Into the Blue: Underwater Egress Training

CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, JAPAN

08.03.2017

Story by Lance Cpl. Andrew Neumann  

III Marine Expeditionary Force   

U.S. Marines and Sailors with Expeditionary Operations Training Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, III MEF, attended Underwater Egress Training August 3, 2017 at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan.
The Marines attended UET at the base pool to remain prepared in the event of an aircraft crash into a body of water, requiring the persons aboard to make an escape.
“I love making Marines comfortable in the water,” said Jason Comeaux, an Underwater Egress Instructor on Camp Hansen. “If you can control your anxiety and panic in water, you can control it anywhere else.”
The training scenarios in UET put personnel in high-intensity situations that require Marines to keep their composure and make calm, rational decisions.
The training began with Marines learning how to breathe underwater using their oxygen tanks. Then they learned the basics of evacuating a downed aircraft in a simulation chair. The Marines then headed to the “Helo Dunker”- a giant tube that drops into the water rapidly and flips multiple times, simulating the effects of a downed aircraft.
“There’s a lot of panic at first,” said HM3 Jacob Nichols, a Hospital Corpsman with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment who was a student in the course. “But, you get the hang of it after the first couple runs and you start to relax. The instructors have your back the whole time.”
Safety is the paramount concern for the staff, who remained in the pool near the students throughout the training scenarios, ready to aid students in trouble. If a student failed to exit the dunker or panicked of control, the instructors provided additional aid until successful completion.
“The most rewarding part of it is seeing the guys that are petrified of the water channel their fear and heighten their senses,” Comeaux said. “After spending so many years with Marines, it’s just so rewarding to keep helping them.”
The ultimate goal of the training is to instill confidence with Marines to keep composure during a high stress situation. Comeaux said, anxiety will happen, but UET helps overcome that anxiety by simulating the scenario as accurately as possible.

• Date Taken: 08.03.2017
• Date Posted: 08.05.2017 05:53
• Story ID: 243662
• Location: CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, JP
• Hometown: RAYNE, LA, US