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Ops group takes to water for training

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Mary Hinson
  • 315th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
CHARLESTON AFB, S.C. --  When it comes to a life or death situation, being prepared is the key to survival, and there is no better way to be prepared than to keep up with the training. 

The 315th Airlift Wing did exactly that when approximately 35 aircrew members took to the waters of Lake Moultrie, S.C., to participate in water survival refresher training during the June Unit Training Assembly. 

Pilots and loadmasters from the 315th Operations Group participated in the one-day event that also included combat survival training. The group went through how to escape, evade and survive, what can be eaten in this situation, how the equipment can be used, and more survival tips. 

“If we ever get shot down, we have to know how to escape and evade the enemy,” said Lt. Col. Will Allen, 317th Airlift Squadron assistant director of operations. 

According to Master Sgt. Emory Nix, 317th AS loadmaster, the training helps “bring from the back of your mind forward” all the survival information they had learned in the initial training. 

This training is required every three years for the pilots, said Colonel Allen. To save the members time and the government money, he thought it would more beneficial to get all the training done in one day during the UTA, he added. 

“It was more efficient to do it (the training) on UTA,” said the colonel. The active duty, who conducts the training, offers monthly classes that are during the week, making it difficult for many traditional reservists to attend. The “active duty agreed to come out on the weekend.” 

Colonel Allen said none of this training would have been possible if it weren’t for the “tremendous support” of Tech. Sgt. Iain Stewart and Airman Amanda Hamilton of the 437th Operations Support Squadron. 

“He was a very motivated instructor that draws you in,” said Sergeant Nix, who went through the refresher training for the first time. 

“This was one of the best demonstrations of working between active duty and Reserve I’ve seen in a long time,” the colonel added. 

Overall, Colonel Allen said he was pleased at the way the training went off without any challenges. “It was an efficient use of time and training. Everyone seemed to have a good time doing it.  “It went off great.” 

Despite all the demonstrations and hands-on training, Sergeant Nix said the best tip he learned was for the mind. 

“Always be positive,” he said. “No matter what.”