Helo dunker no SWET for BLT 3/2 

Marines with Weapons Company, Battalion Landing Team, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, attended the Shallow Water Egress Trainer course, Dec. 8 - 9, 2008 at Survival Systems USA's New Training Center aboard Camp Lejeune.

The course put Marines in a chamber resembling the troop area of a CH-46 Sea Knight or CH-53 Super Stallion helicopter that submerged and flipped over in an indoor pool.  This allowed the Marines to develop survival techniques that could save their lives if they're ever in a helicopter crash, according to trainers at the facility.

"The purpose of this course is to provide Marines with the necessary skills to egress from a ditched helicopter," said Stephen R. Lampley, the site manager for Survival Systems USA, and a native of Klein, Texas. "Accidents happen from ship-to-shore, shore-to-ship around the water, and this course is specifically designed for the infantrymen who ride in the back."

Mortar Platoon Marines underwent two full days of training in scenarios simulating CH-46 and CH-53 ditches. The training consists of several hours of classroom instruction and gear familiarization, followed by practical application in the pool.

The practical application starts with Marines sitting in individual chairs contained within a float-lined cage. The instructors flip this chair over to get the Marine used to the experience of being inverted and to associate them with life-saving equipment like a two-minute breathing device used during over-water flight.

"When they first put you underwater in the chair, it's confusing, and you become disoriented," said Lance Cpl. Karsten E. Shank, a mortarman with the BLT, and native of Lake Wales, Fla. "You don't get nervous until you notice the Marines around you getting nervous and then it just becomes unsettling." 

After the single chair training, the Marines move to the Modular Amphibious Egress Trainer, the simulated aircraft fuselage known to many Marines as the "helo dunker." The dunker drops into the pool with Marines inside and rotates upside down. Marines must then conduct escape procedures. Many Marines cited the ability to stay calm in each underwater scenario as the biggest learning point during the course.

"This training makes me feel more comfortable going on the helicopters," said Shank. "We have now been taught how to locate the exits and use them. Hopefully we'll never have to use this training."

The 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit is a scalable, multipurpose force of more than 2,200 Marines and sailors. Commanded by Col. Gareth F. Brandl, it consists of its Ground Combat Element, BLT 3/2; Aviation Combat Element, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 (Reinforced); Logistics Combat Element, Combat Logistics Battalion 22; and its Command Element.

The 22nd MEU is currently conducting pre-deployment training and is scheduled to deploy this spring. For more information about the 22nd MEU, visit the unit's website at www.22meu.usmc.mil.
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