AIRR ?'s

[Haasino]

Originally Posted by FutureAW

As for my desire for airr, it's something challenging. Not too sound conceited, but it's a big deal to save lives and I would like to be that person. They allow for volunteers through boot camp, and I leave in April so I feel I may just go for broke.

You need to be aware that most Aviation Rescue Swimmers don't actually make rescues. If you get AWR, you'll be conducting anti-submarine warfare work in the back of an MH-60R... and if you're an AWS, you'll primarily be conducting VERTREP (Resupply) or manning a door gun depending on the mission. Sure, you'll train for rescues, and if you're hot enough to get assigned to a SAR squadron, you'll probably make some actual rescues while assisting the Coast Guard or local governments... but you're job is an H-60 crewman first, and a rescue swimmer second... and even the purpose of that is essentially to rescue downed pilots, and fortunately they don't go down very often.

Bottom line - if you wanna be like Ashton Kutcher in "The Guardian", join the Coast Guard and become an Aviation Survival Technician... if you wanna be a helo crewman, do some cool shit, and maybe... maybe... make an actual rescue, then AIRR is an awesome program.

And who has been telling you that you can volunteer for AIRR at RTC? They do not have the staffing or time to run people through PSTs and give them slots in 800 divisions... and RSS is currently so backlogged, they're haven't put a single AIRR candidate in a NACCS class for almost a month now.

Originally Posted by FutureAW

Thank you both for the replies too, I appreciate you taking the time to do that. Any insight on the work outs they do in pool?

Lots of sprints... crawl as fast as you can... treading, drown-proofing, buddy tows, etc. This is in addition to all the other water survival training you've done at NACCS. Here's a somewhat recent video that'll give you an idea:

USN Rescue Swimmer School (2011)