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MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. (12/27/2012) -
Frequent, tough, realistic training helps maintain the prowess
demanded of America's expeditionary force in readiness. Marine
Transport Squadron 1's search and rescue members train as often as
two or three times a day to be ready in case they have to jump into
action.
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Petty Officer 3rd Class John H. Nelson, a search and rescue medical
technician with Marine Transport Squadron 1, holds the line above a
dummy during an injured pilot training scenario as one of the
squadron's HH-46E Sea Knight helicopters begins medevacing the
simulated casualty during a search and rescue exercise near Morehead
City, N.C., Dec. 6, 2012. Photo by USMC Lance Cpl. Cory D. Polom
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VMR-1's SAR unit conducts training ranging from
rappelling from its HH-46E Sea Knight helicopters to search
and rescue exercises. During a SAR-X, VMR-1 rescue swimmers,
crew chiefs and their SAR medical technicians face difficult
qualification tests. They conduct training in forests, open
plains and over water. The scenarios include rescuing downed
pilots and open-ocean medical evacuations. These rescues
force the team to use all the skills they train to maintain.
“Search and rescue is so dynamic, and there are so
many different skills utilized to successfully complete a
mission,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class John H. Nelson, a SAR
medical technician with VMR-1. “There are so many skills we
have to maintain, so one day we will conduct hoisting, the
next we'll conduct boat hoisting training, where we lower
our team down to a boat to medevac an injured person, and
then the next conduct a SAR-X.”
VMR-1 constantly
tries to entice new Marines and Sailors to join its ranks in
order to maintain mission capability, but not everyone has
the skills needed to become a search and rescue team member.
Marines of any rank or military occupational specialty
can come be a rescue swimmer, said Cpl. Kyle B. Smith, one
of only three qualified rescue swimmers in the entire Marine
Corps, all of whom are assigned to VMR-1.
“We have
very few qualified crew members right now,” said Smith. “We
need to keep these people's training up to date to maintain
mission readiness and ensure success within our unit.”
Search and rescue missions are high-stress situations
that can cause some people to lose their cool. The team with
VMR-1 said their training helps them mentally prepare for
their missions.
“Keeping a clear mind is the most
important thing,” said Smith. “If you're not in the right
state of mind, you're going to start forgetting about
safety. When you have someone hanging outside of an aircraft
and you forget about safety, people are going to get hurt.
The last thing you want to do is hurt someone while you're
trying to rescue them.”
The Marines said they know
their success or failure literally dictates whether or not
people live or die.
“We train every day to ensure the
success of every search and rescue mission we get,” said
Nelson. “During training exercises, we do everything we can
to push our Marines to learn their job and perfect it. When
you are dealing with a real-life situation, you don't have
time to lose your cool. Someone may die because you weren't
functioning correctly.”
By USMC Lance Cpl. Cory D. Polom
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2012
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