www.stewsmith.com
If you were glued to your television
during the days after the worst hurricane disaster in US history and concerned for our fellow citizens in New Orleans and other Gulf Coast
states, you would have seen some of the fittest, highly trained, and motivated
people in our military. The
Helicopter Rescue Swimmers of the Coast Guard, Navy, and Air Force have been
saving thousands of people stuck in the flooded areas of New Orleans. If it were not for these brave pilots and Search and Rescue (SAR)
swimmers several thousand people would have died.
This week is a tribute to the sailors and airmen of
the Navy, Coast Guard, and Air Force who risked their lives everyday to save
others by hanging from a helicopter and plucking hurricane victims from certain
death. If you have ever thought
about becoming a Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue or SAR swimmer or you may have
been motivated by the heroics played live on your television set. Regardless, if
you choose this job for your profession be prepared because it is tough -
the training is some of the most grueling in our military.
When you arrive at Navy SAR (Search and Rescue
Swimmer or USCG Rescue Swimmer School, you will be placed in a stressful
environment and expected to excel in military education, close quarter living,
teamwork, and physical fitness tests (PFT).
According to the SAR Swimmer course syllabus, rescue swimmers must have
flexibility, strength, endurance, and be able to function for 30 minutes in
heavy seas.
However, the operations manual includes lessons in eight different water
deployment procedures; 11 ways to approach, carry and release a survivor; seven
ways to release equipment for Navy and Air Force flyers; and ways to detangle
the services' different parachutes and backpacks. So, being comfortable in the water is an
understatement. You have to be able
to think and perform challenging tasks while submerged, holding your breath, and
getting tossed around my 10-20 ft. waves.
Rescue swimmers also must have the skills to provide basic pre-hospital life
support for rescued individuals. And as part of their training, candidates must
complete an emergency medical training course.
This is not an ordinary EMT if you are exposed to high seas, rough
terrain and other dangers and ordinary EMT will not survive.
The training you are seeking is hardcore physical and mental training
that will challenge you to your core. In
fact, SAR Swimmer School boasts more than a 50% attrition rate so it is
crucial you go to the training scoring high in your PFT, but more importantly
be confident in the water. Not
cocky! You must have a deep respect
for the power of the sea, but know that your training will help save your life
and the lives of the oceans victims.
The required monthly physical training test includes push-ups, situps,
pull-ups, chin-ups, 12-minute crawl swim (500-yard minimum), 25-yard underwater
swim and a 200-yard buddy tow. I
recommend the following scores to better succeed with the training course:
Pushups 100+ in 2:00
Situps 100+ in 2:00
Pullups 15-20+
12:00 Swim swim 500-750yd
1.5 mile run sub 9:00
25 yd underwater swim complete
200 yd Buddy tow complete
If you are considering this profession, take an Ocean
Life Guard course with the Red Cross to see if have what it takes.
You will learn how to perform the crawl stroke, underwater swim, and
buddy tow properly with this preparatory Life Guard Course.
Check out the article archive at StewSmith.com to
find articles related to physical fitness tests, running faster, pullups,
pushups, abdominal exercises.
Recently, I trained some sailors who graduated SAR
school and I created the Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue Swimmer School for them
prior to their training. They used
the program that can be found at the StewSmith.com
Fitness eBook store and had outstanding results.
