SUMPTER SMITH JNGB, Ala. -- Airmen from the 117th Air Refueling Wing participated in water survival training at Oak Mountain State Park on October 18, 2020.
The training consisted of a short classroom style discussion before moving to a more hands on approach, entering a raft and setting up a canopy for water collection, sun protection and more.
According to Tech. Sgt. Justin Bruce, an Air Crew Flight Equipment Specialist, the training benefited both the trainers and the trainees, more specifically Pilots, Boom Operators and Crew Chiefs.
“You have to stay mission ready,” Bruce said, “We have to be knowledgeable on the equipment to train the air crew to get them out of bad situations in case they need it.”
Due to the colder water temperatures, they had to forgo the portion of the training where the airmen would swim to the raft and climb in.
“We did all the classroom portions up there where we had some shade, then we did all our demonstrations that’s required in our lesson plans,” Bruce said. “The water was a little cold, but we worked around it. It went very well.”