San Diego, Calif. -- Recruits of Company G, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, line up at the edge of the pool to take their initial step into Water Survival Basic May 22 at the swim tank aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.
“Water survival gives recruits the basics on how to survive in the water,” said Sgt. Daniel Downing, senior drill instructor, Platoon 2155, Co. G, 2nd RTBn. “It also boosts their confidence since most recruits have never swam under these types of conditions.”
Water survival is a requirement that all recruits need to complete in their fourth week of recruit training. It teaches recruits how to use their bodies and items around them to survive in the unfortunate event that they were to go overboard on a ship.
“It’s important that every Marine knows how to survive in water,” said Sgt. Christopher Battaglia, Marine Combat Instructor Trainer, Support Battalion. “A large amount of our operations are in aquatic environments.”
Recruits are required to wear a combat utility uniform and a pair of combat boots during the training. This adds difficulty and allows the recruits to get a feel for how it is to move in the water with camis on. They are also given a class on how to make their blouse into a flotation device, explained Battaglia.
Instructors give a safety brief and begin to demonstrate the different strokes and requirements recruits need to learn in order to qualify. The course of qualification is to swim 25 meters in both shallow and deep water, tread water for four minutes in the deep end, utilize a waterproof-pack to swim 25 meters and do a 10-second gear strip while submerged.
The gear strip requires recruits to wear a flak jacket, Kevlar helmet and carry a simulated M16-A4 service rifle.
Recruits stand drenched, exhausted and relieved from the day’s events, but not every recruit qualifies the first day.
“I have never swum before in my life,” explained Recruit Albert Wagner, Plt. 2155, Co. G, 2nd RTBn. “I am definitely afraid of water and wearing the camis and boots made me even more nervous.”
The recruits that don’t qualify the first day are given remediation classes and a second chance to qualify. Instructors work one-on-one with the recruits to ensure that they will be safe and qualify.
“The hardest thing for recruits to do is to overcome their fear,” said Battaglia. “We can teach anyone how to swim but they need to be relaxed and willing.”
Water survival importance is stressed from the very first day of swim week. Recruits must learn not to panic because in a life or death situation there is no time to panic, explained Battaglia.
“I feel more confident after overcoming my fear,” said Wagner, a 21-year-old Harvard Ill. native. “My motivation was to keep going and complete recruit training without failure.”
Co. G moved on to Weapons and Field Training Battalion aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton for Grass Week, where recruits learn the basics in marksmanship. They will then continue their journey in becoming a United States Marine.