Photo By Pfc. Elizabeth Fournier | Participants of the water survival training learn how to properly prepare and pack...... read more read more
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GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - Imagine being trapped in the middle of the ocean, with full body armor, your weapon and nothing around for miles. Although not everyone deployed to Joint Task Force Guantanamo has a job that requires being out on the water every day or even most days, some Troopers here do.
In an effort to maintain safety of those who participate in training exercises or who are just doing their daily job, water survival training is an essential requirement. Members of the Maritime Security Detachment here, held training June 5 at the Marine Hill Pool as part of their semiannual training requirements.
Although this isn’t a course that you can study for, it is important to know what you are getting yourself into. Swim practice prior to taking that first leap into the pool is a must.
“Definitely practice, especially if you’re not a good swimmer. It’s good to try it out, be familiar, start swimming and if you have any questions, just get familiar with being in the water,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Andrew Mckean, U.S. Coast Guard Water Survival Training Master with the MARSECDET Port Security Unit 308. “It’s an easy course to pickup as long as you follow instructions and stay calm.”
For the instructors, this training iteration came with some new challenges, such as working with different branches than their own.
“It’s nice. It gives us a change of pace, and we get to see what all the other branches do,” Mckean said. “And, every now and then, you learn a little bit. You get to teach the other branches something, so it’s good. You get a lot of collaboration.”
The joint training didn’t just present new challenges; it opened up communication and collaboration between branches that have to work together on a regular basis.
“I work with the Coast Guard on a daily basis with the Joint Visitor Bureau, so one of their chiefs gave me an opportunity to do their training. We work in a joint environment, so why not train in a joint environment? Train as we fight,” said Spc. Patrick Kelly, JVB Leeward Operations.
The instructors got a chance to see how someone who was unfamiliar with Coast Guard training did in an aquatic environment.
“Kelly did excellent. [He was] easy to instruct, definitely listened well, easy to teach, followed instructions and gave a hundred percent,” Mckean said.
Mckean said the training came about due to a safety issue. So making sure that all the class participants, to include the Soldiers, being taught are prepared and are comfortable with the equipment they wear.
“You just have to relax, breathe, and the instructors are great,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Adam Edwards, a participant in the water survival training class. “They’re in the pool with you. It’s a safe environment, and it’s a controlled environment, so just relax.”
Edwards took a page out of Kelly’s book and realized that he needed to stay calm in order to try and get through the training.
“The training was tough. Unfortunately, I didn’t pass,” Edwards said. “I got to the very end and things came unraveled.”
The big lesson from this training was how to survive in the water and how to get out of your equipment, if needed, but it also brought about camaraderie between branches.
“It’s just good to work with other branches to see how they train to see how they work and get a greater appreciation for what they’re doing, and it works vice versa. They get a greater appreciation for what we’re doing,” Kelly said.
| Date Taken: | 06.05.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 06.16.2015 14:47 |
| Story ID: | 166818 |
| Location: | GUANTANAMO BAY, CU |
| Web Views: | 129 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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