MCB HAWAII -- Waterfront Operations recently conducted their ongoing, survival and rescue training in the clear, blue waters of Kaneohe Bay May 4.
The small unit is made up of sailors holding numerous job titles. Regardless of their specialties, they train together for one goal — to sustain life.
Their morning started with a quick stretch and headed straight into the water for a swim to a 500-yard marker and back. Once all the swimmers made it back to the dock, the team took turns swimming out to a distressed victim played by Chief Petty Officer Sylvester Kahapea, assistant officer in charge, WFO, who gave them different scenarios to deal with.
“It’s to keep them proficient at swimming, keep them comfortable in the water and able to stay in the water for a prolonged period of time,” Kahapea said.
Waterfront Ops provides three services for the base; force protection over the water, environmental safety and search and rescue.
Unlike the Marine Corps Air Station, which has rescue swimmers who jump out of helicopters, Waterfront Operations has boats in the water at all times, giving them a huge advantage when it comes to response time. According to Kahapea, a local resident from Nanakuli, none of the sailors are certified, Navy trained rescue swimmers. Yet they all possess the knowledge they need to rescue a victim.
Kahapea referred to his sailors as “jacks of all trades,” when it comes to the water.
“We spend a lot of time in the water, and the training is vital to how we perform and act in certain situations,” Kahapea said. “Everyone in the unit, no matter what their rate is, crosstrains, whether it’s driving boats or swimming. The more we train, the better each sailor gets, and we can expand as one unit.”
Petty Officer 2nd Class David Estrada, electrician’s mate, said he’s taken in a lot during his past three years with the unit.
“I’d never driven a boat before I got here or rescued a person from the water,” Estrada said. “Now I’m pretty comfortable in the water and feel good about the training.”
Estrada, a Las Vegas native, said it’s basic search and rescue. If a boat turns over and they have to help a victim out of the water, they have to know how to get victims on their boat and then to safety for proper treatment.
There’s a lot that goes into the training, Estrada stated. He hasn’t yet rescued a victim, but said the training is realistic, and he’s comfortable using what he’s learned. He explained that rescuing a person from the water isn’t always easy and can be dangerous if you don’t know how.
“Sometimes you have to be a little more aggressive with a person in the water when they’re flailing or in shock,” Estrada said. “Not only can they hurt the swimmer, but the victim as well.”
He said he’s seen guys who’ve had a hard time swimming when they first got to the unit, but over time, everyone improves.
“These are things that we may need to perform, but hopefully not,” Kahapea said. “In time, if we do get called upon, we have the basic minimum skills to actually get to a victim and get them back to the boat or some place safe. We’re trying our best.”
According to Kahapea, Waterfront Ops currently has a memorandum with the U.S. Coast Guard to assist the Winward side of the island. Since the beginning of the year, Waterfront Ops has conducted eight SAR missions.
“We’ve built a relationship with the surrounding communities to help protect and keep the area safe,” Kahapea said. “We’re here to help.”