SWCC Undergo Intensive Coxswain
Training
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Robyn Gerstenslager, Naval
Special Warfare Group 4 Public Affairs
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. (NNS) -- Special Warfare Combatant-craft
Crewmen (SWCC) from Special Boat Team 22 (SBT-22)
completed Dec. 15 a two-week coxswain training on
Mississippi's Pearl River.
Coxswain training is the first of numerous steps along the way for a
special boat operator to earn his boat captain
qualification. In order to earn the title of boat
captain a special boat operator must go through a
rigorous training pipeline, which begins with
coxswain training.
"This training is a small, short step of many big, long steps to becoming
a boat captain," said Special Boat Operator 1st
Class Brad Rumbaugh (SWCC/PJ), a boat captain with
SBT-22. "This is a hop and a skip compared to the
marathon ahead."
The SWCC currently receiving the coxswain training were selected because
of their proven ability to lead Sailors, and
capacity to read and react to stressful situations
in an effective manner. They have also completed at
least one deployment.
Coxswain training familiarizes the new drivers with the ins and outs of
the boat and how it reacts to different situations
on the water. Special boat operators assigned to
SBT-22 operate and maintain the Special Operations
Craft-Riverine (SOC-R).
"They are learning how it reacts with the throttle accelerating, and how
the buckets control the boat's movement," said
Rumbaugh. "They are also learning what it feels like
when the boat hits a wake and how to mitigate that
impact to make it nice and smooth. They need to be
able to navigate the rivers in a smooth line."
The driver must be able to keep a smooth course to provide a level
platform for his gunners, and the safety of his
crew.
The boat drivers not only need to maintain control of their boat, but must
also be aware of the other boats in formation. By
driving in formation they learn how the other
drivers react to different situations and what they
need to do to adjust because of the other drivers'
responses.
To gain a better understanding of the other drivers' habits they practice
high-speed formations, tight-placement formations
and starting and stopping together. They learn to
navigate in small spaces along the twists and turns
of the Pearl River at high speeds.
The Pearl River is ideal for this training because it is littered with
fallen trees which are partially hidden underwater.
The trees create somewhat of a series of slaloms for
the boat drivers to maneuver through thereby
learning how the boat reacts to quick turns. The
unpredictable nature of the river trains the SWCC to
stay alert and to react quickly.
"It's common for there to be up to four drivers, and four boats, on the
water at a time, but they are operating as just one
unit," said Rumbaugh. "All the boats need to be able
to drive as one team; if one guy messes up, it's
hard to correct it all the way through the
formation."
Special Boat Operator 2nd Class Troy Norrell, who is currently going
through the coxswain training, agreed that learning
to drive with other boats is a challenge.
"The biggest thing that I've learned is how my actions on the water affect
the whole unit," said Norrell. "If one or two boats
gets herky-jerky the others are going to have to
over-correct for that."
In addition to driving his boat properly and adjusting to the reactions of
the other drivers, a SWCC behind the wheel is in
charge of his crew and the operations of the boat.
He must continuously check for proper engine
readings, water depth and grid locations.
"They are constantly multitasking," said Rumbaugh. "There is no point when
these guys aren't doing a million different things,
while at the same time taking the boats to the edge
so they learn where the limitations are."
The first week of coxswain training is conducted during the day to give
the new boat drivers an opportunity to get familiar
with the nuances of the boats before the second week
of training, which is done at night.
"Amateurs train until they get it right," said Norrell of the intensive
training. "Professionals train until they can't get
it wrong."
SBT-22 is the U.S. Special Operations Command's premier riverine command,
focusing on insertion and extraction of SEALs and
other special operations forces in special
operations around the world.
For more news from Naval Special Warfare Group 4, visit www.navy.mil/local/nswg4.
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