Photo By Lance Cpl. Jacob Barber | Cpl. Ryan Dumont, aircraft rescue firefighter, makes his way to a helicopter to treat...... read more read more
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KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii - The call came around 9 a.m. from the flight tower overseeing Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay. Within minutes, several agencies began tracking three simulated helicopter crashes that left eight Marines stranded in the surrounding area.
Though it was only a mishap drill, the Marines, sailors, Coast Guardsmen, and firefighters involved reacted on instinct with their rescue procedures. The exercise was conducted in coordination with Marine Aircraft Group 24 and MCAS, Nov. 14, 2012.
“The drill had many purposes,” said Paul Anslow, director of safety for MCAS and the coordinator of the mishap drill. “Each unit involved had different objectives we wanted to observe. By planning these scenarios as realistic as possible, it makes the learning objectives more applicable and keeps their rescue techniques and procedures up to date.”
Nearly two years ago, Marine Corps Base Hawaii experienced firsthand the seriousness of an aircraft mishap when a CH-53 D Sea Stallion crashed in Kaneohe Bay, leaving one Marine dead and three injured.
“Not long ago, we had a serious mishap here where we had to react and work alongside the Federal Fire Department, Waterfront Operations and the Coast Guard,” said Gunnery Sgt. Benjamin J. Clark, the assistant chief of operations for Aircraft Rescue Firefighting, MCAS. “We each had a function during the incident, so a big part of today is the communication between the air control tower the participating units. This is a joint operation to help the air crew and ground operations work smoothly together without any hiccups.”
During the drill, eight Marine role-players simulated three helicopter crashes that left them injured and stranded in Kaneohe Bay. The Marines contacted a rescue helicopter by employing their survival gear.
A Coast Guard helicopter and sailors from Waterfront Operations first responded to victims in the water, while Marines from Aircraft Rescue Firefighting and Federal Fire Department members reacted to a simulated crash and explosion on land. Each unit fulfilled their job by rescuing all victims and treating the injuries.
“We do big drills like this because it’s easy to get complacent,” said Lance Cpl. John Gonsoulin, a firefighter with Aircraft Rescue Firefighting who role played an injured victim trapped in the bay. “Everyone involved did a great job … they thought this drill was real. I don’t think you can get any better training than that.”
Though the drill was designed to enhance aviation safety, it afforded personnel the opportunity to partner with various federal, state, and military agencies.
“It was a good learning experience because I was able to see what Marines do in a mishap in accordance with what everyone else does,” Gonsoulin said. “The key factor in all of this is not whether or not the Coast Guard can do their job, or if the firefighters can, but if we all can do our job together for the quickest and most effective response.”
| Date Taken: | 11.14.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 11.16.2012 18:31 |
| Story ID: | 97970 |
| Location: | KANEOHE BAY, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 170 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Man Down: Marines train with federal, state agencies for mishap response, by LCpl Jacob Barber, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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