Navy Air Rescue Swimmers

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jack Flash on July 2, 2012 at 7:14pm

Hi Anne Marie,

I'm the newbie here, so you'll want to hear from some more seasoned folks about this.  There is a lengthy training pipeline that they all have to get through beginning right after they finish Boot Camp.  From everything I've read, most of them ship out to Pensacola the very next day after PIR (BC graduation).

Permalink Reply by Anne Marie on July 2, 2012 at 8:04pm

Jack thank you for responding.  Is your son or daughter already at Pensacola or are they in bootcamp?

Permalink Reply by Jack Flash on July 2, 2012 at 8:42pm

My son is at the very beginning of the whole process.  He has not even gone to Boot Camp yet--- He's trying to earn a contract to become a Rescue Swimmer.

Permalink Reply by Anne Marie on July 2, 2012 at 8:54pm

oh I do remember that process for my son.  I remember him practicing improving his times on the swim.  He waited about 6 months but some of the delay was on his part.  He wanted to spend his birthday at home before he left for boot camp. Good luck to your son, I'm sure he will get a contract soon.  We will have to keep in touch.  I will fill you in as I learn.

Permalink Reply by Danny Maxwell on July 3, 2012 at 7:41am

Welcome Ann Marie, The course of events my son went through were as follows:

Boot Camp, ACCS (Air Crew Candidate School), RSS (Rescue Swimmer School), SERE (Survive Evade Resist Escape), A-School, FRAC (Fleet Replace Air Crew).  My son finished his FRAC this past March, almost two years after he started boot camp.  He is assigned to the HSL- 48 Vipers out of Mayport, just learned his ship will be the U.S.S. Monterey and he will probably be deployed in January. So that's almost three years of training.  Currently he's getting in a lot of flight time practicing his job as well as flying with pilots that are training. He leaves next week for two weeks of training in the Bahamas (tough duty) for AUTEC (Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center). Otherwise it's a lot of surfing and playing golf.

 

Keep the questions coming, good luck to your son.

Danny

Permalink Reply by Wayne A Bradford on July 3, 2012 at 12:18pm

Welcome Anne Marie ... He should >>>should have the weekend off and maybe more .Then go to Pensacola for  Naval Air Crew Candidate School (NACCS) , Rescue Swimmer School (RSS) , A-School , (FRAC) Fleet Replacement AirCrew , Also (SERE) Survival and Evasion; Resistance and Escape. This all takes about a year to finish or more ... Depends how well he does ... just remember to encourage him all the way. My son (Chris) has had a few dumps along the way and it seems that is a standard thing. Good luck to you and your son

Permalink Reply by Scott Ritchey on July 3, 2012 at 3:53pm

Hi Anne Marie,

My sons PIR on a friday, and was shipped out the next morning. They were dropped off at midway at about 4:30 AM for a 6:00 PM flight to P'cola. The USO has a lounge there so you can spend the day with him if you wish. My wife and I spent the weekend in Chicago so we picked him up there that morning and spent the day with him downtown, if you do that he has to be back at the airport for about 4:00 o'clock. He can have his personal electronics in P'cola (cell phone, ipad etc.) but you have to bring to him at the airport, he can't bring it back to Great Lakes friday night. Best of luck to your son.

Permalink Reply by Brad on July 3, 2012 at 10:03pm

Danny gives a good breakdown for the steps involved.  The pipeline can range from about 18 mos if there are few delays, like in the case for my son Garrett, or up to 2 yrs.  The important thing is to go one step at a time.  It all falls into place as they get stronger and learn new skills.  There is no way to rush through, that is for sure.  That is why they sign for a 6 year commit instead of 4.  All the best to the newbie's!

Permalink Reply by Anne Marie on July 4, 2012 at 8:06pm

Thank you all for the information you provided.  It is all very helpful to me

Permalink Reply by Danny Maxwell on July 5, 2012 at 10:36am

Hi Ann Marie, two things that are the foundation of getting through all of the training evolutions as well as finally doing the job are teamwork and attention to detail, those are the two things the instructors stress the most.

 

Danny 

Permalink Reply by Sue Ann Sauer on July 23, 2012 at 2:32pm

Hi everyone,   just read all the replys to AnneMarie's question....I had the same question  and this was very helpful... We have PIR 27th.....Cant wait.....Teamwork and attention to detail; very necessary especially w/the schools to come....I did a lot of reading about all the schools along  their fantastic JOURNEY..... God Bless ......   Hoo Yah....... Sue Ann