April 26, 2007
CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, Japan (April 26, 2007) -- Not long after seven Marines perished in a helicopter crash into the Pacific Ocean in December 1999, the Marine Corps issued an order making water survival and aircraft emergency training mandatory for Marines flying in helicopters over water for extended periods.
Since then, the Marine Corps Modular Amphibious Egress Trainer course on Camp Hansen has helped train more than 6,000 Marines and sailors on how to react to and survive a helicopter crash in open water.
Instructors with Survival Systems USA conduct two courses per week at the Camp Hansen House of Pain 25-meter pool, teaching service members the proper techniques and procedures to escape a submerged
helicopter.
"What we try to do is get them so familiarized with what it's like to be in a (helicopter) crash that their muscle memory will kick in and they can escape a crash without even thinking about it," said Kurt Reese, the chief instructor of the amphibious egress training unit.
The course starts with a lecture teaching Marines about the many dangers involved with a crash including chemicals in the water and the effects of air pressure on the body.
During the practical application portion of the course, Marines go through a series of exercises in the pool including the use of underwater breathing devices, aircraft escape procedures and water survival methods.
They train using the modular amphibious egress trainer, which can simulate the interior of either a CH-46 or CH-53 rotary-wing aircraft. The trainer, also known to many Marines as the "helo dunker," lowers into the pool with Marines inside and rotates upside-down.
Inside the dunker, Marines conduct escape procedures. The Marines first use breathing devices to increase the amount of time they have to get out of the simulator. The devices can supply 30 seconds to two minutes of breathable air depending on the depth of the submerged helicopter.
"It can be difficult to use the breather underwater if you panic," said Lance Cpl. Barclay M. Reed, an engineer equipment operator with Combat Logistics Battalion 31. "If you panic when you taste the water, it feels like you're not breathing - like you're just swallowing water."
After putting the breathing devices into use, the Marines must locate and open the emergency exits before unstrapping their seat belts and escaping the dunker.
"Most people want to get out as fast as they possibly can, and in this particular case, speed will kill you," said Robert L. Smith, the site manager of the Survival Systems USA training unit. "If they unbuckle their seat belt too early, they'll float to the top of the dunker and have a much harder time escaping the aircraft."
The training is not limited to the dunker, however. The course also includes the Shallow Water Egress Trainer, a chair that rotates upside-down in water, as a way to prepare course participants for the dunker.
According to Smith, helicopters turn upside-down in water because the aircraft are top heavy. He added the dunker helps give a more genuine experience by mirroring that motion.
Toward the end of the course, Marines train on water survival methods. They practice floating in formations that provide support for injured Marines and allow rescue aircraft to easily locate them.
"The purpose behind the training is to provide them with an escape route should they crash," Smith said. "Without this training, if you crash in the water, the odds are your mission is dead."
Smith said that is why the training is mandated, and he urged unit leaders to ensure their Marines get the training before they participate in any missions that involve flying in a helicopter over water.
"Whether he's a private in the Marine Corps or a general, it doesn't make a difference. If a Marine wants to fly in a helicopter over open water, they have to go through this training," Smith said.