Water survival training provides life-saving skills for aircrew

by Karen Abeyasekere
100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

3/28/2014 - NORFOLK, England  -- As a mayday signal crackled over the radio, thunder sounded, rain poured down heavily and 6-foot waves crashed in their faces, aircrew from Team Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath's Liberty Wing battled their way through water, slowly making their way over to a life raft rocking back and forth in the darkness.

Forming a human chain, they clambered over the side to the relative safety of the raft, blindly feeling around for the next person in the chain and dragging him inside. The only light to guide them came from glowsticks tied to their helmets and the outside of the raft, along with the occasional flash of lightning.

While this sounds like a horrific scenario, thankfully it wasn't real. The aircrew - from various squadrons on both bases - were undergoing water survival training at Lowestoft College in Norfolk.

Weathering the storm

Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape specialists from RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath led the training at a special-purpose pool approximately 80-feet long and 32-feet wide. The water is more than 13-feet deep, and there is approximately 17-feet from the bottom of the pool to the top of the deck.

Special equipment simulates storm conditions, with sprinklers enabling "rain" to beat down, a wave machine creating 5- to 6-foot waves from crest to trough and six fans which kick out winds of up to 30 knots.

Training scenarios include parachute disentanglement and drags, swim techniques and raft entry, according to Staff Sgt. Jonathon Schmitz, 100th Operations Support Squadron NCO in charge of SERE operations.

"They're designed to give the aircrew some basic techniques and memory devices to recall if put into a real survival situation, so they can be successful," the Minneapolis native said. "The pool at Lowestoft is capable of creating realistic training conditions similar to a rough North Sea with 30-knot winds; however, within a minute, the pool can be calmed down - lights can be put on and wind can be stopped - and we can respond to any real-world emergency without putting students in real danger."

Training is a life-saver

Although KC-135 Stratotankers don't have parachutes on board, the training is still vital for the aircrew of that aircraft.

"The Boeing 707 model has demonstrated several times the survivability of the crew inside during a water or land crash," Schmitz said. "The KC-135 crew needs to be prepared for any situation, regardless of parachutes and how reliable the platform is.

"Safety is a concern no matter what or where we train, but especially at the pool. We brief on this, and provide instructions for use of equipment and techniques on anything from disentangling from a parachute in the water to boarding a 20-man life raft in 5- to 6-foot waves," said the SERE specialist.

The specialists conduct the training approximately once per month to fulfill normal training requirements.

Skills to survive

"Hands-on WST refresher training involves physically familiarizing individuals with operational use of equipment in less-than-ideal conditions," Schmitz said. "This gives them the confidence and experience to use their equipment and survive, as well as assist others to survive in isolating circumstances."

During the training, all aircrew wore life preservers, which varied according to the airframe they fly. Pilots wear different equipment due to the cockpit configuration and specific needs unique to the aircraft.

Fighter aircrew wear black life preserver units with a harness, which represents a parachute. Other aircrew wear orange life preserver units when flying over water. Some aircrew, depending on the type of aircraft they fly in, also wear a harness as a representation for a parachute.

Although many of the aircrew had similar training before, there was an overall consensus this was a very different experience.

"The training was very robust, and probably the best version of this training I've attended," said Maj. Steven Strasbaugh, 351st Air Refueling Squadron KC-135 instructor pilot from Watonga, Okla.

Reality kicks in

"Some parts were very challenging because of the conditions (the specialists) were able to create in the training pool. The waves definitely made the raft entry more difficult," Strasbaugh said. "Like any learned skill, these are perishable if not exercised. At the beginning of the day, a lot of the information was very difficult to remember, but as the day progressed, I was able to recall more information from previous training.

"We all hope we'll never have to use the skills we learned, but it's important to be confident in the equipment we are issued and training we received," Strasbaugh said. "The SERE specialists did an outstanding job of administering the training. In the end, we all had the opportunity and ability to use the skills they taught us and no one was hurt. I definitely feel better equipped to deal with a water survival situation after this training."

Another part of the training involved a simulated helicopter hoist lowered into the water. The aircrew members had to individually unhook a Navy strop (rescue sling) and run it underneath their arms and behind their backs before rehooking it. The hoist then lifted them several feet into the air, as though a helicopter was pulling them to safety. Strasbaugh said he enjoyed this exercise as that particular capability hadn't been available at other training he'd attended elsewhere.

Taking it to the limit

"The most difficult part was the exercise in the raft," Strasbaugh said. "The wind and wave noise made it very difficult to communicate, and the darkness made it difficult to work together effectively. The waves made it very unstable to work in the raft."

Other aircrew in attendance also felt the training was very beneficial.

"When dealing with an issue as important as water survival training, it's of the utmost importance to take the training seriously and try to learn as much as you can," said Capt. Adam Huebel, 351st ARS assistant flight chief of standardization and evaluations. "I feel much better prepared to deal with any and all emergency situations that might involve ditching the aircraft."

Besides enjoying the training, the aircrew had high praise for the SERE specialists.

"Even an amazing facility like the one we used is worthless without specialists who know what and how to teach," said Strasbaugh. "They deserve all the credit for putting together an outstanding training program."