MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii -- "Ditching, ditching, ditching," roared one of the instructors prior to the training vessel being swallowed by hundreds of gallons of sparkling blue water at the MCB Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, swimming pool during a Modular Amphibious Egress Trainer demonstration, Nov. 7. The newly installed MAET provides some necessary underwater egress training for the base "frequent-flyer" Marines and Navy corpsmen of the Ground Combat Element who ride as combat passengers in helicopters and amphibious vehicles."The training is designed to give the Marines the knowledge, practice and skill to significantly increase the chances of surviving a mishap that leaves them in the water or underwater, possibly inverted, and possibly in the dark," said Petty Officer 1st Class Fernando Santos, a corpsman with Branch Medical Clinic Pearl Harbor.The MAET is commonly called a "dunker" and its cabin section is re-configurable to replicate the type of seating and emergency exits found on Marine Corps helicopters and amphibious vehicles."The training teaches students how to properly react when a water ditching occurs," said Chad Copeland, military sales and training manager for Survival Systems Groups USA Ltd., which designs and manufactures the training devices."The MAET system is designed similarly to the CH46 "Sea Knight" and CH53E "Super Stallion" helicopters with escape hatches and exits to provide Marines with a realistic scenario."Furthermore, the MAET is made of a stainless steel frame with the general shape of the cabin section of a helicopter. It is nearly 18-feet-long and more than eight feet in diameter. Typically, it can hold a maximum of 10-12 Marines at one time, and begins its training cycle from a position suspended over a pool from a large, permanently mounted crane. The hoist lowers the MAET into the pool to simulate ditching, and then raises the MAET after the practice egress is complete. During the cycle, as the dunker enters the water, it usually rolls right or left to a disorienting, inverted position. The training course lasts two days and includes classroom time in which instructors cover various hazards while submerged, the proper use of available equipment, and the correct way to conduct an escape/egress from a submerged helicopter or vehicle.After the classroom session, the Marines move on to the Shallow Water Egress Trainer that is a floating chair with a frame similar to a seat in a helicopter. Students practice holding their breath, gaining underwater orientation using procedures to assist in finding an escape exit, and conducting egress to the water's surface.Upon completion of the SWET training, the Marines move into the deep water for several rides in the dunker. The Marines perform six to seven ditching cycles and during some of the cycles, they are exposed to "lights out" or night conditions. "Anyone would find it tough to deal with the disorientation of being upside-down," said Perry Dunn, program manager, American Systems Corporation. "Add that to the uncomfortable feeling of having water up your nose and in your ears, and not having air to breathe for 20 seconds or so. The MAET is undergoing final inspection testing and is scheduled to be ready for use Dec. 1."When Marines complete this training they express a high level of confidence because they can remain calm, stay strapped in until motion stops, use their leverage to open an exit, pull themselves to and through the exit, swim to the surface, and survive to fight another day," said Dunn.