MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. — Ocean water fills the vessel as crew members chuck water from their tether to life, a 20-person life raft. Another member steadfastly refills the escaping air that keeps their raft afloat. These activities are just a couple of measures taken to ensure the survival of Airmen in the event of a downed aircraft over a large body of water.

During a simulation of an in-flight emergency, pilots and aircrew stationed at MacDill Air Force Base perform life-saving techniques in preparation for potential long-term survival and isolation over open water.

Water Survival Preparation at MacDill consists of two segments, academic instruction reviewing concepts such as open water recovery and raft-living procedures, and a live simulation to apply those concepts. All pilots and aircrew are required to complete this course every 48 months, and this year, participants are in for a fun surprise.

Given the charge of making this training as realistic and safe as possible, two Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) specialists set out to transform the way MacDill prepares pilots and aircrew for in-flight water emergencies. For Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Haskins and Staff Sgt. Matthew Montour, SERE specialists with the 6th Operations Support Squadron and instructors of the Water Survival Preparation course, this meant moving into a season of growth, both personally and professionally.

Montour and Haskins had a framework for creating this new and engaging course, but they knew they needed the help of the community to bring this immersive experience to life.

“The big challenge was recognizing what assets we have in play, at least here and near MacDill, and how we can utilize and incorporate them into our water survival preparation course,” said Montour. “The next big step was getting all of those unique and capable assets to be able to assist us in this process.”

The new scenario allows participants to practice a truer version of what they may encounter. Rather than swimming out 50 yards into the water, participants will board a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) marine vessel and be carried to the middle of the bay, approximately 1200 yards, where they will disembark, swim into a life raft, and simulate raft-living procedures. To close out the experience, the Coast Guard will “rescue” the team via helicopter hoist (an outcome more likely to occur on the open waters). Montour and Haskins believe these changes will provide a more impactful experience for both pilots and aircrew.

To facilitate the type of program that effectively prepares pilots and aircrew for emergencies, Montour and Haskins needed to be certified to address certain situations while in the training environment.

Soon, they would attend the Navy’s Surface Rescue Swimmer School (SRSS), a demanding 26-day course that tests physical aptitude and mental acuity, all while equipping participants with the skills to recover and assist personnel during emergency situations.

Physically and mentally demanding programs were nothing new for Haskins and Montour, but this program added a few layers of pressure that made the process something to remember. For one, SRSS is a grueling program with a high attrition rate but being the first Airmen to attend made them keenly aware that they were representing all the U.S. Air Force and setting the standard for all who followed. Like a house of cards, one false move could have the entire overhauled water survival preparation course crumbling, or at the very least, delayed.

As if that weren’t enough, during the training, Montour experienced an episode of illness which could have meant the end of his training and no certification.

“[The] reality set in that the next couple hours or days were about to get a whole lot worse. I woke up at 0130 and thought, ‘This isn’t good. PT is at 0600, I’m not going to get any more sleep, and my body is actively rejecting food and water,’” said Montour.

“I prayed first, called Haskins at 0540 for a pep talk, armed myself with a hotel trash can, extra clothes in my pack, and the will to survive. I knew that if I didn’t show up for PT, or if I didn’t perform well enough, I would get pulled. I also knew that if I voluntarily went to sick call or the ER during training hours, I would get pulled,” he added.

“In all honesty though, remembering why I was there was critical; I am here for the betterment and safety of others, so what’s a little momentary discomfort?”

Unable to keep anything down, Montour powered through a grueling PT session to get the credit he needed to move forward, and he capped off his evening with a trip to the emergency room.

“The following day we had our final eval which I passed, and then went to the ER that evening too,” he said. His perseverance was a testament to the tremendous responsibility he felt in being one of the first from the Air Force to attend.

Although SRSS is a demanding program, Haskins notes its importance for SERE Specialists. “Currently, the standard for SERE Specialists is to be lifeguard certified.”

“We are advocating for other SERE programs across the force to go to the Navy Surface Rescue Swimmer School so they can have those skills and be as safe as they can and lower the risk to the force in that high-risk training event that they conduct and are responsible for.”

Although the grueling water training program and an illness stood as obstacles on their path to a reimagined water survival preparation course, Haskins and Montour are thankful for the experiences and opportunities this journey has afforded.

“We’ve gotten to work with other agencies that I’ve never worked with before, for instance the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office,” said Haskins. “That’s been a huge breadth of knowledge and also opens up a lot more resources for us to tap into.”

Haskins discussed how this experience has also influenced him personally, “[it’s] also been broadening for me to get out of my comfort zone and be able to interact with civilians and other counterparts in a way that is applicable to the preparation we already perform here at MacDill AFB.”

Both Montour and Haskins received special recognition for their efforts in revitalizing the water survival preparation course. Major General Corey J. Martin, the 18th Air Force Commander, gifted them with the 18th AF coins and personal letters celebrating this achievement.

“It’s been a blessing seeing this process change within the last year,” said Montour. “It was a lot of legwork, about nine months of planning and preparation from the SERE shop.”

“We hope to set a precedent and a way forward for the rest of our program in the hope that other units, and other SERE specialists across AMC and across the Force can implement some of these skills as well.”