Photo By Garrett Dipuma | PENSACOLA, Fla. -- U.S. Navy Rescue Swimmer candidates assigned to Naval Aviation...... read more read more
Subscribe
PENSACOLA, Fla. – U.S. Navy Rescue Swimmer candidates assigned to Naval Aviation Rescue Swimmer School onboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola participated in a search and rescue (SAR) demonstration and training exercise June 24-25 with a MH-60S Seahawk helicopter assigned to Station SAR Key West, headquartered at NAS Key West.
“Naval Air Station Pensacola is designed to support a wide range of training programs to equip service members from every branch of the armed forces with the skills required to defend the nation,” said NAS Pensacola Commanding Officer Capt. Chandra Newman. “The skills that are learned in aviation, technical and operational training provided here is critical to maintaining warfighter readiness and lethality across the fleet.”
During the two-day exercise, candidates observed the Key West helicopter crew conduct overland and water rescue hoist operations, and then entered Pensacola Bay to complete a hoist from the water with an active duty Rescue Swimmer.
Boats from NAS Pensacola’s Port Operations, Escambia County Sherriff’s Office (ECSO) and the U.S. Coast Guard ensured safety during the water-based training.
“Having a deep water port, access to varied coastal and offshore conditions, as well as controlled airspace makes NAS Pensacola an ideal location for training rescue swimmers and a multitude of platforms in realistic scenarios for the littoral and open ocean environments,” said Newman. “Additionally, our partnerships with organizations like Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Coast Guard here on the air station allow the training commands to create dynamic and safe training environments that prepare our service members for real-world missions.”
Aviation Rescue Swimmer candidates undergo nearly two years of arduous training in advanced swimming and lifesaving techniques before reporting to their first squadron.
Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer School falls under the purview of Naval Aviation Schools Command (NASC), which provides an educational foundation in technical training, character development and professional leadership to prepare Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and partner nation officers and enlisted students to be combat quality aviation professionals.
NAS Pensacola, referred to as the “Cradle of Naval Aviation,” is designed to support operational and training missions of tenant commands, including the Naval Aviation Technical Training Center (NATTC); NASC; Marine Aviation Training Support Groups (MATSG) 21 and 23 and serves as the headquarters for Naval Education and Training Center (NETC).
| Date Taken: | 06.25.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.27.2025 14:05 |
| Story ID: | 501723 |
| Location: | PENSACOLA, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 117 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Station SAR Key West Demonstrates Hoist Techniques to NAS Pensacola-based Rescue Swimmer Candidates, by Garrett Dipuma, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
