News

Cops get dunked training for Humvee rollover survival

  • Published
  • By Airman First Class Patrick Cabellon
  • 446th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  Diving in a pool in BDUs in February isn't on a Reservist's normal list of things to do, but since doing it could help save their lives, 446th Security Forces Squadron Airmen dove right in. 

The training, conducted at Fort Lewis on the February UTA, simulated what it would be like to be upside down in a vehicle. This training is so the security forces Reservists, who are scheduled to deploy to Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq, could safely learn how to escape. 

"It's Humvee rollover training," said Capt. Ray Schierhoff, 446th SFS commander. "There are a lot of canals and waterways in around Kirkuk AB. Humvees are very top heavy; an improvised explosive device could possibly flip a Humvee over and into a canal full of water, leaving the occupants inside disoriented." 

Because of the number of incidents involving flipped Humvees into water, getting practice and experience under controlled conditions is meant to prepare SFS members when it occurs. 

The Fort Lewis simulator, the "Dunker," is a square cage with vehicle doors that flips the seat-belted occupant into the water. 

As each cop was dunked in the water, they had to navigate out a door and emerge, victorious; all while being blindfolded. They wear the Kevlar helmets and interceptor vests they would be wearing while in a Humvee, said Tech. Sgt. Conee Schaaf, training manager for the 446th SFS. 

"I was pretty nervous at first before we got in, I don't exactly have the best swimming skills," said Senior Airman Salome Hansen. "When we got in the water and started doing the training, I felt better." 

"You have to stay calm and keep your wits about you, and you'll do fine," said Captain Schierhoff. "If you panic, your mind just becomes a blur and you can't think about what to do next." 

The mission of the 446th SFS in Kirkuk will be to patrol as well as provide compound security, said Tech. Sgt. Beth Riser, flight sergeant for the 446th SFS. "We are to staff observation posts for maintaining security outside the wire." 

Being prepared for that duty includes being ready for the unexpected.
 
"I was fine until they put the blindfold on me and then I really had to work at keeping calm," said Senior Master Sgt. Michelle Helpenstell. 

"This training could save our lives," said Airman First Class Tara Toreno.