thedrifter
01-15-05, 07:31 AM
Recruits submerge themselves in water survival training
by Cpl. Brian Kester and Lance Cpl. Justin J. Shemanski
MCRD Parris Island
MCRD/ERR PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. -- For those who undergo the rigors of Marine Corps recruit training, "Swim Week" focuses on various methods of water survival and can be extremely tough.
While some recruits have had an abundance of experience in the water and may be quite comfortable, for others this may be their first time in a pool.
Experienced or not, swimming with a Kevlar strapped to your head, an M-16A2 service rifle and an ALICE pack strapped on your back, while wearing Marine Pattern camouflage utilities and Marine Corps Combat Boots, will inevitably hinder any and all attempts for anyone trying to stay afloat.
While the gear may seem to hinder and hold back the swimmer, this is an important step in learning how to survive at sea.
By this time, recruits have begun to grasp the concepts of water survival, Marine Corps- style.
Utilizing methods to swim the length of the pool such as the combat travel stroke or jumping off of a 10- or five-meter platform in the abandoned ship technique, recruits give their all in an attempt to achieve the prized Level 1 Swim Qualification.
To do so, they must push themselves to their physical limits over a period of three days; swimming the length of the pool numerous times with combat gear in tow, and just when they think it's all finished, they must add another piece of gear and do it all over again.
http://www.dcmilitary.com/marines/hendersonhall/newspics/2116_6dt.jpg
Cpl. Brian Kester
Recruit Brian Drinner, a Knoxville, Tenn., native, gasps for air during the pack swim at the Depot's Combat Pool Dec. 16. Recruits in this phase of water survival are required to plunge into the water from a five-foot tower in full combat gear, then swim half the length of the pool. This aspect of the exercise is easier for some than others, as the weight of the gear adds difficulty to an already cumbersome exercise. Twenty percent of recruits who come through Parris Island learn how to swim for the first time during the five-day period.
Ellie
by Cpl. Brian Kester and Lance Cpl. Justin J. Shemanski
MCRD Parris Island
MCRD/ERR PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. -- For those who undergo the rigors of Marine Corps recruit training, "Swim Week" focuses on various methods of water survival and can be extremely tough.
While some recruits have had an abundance of experience in the water and may be quite comfortable, for others this may be their first time in a pool.
Experienced or not, swimming with a Kevlar strapped to your head, an M-16A2 service rifle and an ALICE pack strapped on your back, while wearing Marine Pattern camouflage utilities and Marine Corps Combat Boots, will inevitably hinder any and all attempts for anyone trying to stay afloat.
While the gear may seem to hinder and hold back the swimmer, this is an important step in learning how to survive at sea.
By this time, recruits have begun to grasp the concepts of water survival, Marine Corps- style.
Utilizing methods to swim the length of the pool such as the combat travel stroke or jumping off of a 10- or five-meter platform in the abandoned ship technique, recruits give their all in an attempt to achieve the prized Level 1 Swim Qualification.
To do so, they must push themselves to their physical limits over a period of three days; swimming the length of the pool numerous times with combat gear in tow, and just when they think it's all finished, they must add another piece of gear and do it all over again.
http://www.dcmilitary.com/marines/hendersonhall/newspics/2116_6dt.jpg
Cpl. Brian Kester
Recruit Brian Drinner, a Knoxville, Tenn., native, gasps for air during the pack swim at the Depot's Combat Pool Dec. 16. Recruits in this phase of water survival are required to plunge into the water from a five-foot tower in full combat gear, then swim half the length of the pool. This aspect of the exercise is easier for some than others, as the weight of the gear adds difficulty to an already cumbersome exercise. Twenty percent of recruits who come through Parris Island learn how to swim for the first time during the five-day period.
Ellie