Water Survival Training THE relationship of water survival training to the discipleship of men

We don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training. Archilochus

I had failed to successfully complete the water survival swim qualifications with my Aviation Officer Cadet Class, 01-69, and was assigned to a “sub-swim” training class after hours. This meant that, when I should have been studying aerodynamics and naval history and preparing for the next day’s activities, I was breathing the depressing acrid odor of chlorine in Training Tank #2 at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.

The survival swim qualifications were very clear: tread water for 3 minutes holding both index fingers above the water, then drown proof for 10 minutes, then swim for 1 mile using four different strokes. This was all to be completed wearing a flight suit and tennis shoes. I had never had any formal swimming instruction or done a lot of swimming back in East Tennessee. In reality, I knew that I was facing the likelihood of being dropped from the aviation cadet program and losing my dream of becoming a Naval Aviator if I did not complete this session.

As we began the session I began to sink and the harder I kicked the more I sank so I reached over to grab the side of this Olympic size pool. Just then I felt a rap on my right hand knuckles and I looked up to see a “10’ tall” man with a pole in his grasp. He looked down at me and pointed toward Pensacola Bay, just a short distance away and said, “Lad, there ain’t no sides out there.” In a few short months the reality of those words would enable me to survive an aircraft crash in the Gulf of Thailand.

As I continued to hold the side, he said to me, “Lad the water is your friend…why are you fightin’ your friend?” I had no clue what he was talking about and was very surprised that he then got down in the water with me. He kept saying, “the water is your friend…look at me”, and began to carefully show me breath control techniques and how to relax my thinking and my body, after all, the water was my friend. After maybe 20 or 30 minutes of personal instruction I was ready to embrace my new friend, the water, and went on to, to train in, what I had been taught. The next day I successfully completed water survival training: treading water 3 minutes, drown proofing 10 minutes, and then swimming 1-mile wearing shoes and a flight suit. It was March 19, 1969 and I was thrilled to still to be…a Naval Aviation Cadet.

In September of 1970, I reported to Helicopter Attack Squadron Three, having completed navy flight training, SERE (Survival Evasion Resistance Escape) school, more water and land survival training, and finally a helicopter gunship course at Ft. Rucker, Alabama. During this period, I often remembered that day at Training Tank #2, looking up at that “10’ tall” man that has just whacked my knuckles. I could not get out of my mind how he joined me, uninvited, in my dilemma in the water. That short lesson in servant leadership and discipleship was somehow transformative in my basic attitude. The importance of mastering task and technique while caring for and trusting those around me was somehow set into my core belief system.

My squadron, known as the Navy Seawolves, was a “quick-reaction-anti-personnel force” flying helicopter gunship missions in support of Navy SEAL teams, riverine patrol boats and other allied units. We were deployed in nine two-gunship-detachments in remote and strategic areas of the Mekong Delta and staffed with 8 pilots and 8 door-gunners, a true band of brothers. I was assigned to Det-6 which operated from USS Hunderton County (LST 838), anchored about 2 miles offshore near the village of Song Ong Doc.

A heavily armed-two-gunship fire team launched from the deck of Hunterton County early in the morning of February 17, 1971. Our area of operation (AO) was to the north and east of the village and our mission was to patrol, engage and neutralize any enemy elements we encountered. Shortly after takeoff and leveling off at 1000’, I heard a very loud bang and the aircraft was violently shaken. Immediately it became very quiet and I realized the engine had failed, probably a severe compressor stall. Always remember this maxim, When the moment of truth has arrived, the time for preparation has passed.

There is no time to discuss an action plan because you are 30 seconds away from water impact. So, you simply do what you have trained to do---aviate; navigate; communicate; all while executing critical, specific engine failure procedures. Immediately lower the collective to preserve rotor rpm; adjust your nose to 70 knots airspeed; turn the aircraft into the wind…you can see “wind streaks” on the water; transmit your emergency to your wingman and on the “Guard” channel for all aviators to hear. This is all completed in about 10 seconds so you now 20 seconds away from a water landing…something you have never done before.

You have talked with your door gunners and copilot via your headset as you jettison the rocket pods and doors to prepare for ditching. The aircraft has been descending at about 2000’ per minute so as you come through 75’ you flare the nose about 60 degrees up breaking your descent speed and slowing airspeed. To survive, the goal is to come into a momentary low hover with zero forward speed and zero drift. You then pull up on the collective which increases the pitch on your rotor blades and cushions the water landing. So far you have completed the procedures that you have memorized and practiced over and over again, but never for real and never over water. Failing to do any of those procedures at the correct time and in the correct order would likely have been tragic.

Now as the aircraft enters the water there is another set of procedures which must be executed correctly or death could result. As the aircraft rolls right I must disconnect my radio cord from my helmet, grab the upper right hand hold and release my lap belt and shoulder strap. Just before submerging I take the biggest breath of air I have ever taken. I then pull myself up and place my boots on my seat and use my legs to push myself out the door opening that I earlier jettisoned. When clear of the aircraft I pop my flotation vest CO2 cartridges and follow the bubbles to the surface where the air is. I remembered that, “the water is my friend.”

As I came to the surface, I looked for 3 other heads, see two, and then a third pops up. Then I noticed that one of the door gunners seems to be having problems and is “fighting the water”. As I swim over to him I see that his floatation vest-CO2-cartridge seemed to have failed. In the moment of brief panic, he had forgotten about the oral inflation hose that is right there a few inches from his mouth. I grabbed the hose, quickly blew some air into his vest and gave him a “thumbs up”, and gave it to him to finish inflating. I am not certain, but I probably said to him, “the water is your friend.”

It was just over 54 years ago that I was helplessly “fighting my friend the water” when a very tall stranger joined me in my dilemma…uninvited! I was never able to find out who he was or to even thank him for rescuing my career and changing my life. Of course his discipleship and servant leadership was instrumental in saving my life and probably the life of my door gunner. So now, we all have these opportunities as we walk along the side the pool. You have the gift to render assistance to those you find “fighting the water”…relationships, finances, health, purpose, etc. Why not be a bit Jesusesque, be bold, “jump into their dilemma” and show them how to swim in the waters of life?

It is always amazing to me how we Christian men seem to think that we can adlib responses to “life’s engine failures” or to fake the ability to “drown proof” thru the adverse circumstances of life. Even a pagan Greek poet, our old pal, Archilochus knew the value of training and discipleship. Gentlemen, the idea of “rising to the occasion” may work in the deep recesses of our mind---but when the shooting actually begins, we sink to our level of training and make our stand there…on the Rock of Christ!

Barney Barnes, Warrior Spirit Ministries, 04-01-2023