sailor’s ability to swim for an extended period of time and to save a survivor. It requires both endurance and sprint swimming. Accomplishing a 500-meter swim  followed immediately with a 400-meter buddy swim requires a lot of physicality. That’s why each day begins with two hours of standard military physical training. At chow time, we tend to eat more protein and carbohydrates to keep our energy up. Throughout the day, we drink a ton of water from bottles, not the pool,” explained Mounts.

Fire Controlman 2nd Class Benito Martinez, also an instructor, continuously stresses the need for swimmers to perform according to instruction and to be fast and efficient  because rough water and low temperatures can sap a swimmer of his or her energy.

“We build knowledge and skills,” said Martinez. “The final exam is composed of scenarios from their four weeks of training  with a few more distractions thrown in, such as bigger splashes and some fog rolling in over the pool. Everything here is pass or fail  there is no middle ground.”