Rescue swimmers make up a small community of specially trained forces. The Coast Guard alone employs far less than 300 rescue swimmers worldwide. Rescue swimmer military jobs require swimmers jump from aircraft carriers into the depths of an unforgiving sea below to save the life of a fellow service member, or a complete stranger. Rescue swimmers face grueling mental and physical training to guarantee the success of their rescues. Swimmers put aside their regard for their own lives, to save the life of another.
Want to learn more about rescue swimmers and other military jobs? Request information with this form.
Eligibility to Apply
Eligibility for specialized military jobs are reserved only for prime candidates. Ideal candidates are held to strict standards when applying for such a dangerous job.
? Men and women can apply.
? Eyesight for candidates must be 20/100 without corrective aid, or correctable to 20/20 in both eyes.
? Candidates must have normal perception of color- they can’t be colorblind.
? Candidates must have obtained a minimum ASVAB score.
? Must pass a physical and mental screening test.
Special Skills
Candidates interested in becoming a rescue swimmer in certain branches of the military must be fully committed to successfully complete the program. A recruit who lacks certain skills and physical abilities, won’t last past a week in training. Before a candidate decides to join an elite team, they must ask themselves if they possess the right skills to help them succeed.
? Candidates must be comfortable in the water.
? Students must be able to handle stress without panicking.
? Rescue swimmers are mentally stable and level-headed.
Physical Fitness
Rescue swimmers are constantly improving their physical strength to survive the plunge into the deep. Rescue swimmers are responsible for lives, so they must be in supreme physical shape. Swimmers must pass monthly physical fitness challenges. The routine will break anyone who is not 100% committed. The physical exercises are demanding, but necessary to endure the threat of the sea. Candidates must be able to complete:
? 50 pushups
? 60 sit-ups
? 5 pull-ups and chin-ups
? 500 yard crawl swim in less than 12 minutes
? 4 sets of 25 yard underwater swims
? 200 yard buddy tow
Want to learn more about rescue swimmers and other military jobs? Request information with this form.
Education and Training
A handful of candidates enroll in the rescue swimmer programs each year, and less than half of the students graduate at the end. Rescue swimmers face exhaustive mental and physical training that rivals the training of special ops in other branches of the military. Rescue swimmers must have the endurance and ability to last in the unforgiving elements of the sea, and over 50% of students fail to live up to the rigorous expectations. Rescue swimmers engage in a specific education and training curriculum designed to push candidates to their breaking point.
? Candidates receive emergency medical training specifically aimed at providing life-saving care in the water, on the ground and in other precarious situations.
? Swimmers learn advanced swimming techniques.
? Swimmers are exposed to psychological challenges.
? In addition to hands-on experiences and field training, students will receive specialized classroom training and instruction.
Responsibilities of a Rescue Swimmer
The rescue swimmer is responsible for saving a life in the most perilous conditions. Rescue swimmers are exposed to a vast array of challenges and expectations when they are called for duty.
? Rescuers save lives devastated by hurricanes, tsunamis and typhoons all across the globe.
? Swimmers are called to rescue abandoned swimmers, boat crew members, hikers and climbers.
? Rescuers aid in humanitarian relief efforts.
? Rescuers provide support during war and special military operations.
? Members of the team assist in transporting troops and their supplies between vessels out at sea.
Dangers
Rescue swimmers confront a variety of incalculable challenges and dangers when they are deployed on a rescue mission, such as:
? Unpredictable shifts of the sea
? Ideal drowning conditions
? Unimaginable weather situations
? Volatile rifts in the side of a mountain
Pay
The military compensates members who brave dangerous military jobs. The level of pay a swimmer receives depends on their rank and level of success in the field. Rescuers can be rewarded with a handful of monetary benefits in addition to their military pay and allowances. Rescuers may be eligible for:
? Enlistment bonuses
? Flight pay
? Special assignments pay
? Education advancement rewards
Future Opportunities
Rescue swimmers are trained to handle excruciating circumstances with professionalism and superb attention to detail. Military jobs teach members extraordinary skills to achieve the highest level of success in the military and in civil life after they are discharged. Rescue swimmers may go on to utilize their proficiency in many other fields. Common employment opportunities during and after the military include:
? Special warfare operations
? Private security and contractual firms for the government
? Law enforcement
? Rescue swimmer education and training
? Humanitarian efforts
Want to learn more about rescue swimmers and other military jobs? Request information with this form.
I was in the class given by the SEALS in Yokosuka, Japan in June of 1977.
The first ones given. 49 started, 11 of us finished. Three from my ship The USS Oklahoma City, CG-5. The class was only 5 days. The physical fitness and training was 4 weeks of swimming, duck walking around that huge pool other physical fitness. It was grueling but at 20 years old, it was a blast.
Then I had to demonstrate a rescue for the 7th Fleet Admiral, Captain on our ship and all of the other Navy Captains in the area. THAT was fun…lol
Rescue Swimmer Class 8510, Pensacola Fl. Loved the job, training was grueling! 44 Started 12 finished on time.
Rod