Photo By Spc. Paul Harris | Sgt. Justin Folts, left, native of Billings, Mont., treatment NCO, Headquarters and...... read more read more
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by Pfc. Paul J. Harris
3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office
BALAD, Iraq (May 16, 2006) - June 6, 1944 hundreds of Soldiers died in five to six feet of water before they reached the shores of Normandy, France -- they died because they did not know how to tread water in their heavy gear.
In Iraq there are a lot of canals adjoining the Tigris River. The insurgents have begun using the waterways as a means to transport weapons caches while avoiding coalition forces patrolling the streets. Weapons Caches have also been found in many of the riverbanks along the Tigris River.
To date more than 50 U.S. service members have drown in Iraq. Not wanting to repeat history, the command group of 3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Band of Brothers decided to develop training to help Soldiers survive in full combat gear if they happen to fall in water.
A Soldier going out on patrol wears about 40 to 50 pounds of gear. With the weight of the gear there was concern the Soldier would sink to the bottom of a canal.
"I wondered to myself how much survivability a Soldier would have if he ended up in the river or in the canal," said Sgt. Maj. Dean Keveles, command sergeant major, 3rd Bn., 29th FA, 3rd HBCT. "Could they surface and get themselves to the bank of the river to survive?"
With river boat patrols becoming an increasing reality Keveles and a team of his senior NCOs decided to test the buoyancy of the interceptor body armor system at the outdoor swimming pool at Logistical Support Area Anaconda. Sgt. 1st Class Ralph Cook, Bradley Fighting Vehicle platoon sergeant, Bulldog Troop, 2nd Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 3rd HBCT, donned the vest, plates et all and jumped in the pool to see what would happen.
It turns out the Kevlar inside of the IBAS will float and support the weight of the Soldier. If the Soldier rips off his IBAS upon entering the water, they will sink, said Keveles. It is like having a bulletproof life vest.
From what they learned at the pool, Keveles and his NCOs were able to put together a training exercise they could teach Soldiers. The exercise would have a Soldier in full Army Combat Uniform wear an IBAS vest with plates and remove the ammunition pouches. The Soldier would crouch on one knee near the edge of the pool and hold an M-16 rifle in the ready position. The M-16 rifle would be connected to the instructor by 550 cord for quick retrieval out of the pool. Before hitting the water the Soldier would be instructed to throw his weapon away to lessen the weight.
"We know that you will automatically drop your weapon when you hit the water," said Keveles. "Soldier survival is first and if we have to, we will drudge the river for the weapon later."
The instructor would give the Soldier a swift kick in the back to simulate the surprise of falling into the water. After a Soldier fell in the water he would have to swim 15 meters before coming out of the pool.
Not every detail could be simulated at the pool, but Keveles was happy with the program.
We don't have a way to simulate river current in the training but at least the Soldiers can build their confidence by doing the training, getting to the surface of the water and using their energy to get to the side of the pool, said Keveles.
Sgt. 1st Class Jason Maynard, platoon sergeant, Battery B, 3rd Bn., 29th FA took his Soldiers to the pool recently to teach them what he learned from Keveles" team.
Before putting on the IBAS, Maynard had the Soldiers jump into the pool their uniform, helmet and boots in groups of eight. It was to determine how strong of swimmers they were. There were some non-swimmers in the groups. Lifeguards were on-hand to assist the Soldiers if they began to panic.
From there, he instructed the Soldiers to don the IBAS and get ready to be kicked into the pool.
1st Lt. Sean Craig, platoon leader, Battery B, 3rd Bn., 29th FA, felt no initial discomfort after hitting the water.
"I am a pretty strong swimmer so it felt fine, felt like I normally swim," said Craig. "It felt like a life jacket, a secure feeling because as soon as you get in it pops you back up."
Not all Soldiers had the same reaction, especially those who do not swim well.
"I was nervous because I had never done this and I don't swim at all. It was tough for me," said Spc. Albert James, gunner, Battery B, 3rd Bn., 29th FA. James struggled in the water but was able to complete the 15 meter swim. After he got out of the pool and let water drain out of his uniform he was tired but confident his vest would keep him afloat if he had to do it again.
The last stage of the exercise was to move to the shallow end of the pool where Sgt. Justin Folts, treatment NCO, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3rd Bn., 29th FA set up a demonstration on how to use the National SCUBA Divers Association approved bottles containing a mixture of oxygen, nitrogen and breathable air that every Humvee in the battalion now carries.
When a Soldier rolls over in a canal or starts to drown they will panic, said Folts. The oxygen in the bottles will calm you down, allowing oxygen to be received by your vital organs. This will help you to regain composure and allow you move to safety.
We are the only task force in Iraq that has a mandate of two oxygen bottles per vehicle. I think the rest of the brigade will adapt as they see how useful these bottles are, said Folts.
I felt funny trying to breathe underwater, said Staff Sgt. Derrick Gwin, gunnery sergeant, Battery B, 3rd Bn., 29th FA. I got used to it after a while and I definitely would rather have it than not.
At the conclusion of the training Maynard was pleased with the way his teammates from Battery B preformed. With the possibilities of water operations becoming more of a reality the training will aid in the Soldiers" confidence to do their job.
"(The training) is going to take their mind off of being nervous and keep it on the mission," Maynard said.
| Date Taken: | 05.18.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 05.18.2006 16:18 |
| Story ID: | 6431 |
| Location: | BALAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 355 |
| Downloads: | 29 |
This work, Soldiers find bulletproof jacket is also floatation device, by SPC Paul Harris, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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