Rescue swimmer

A USCG petty officer pulls a pregnant woman from her flooded New Orleans home.

Arguably the most widely recognized team of rescue-swimmer operators, the elite United States Coast Guard Aviation Survival Technician (AST)/Helicopter Rescue Swimmer team is called upon to respond in the most extreme rescue situations. High seas, medical evacuations, downed aviators, sinking vessels, and hurricanes are some of the deadly scenarios that Coast Guard rescue swimmers are trained to handle. The Coast Guard's team of ASTs is composed of about 350 active-duty members, and just over 1000 members have passed the training to become Helicopter Rescue Swimmers since the mid-1980s. The training school has one of the highest attrition rates of any military school with about 80% of candidates washing out. For comparison, the attrition rate for United States Navy SEAL selection and training is about 75%[1]

AST School in Elizabeth City, North Carolina lasts for 24 weeks, and includes intense physical fitness, long hours of pool fitness and instruction, extreme water-confidence drills, and classroom instruction. The Coast Guard rescue swimmer training program is very challenging and is one of the toughest U.S. military training courses. Reportedly, only 75–100 Coast Guard personnel attend the school each year. The attrition rate in some years has been as high as 85%, although the 10-year average is just over 73%.[2] Prospective U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmers are physically conditioned to meet high physical fitness standards. About half of prospective candidates make it to AST "A" School. Upon graduation, candidates must attend seven weeks of training at the Coast Guard's Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) school in Petaluma, California, where ASTs become EMT qualified. Rescue swimmers at Coast Guard Air Station Sitka, Alaska, must maintain the EMT-Intermediate level of proficiency due to the remoteness of their operational area and the number of medical evacuations performed by that unit each year. Once stationed at a Coast Guard Air Station, apprentice ASTs must complete 6 months of qualification on their respective airframe before moving on to finish their rescue swimmer syllabus and becoming journeymen.

The Coast Guard holds a one-week Advanced Helicopter Rescue School (AHRS, formerly known as Advanced Rescue Swimmer School) at Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment, Washington, which is host to Air Force pararescuemen (PJs), Navy rescue swimmers, and foreign rescue departments as well. There, students learn the challenges of vertical-surface rescue, cliff operations, sea-cave traversing, and extreme-high-seas rescue. AHRS is considered the premier helicopter-rescue training school of its kind by most military and civilian rescue operators.[3]

The Coast Guard also trains a basic form of life-saving swimmers known as Cutter Surface Swimmers. These swimmers deploy only from ships and boats, and are tethered to a line handler stationed on board the vessel.

Female Rescue Swimmers

Women must meet the same physical, endurance, and performance standards as men in order to earn a qualification as a Coast Guard rescue swimmer.

The first female Coast Guard rescue swimmer was Kelly Mogk Larson, who joined the Coast Guard in 1984 and later became the first woman to complete Navy Rescue Swimmer School, on May 23, 1986.[4][5][6] In May 2013, Karen Voorhees was the first woman to be advanced to chief petty officer in the rating of aviation survival technician since women were integrated into Coast Guard active duty service in 1973.[7]

The first female to graduate from the Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue School was Sara Faulkner. Her accomplishment of being the first woman to graduate from the Coast Guard’s sixteen-week training program and then work as a rescue swimmer came about partly by coincidence. During Hurricane Katrina, Faulkner rescued 48 people during one 12-hour shift, along with many others during rescue operations on subsequent shifts. She was nominated by the International Maritime Organization for its “Exceptional Bravery at Sea” award for rescuing three people from a sailboat during a storm with 45-knot winds and 15-foot seas.

Aviation Rescue Swimmer

Vetting Process -

Before joining the United States Navy to become an Aviation Rescue Swimmer, you must first pass certain physical and mental tests.

To qualify for Rescue Swimmer Training, both men and women must:

• Meet specific eyesight requirements: uncorrected vision no worse than 20/100; correctable to 20/20 in both eyes with normal depth and color perception
• Meet the minimum Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) score: VE+AR+MK+MC=210 or VE+AR+MK+AS=210
• Pass a PST in DEP/Boot Camp
• Pass Class 1 Flight Physical
• Be 30 years of age or younger
• Must be a U.S. citizen and eligible for security clearance

Perform a PST -

• Swim 500 yards in 12 minutes or less

• Rest 10 minutes • Perform at least 42 push-ups in 2 minutes

• Rest 2 minutes • Perform at least 50 sit-ups in 2 minutes

• Rest 2 minutes • Perform at least 4 pull-ups in 2 minutes

• Rest 10 minutes • Run 1.5 miles in 12 minutes or less

While in the Navy -

A U.S. Navy sailor swims toward a stranded boat near Guam in 2019

United States Navy rescue swimmer candidates attend a four-week Aircrew School followed by the six-week-long Aviation Rescue Swimmer School (RSS) in Pensacola, Florida. After graduating from Rescue swimmer school (RSS), students go on to their respective 'A' School, also in Pensacola, Florida. Navy air rescue swimmers were recently split into two separate ratings; Naval Aircrewman Helicopter (AWS) and Naval Aircrewman Tactical Helicopter (AWR). Which rating a rescue swimmer attains depends on what type of helicopter they are to become qualified in. AWS will associate with MH-60S and AWR will associate with MH-60R. They are also known as "Romeos" and "Sierras" in their community. Until 'A' School, the training has been identical. Romeos and Sierras break apart during 'A' school and they begin to learn more specific parts of their jobs. Romeos also go through a longer 'A' school than Sierras.

Once Navy rescue swimmers have graduated 'A' School, they will go on to their respective Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS). There are two FRS's for AWS's. HSC-2 located in Norfolk, VA or HSC-3 located in San Diego, CA. Here crewman learn the various systems in the helicopter in which they will be flying. They are also expected to know various in-flight procedures, such as hoist-operating procedures and in-flight trouble-shooting. This syllabus can take from six to twelve months. Once they are NATOPS certified, and completed with the PQS and boards, they are eligible to wear Naval Aircrew wings.

The last stop for a Navy rescue swimmer is SERE School (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape). Upon graduation from the brutal two-week course, they will go to the fleet as operational rescue swimmers. They will only be considered qualified Aircrewmen once they complete an additional 18-month 'Utility" PQS in their new squadron. Although, to be considered "fully qualified", they will have to complete the Level II & III syllabus which can take another demanding 24 months.

After arriving to their respective squadrons, Aviation Rescue Swimmers are required annually to perform a SAR fitness test.

SAR test -

• 4 pull-ups (minimum)
  • 20 pull-ups (maximum)
• 50 yard 50-pound dumbbell carry with 2 1-foot obstacle
• 1 mile Litter walk in 16 minutes or less.
• 500-meter full gear swim, followed by a 400-meter buddy tow in 26 minutes or less

Although aviation Rescue Swimmer's primary job is to search and recover downed pilots, there is a multitude of training for tactics. This is what makes a Rescue Swimmer a part of the Special Operations force of the United States Navy. The Level II and III syllabi that a Rescue Swimmer must complete involve training on specific missions such as Helicopter-Visit Board Search and Seizure(HVBSS), Combat Search and Rescue(CSAR), SOF support, CAS, DA, PR, and SUW. All fully qualified AWS crewmen are also aerial/aviation gunners. They qualify on the M-240D, GAU-21, M4(series), and M11. Each crewman must be a master of their weapons and be able to perform under pressure in order to complete their respective missions. AWS crewmen work with forces such as Navy SEALS, Army Rangers, Navy EOD, MARSOC, Coast Guard MSRT, Border Patrol Tactical Unit(BORTAC) and other various special warfare units.

Surface Rescue Swimmer

Surface Search and Rescue Swimmer assisting in the transfer of midshipmen

Navy Surface Rescue Swimmers attend the four-week Surface Rescue Swimmer School (SRSS) in Jacksonville, Florida. 160th SOAR(A) has had personnel complete the course. This school is very similar to the Aviation side but lacks some aspects. To become a Surface Rescue Swimmer you must be able to perform physically.

Minimum Physical Requirements -

• 2 pull-ups in 2 min (2 min break)
• 50 sit-ups in 2 min (2 min break)
• 42 push-ups in 2 min (10 min break)
• 1.5 mile run in 12 min (10 min break)
• 400 meter swim in 11 min (Free style, Side Stroke, or Breast Stroke)

A Surface Rescue Swimmer is typically attached to a United States Naval Vessel and serves as their SAR asset. The deploy from either the RIB or the J-Bar in order to conduct a rescue. The primary job of a surface rescue swimmer is whatever they enlisted as. For example, a BM (Boatswain's mate (United States Navy)) can apply to attend Surface Rescue Swimmer School. If they pass, then their collateral duty is to be the Swimmer for their respective vessel.

80427-N-ZZ368-002 SAN DIEGO (April. 27, 2018) Family and friends place senior chief anchors on the uniform of Senior Chief Naval Aircrewmen Erica Gibson, during a promotion ceremony at Naval Base Coronado, April 27. Gibson is the first ever female, search and rescue (SAR) swimmer to promote to the rank of senior chief petty officer.

The first female U.S. Navy rescue swimmer was HMC Catherine Elliott (Rizzo). She was also the first woman to graduate from Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron in Jacksonville, Florida, and become a rescue swimmer on December 16, 1983. Two women, Kelly Mogk ’86 and Jody Vander Hyden ’89, were graduates and swimmers following the Navy’s course in earlier years. Now the Navy has over 30 female rescue swimmers. As of 2022, Erica Gibson, a 17-year enlisted Sailor, became the first female aviation Navy Search and Rescue (SAR) swimmer to promote to the rank of senior chief petty officer. Currently assigned to Helicopter SeaCombat Squadron 28, Gibson is the only female Senior Chief in the Navy and serves HSC-28 as the Leading Chief Petty Officer.

United States Air Force rescue swimmers are called pararescuemen (PJs) and perform sea-based and land-based rescues, although the rescue swimmer portion of their duties is sparsely used.

Pararescue is a notoriously rigorous CSAR (combat search and rescue) unit, with eight out of every ten candidates failing the indoctrination course. This gives PJs one of the highest attrition rates of any of America's Special Operations Forces. PJs are an elite special operations component, engaging in combat search and rescue. They are trained as combatants and paramedics, operating on air, sea, and land, and are considered, along with Air Force combat controllers, among the most elite of the U.S. military's Special Operations forces.

During war, they rescue downed pilots, special-operations troops left behind, and other stranded military men and women. Pararescuemen are also active in peacetime, retrieving NASA space equipment, and also performing rescues in all types of natural disasters, though they get much less recognition for this role due to the small numbers of people rescued. The PJs are often sought out for use by other branches of the military because of their high-quality training and versatility. For example, Air Force pararescuemen can be attached to elite units to provide their expertise for various operations.