NORFOLK, Va. — In life, it's not always about what happens: it's how you prepare and respond. That's why before you're given clearance in the Navy, you must complete a lot of training.
The Department of Defense wants to know its service members know how to survive if something goes wrong.
“We just try and go over [and have] tons and tons of repetition, muscle memory, and just giving them the greatest chance of getting out of any type of mishap that they might enter,” said Tomas Almeraz, a water survival instructor at Naval Station Norfolk who also spent 10 years active duty as a diver.
Every Sailor, pilot, Marine, and crew member who rides in an aircraft must undergo Aviation Water Survival Training, which happens at an indoor pool at Naval Station Norfolk. The training gives anyone who gets inside an aircraft the skills they need to save their own lives.
They start small, sitting through classroom training and swimming without gear.
"[We’re] making sure that people are comfortable and gain water confidence before taking them into what's called 'the dunker,'” said ASW2 Erik Kopack, head pool instructor, ASTC.
“The dunker” simulates a sinking aircraft, which is a very real possibility while underway.
“For what we do here to implement is, we will take some of the students through and give them blinders so they can't see as well. We'll give them different scenarios where you can't go out the window that's right next to you [and] you have to go across the aircraft to open different windows," said Almeraz.
He said it prepares military members for various aircraft and waters.
“The one thing that is extremely difficult to get past is the cold water. It takes the breath right out of you and even when you get up to the surface, cold water can start to deteriorate your useful dexterity,” said Almeraz.
Every Sailor and Marine goes through training. The initial certification takes place at NAS Pensacola and then individuals go to their individual squadrons. Four years later, they refresh their skills at facilities like Naval Station Norfolk.
Instruction is split into two days: the first day is the “dry side” where Sailors and Marines learn in the classroom. The second day is when they complete the survival swim.
The course consists of a swim using the survival breaststroke, treading water, and drown proofing while wearing a flight suit, helmet, and boots.
“When you're wearing a lot of heavy gear, it's a lot more difficult to swim or tread water or to operate your gear,” he said.
While participating in the Sailor for a Day program, News 3 Anchor and Problem Solver Erin Miller completed the most basic form of the training.
When she asked Almeraz how she did, he said, “we have people that come through that fail this course and you went through no problem at all.”
Erin now knows how to save her own life, but the experience just scratches the surface of what our Navy really goes through.
Sailors also simulated landing in the water with a parachute and being lifted back onto an aircraft.
Life and death skills to protect the navy's most valuable asset: its people.
