Shit i have done this course just for fun, had to do it once and then at my next unit we were sending people and I said I wanted to go.

To bad the pool at E city is closed for repairs, I might see if I could do it again...

^^^^^^^^^^
Maybe we could step it up a notch with sharks in the pool and annoying screams at full volume. Adding a bunch of burning jet fuel at the surface would be a nice addition as well.

quote:

Originally posted by sjtill:
At one point I was asking people at the Naval Hospital in San Diego what one needed to do to get a VIP ride in an F-18.
Apparently one had to go through the "dunk tank" as a prerequisite. Not nearly as bad as this, but not much fun, I think.

I had a "friend" arrange a F/A-18F trap, cat shot and overnight stay on a carrier. Required a FL350 altitude chamber ride, ejection seat sim training, and the dunker. No exceptions: no training = no carrier junket.

1 dead, 2 rescued from helicopter crash in Gulf of Mexico south of Morgan City

Lake Charles, La. (KPLC) - One person is dead and two are in critical condition following a helicopter crash in the Gulf of Mexico, south of Morgan City.

The crash happened 46 miles south of Morgan City in the Gulf of Mexico on Wed., Oct. 26.

Coast Guard District Eight watchstanders received a call at 6:35 p.m. from Westwind Helicopter that a helicopter with three people aboard had crashed, officials said.

The National Transportation Safety Board says the helicopter was a Bell 407.

Coast Guard New Orleans sent out an urgent marine broadcast while also sending out crews to begin the search and rescue.
An oil rig crew boat, Captain Ron, arrived on scene and reported two crewmembers in a life raft.

A Coast Guard aircrew hoisted the two crewmembers, who were then transferred to University Medical Center in New Orleans. Both are reported to be in critical condition, according to the Coast Guard.

The body of a deceased third crewmember was located in the submerged helicopter, Coast Guard officials said.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

An oil rig crew boat, Captain Ron, arrived on scene and reported two crewmembers in a life raft.

A Coast Guard aircrew hoisted the two crewmembers, who were then transferred to University Medical Center in New Orleans. Both are reported to be in critical condition, according to the Coast Guard.

The body of a deceased third crewmember was located in the submerged helicopter, Coast Guard officials said.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Video at link: https://www.wlox.com/2022/10/2...o-south-morgan-city/

Dilbert Dunker in 1981, NAS SAN. Remember thinking I had this, but struggling to remove left shoulder strap. Safety diver helped, then I swam out and away. It is never as stress-free as you think it will be. Training is required.

quote:

Reading the title of the article I figured this had to be about waterboarding.

Simulated drowning, what a joke. These folks for whatever reason are trying to hype the danger of their occupation and training for a fluff piece human interest story. I mean they give actors water survival training, that has to mean something. What a load.

^^ THIS ^^

I've taken and passed HUET. Nobody in my class failed.

I put my team in HUET, all of them passed, and only 1 person in their class failed. That person freaked out and needed knee surgery.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:

An oil rig crew boat, Captain Ron, arrived on scene and reported two crewmembers in a life raft.

A Coast Guard aircrew hoisted the two crewmembers, who were then transferred to University Medical Center in New Orleans. Both are reported to be in critical condition, according to the Coast Guard.

I don't understand how they are in critical condition if they were able to escape and make it into a life raft. I hope they recover fully.

Never done that, but stress testing in the water is not fun but doable if you stop and think then do what needs to be done. Had a few months of scuba diving class taught by a Navy diver. Gotta love having your mask ripped off, tank turned off and respirator yanked out and tied in a knot.

In reading the responses I see that there is a HUGE psychological component. Some are predisoposed to accomplish this task, others are not. I have seen rough and tough marines faint at the sight of a needle. Many of us could not stand to be locked in a small enclosed space for any length of time. Claustrophobia is pretty common, hence the need for benzos or an open MRI.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL: Many of us could not stand to be locked in a small enclosed space for any length of time. Claustrophobia is pretty common, hence the need for benzos or an open MRI.

I don’t like MRI machines but HUET is nothing like it. It’s the passenger cabin of a helicopter minus the tail and front. The few people who have problems in HUET don’t know how to swim or know but have drowning phobia. For example, the guy who needed knee surgery I previously mentioned was a poor swimmer and freaked out including kicking wildly everywhere.

You remember holding kids underwater as a teenager? Some were really scared. I would be one of those. I realize you are not held down, but it lacks appeal for me. On the other hand I am not bothered by insects or snakes.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
Many of us could not stand to be locked in a small enclosed space for any length of time.

At SERE school they really didn't care whether I was claustrophobic, not about how long I was stuffed in that small box.

A choice you made. Not all of us are cut out for Special Forces. I am better at other things.
How about being buried alive? That does happen.

In Alister McLean’s thriller When Eight Bells Toll (a great read and not bad screen adaptation staring a very young Anthony Hopkins) the main character is in a helo that crashed on a reef in a Scottish loch, at night, in cold weather. The helo slides off the reef and sinks, inverted. The passage opening the next chapter says

“Among the more ridiculous and unsubstantiated fictions perpetuated by people who don’t know what they are talking about is the particularly half-witted one that death by drowning is peaceful, easy and, in fact downright pleasant. It’s not. It’s a terrible way to die. I know because I was drowning and I didn’t like it one bit.”

I stowed that factoid for 50 years and consider it one more way I’d rather not die.

quote:

Never done that, but stress testing in the water is not fun but doable if you stop and think then do what needs to be done.

^^^^^^^^^^
BTW you CANNOT talk people out of a phobia. John Madden rode around in a bus due to fear of flying. Rationality does not cut it when it comes to these things.

I love the water. I’m a good swimmer. Put me in a helo dunker, flip me upside down with blackout goggles on, it’s not a lot of fun. You ain’t going to die but it’s not fun. They have rescue divers plus in a pinch you can pull down the goggles and swim to the light ala Poltergeist style. Ask me how I know. Lol

There were some people who enjoyed it or claimed to but they were the outliers. Dilbert dunker on the other hand is easy. That’s the slide down the rails Officer and Gentlemen trainer.

Good fun is watching a bunch of cross decking Air Force guys be forced to do water survival because they work in a Navy squadron now. Good times, makes it all worth while.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: pedropcola,

D
O
R

I got no place else to go!