MIAMI - Anyone who has flown has heard the words, “…In the case of a water landing, use your seat cushion as a floatation device…” that, plus a lot more, is what Colombian Air Force members learned while attending Water Survival Training March 2-3 here.
The National Guard Counterdrug Host Nation Rider Program played host and provided the venue for the Water Survival Training while the California Air National Guard 115th Airlift Squadron, Channel Islands, California, provided the instructors, and the Colombian Air Force provided the students.
“After 12 years of giving this training with a slide show, this is the first time our Colombian counterparts are actually getting hands-on experience with the equipment,” Chief Master Sgt. Walter Hernandez, superintendent Host Nation Rider, said.
Not only will these four aircrew members get hands-on training, they will be able to take home what they learned and provide training to their fellow airmen.
“I get to interact with the equipment and learn to respond to an emergency, and then I will be able to teach this to someone else,” Colombian Air Force Tech. Sgt. Yesid Rios said. “Part of the training is to get a standard to put into action, so we are able to teach our guys back home.”
This two day course prepares aircrews to expect the unexpected.
“The one thing they [students] need to take away is reality. In real life, it can happen,” Master Sgt. Nicholas Hull, aircrew flight equipment instructor Air National Guard 115th Airlift Squadron, Channel Islands, California, said. “And if it does happen, they need to be prepared to be isolated, and they need to be prepared to survive--they need to be mentally prepared to survive and come back home.”
Day one entails theory and academics. The students are in the classroom where they get acquainted with the emergency equipment and are introduced to the history of survival--events when aircrew members have had to abandon their aircraft.
“Ninety percent of what we teach is “what if,” and “what if” can happen at any time,” Tech. Sgt. Jonathan Lopez, Air National Guard 115th Airlift Squadron, Channel Islands, California, aircrew flight equipment instructor, said.
Day two, the rubber meets the road.
“Students get a chance to perform what they learned in the classroom,” Hull said.
The hands-on training begins with donning the CWU-16 P Anti-Exposure Suit, the 10P Flotation Device (water wings) and a survival vest.
Like the person who quickly gulps a carbonated drink, the CWU-16 P Anti-Exposure Suit needs to be burped. If not done well, the remaining air will rear its ugly head upon jumping in the water.
“It’s uncomfortable when you get in the water, all the air makes you fill like you’re being choked,” Colombian Air Force Lieutenant Juan Villamil, said.
Step two entails a leap into the “what if.” What if the water wings don’t inflate, what if there is too much air in the CWU-16 P Anti-Exposure Suit? What if an injury occurs? It all begins with a leap into the water.
Whatever the obstacle, students must solve the problem and make their way to the 20 man life raft.
Once they get to the life raft, students perform the “SWIM:” survey the scene, make sure the raft is wet, inspect their clothing for sharp objects that may damage the raft, and then mount the life raft.
With help from each other, the students who are able climb onboard. The job is not over. They must rescue their “injured” crew member. A life line is located and thrown toward the “injured” airman. The best swimmer makes his way back to the injured and helps bring him to the life raft. Once all the students are onboard the life raft, the physical portion of the training is over.
“I try to stress the positive, they must have the mindset to survive,” Lopez said. “Only the strong survive because of that positive mindset and the no quit mentality.”
As a whole, the Colombian students said it takes team work, following instructions and remembering the steps to accomplish the task.
“I know that in any survival situation, muscle memory will kick in, and they will remember what we taught them. They will survive and come home and say, ‘I’m home because of what you taught me,’” Hull said.
The training makes it self-evident, it takes more than a “seat cushion used as a flotation device to ensure survival.”
Water survival was the crown jewel of training for the Colombian Air Force members. It was the culmination of the two week Bilateral Instructor Training course. During the two weeks, the Host Nation Rider team gave instruction in: policy and regulations, crew communications, task management, risk management, mission planning, and standards and evaluations.
Hernandez said while each piece of training has its place and importance, the most critical training is the hands-on Water Survival Training.
“Setting up this kind of joint training takes a lot of coordination; however, we will continue our efforts to develop Partner Capacity by providing aircrew and career development classes to our Partner Nation personnel counterparts,” Hernandez said.
The Host Nation Rider program consists of Air National Guard personnel who function to satisfy linguist liaison requirements, act as an interpreter, and as a safety observer and sensor operator for all necessary communication between the flight crew and the Partner Nation.The program supports the Unified Combatant Commander Combating Transnational Organized Crime.
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