Staff Sgt. Armando Torres, human resource sergeant, struggles to stay afloat while swimming 20 meters holding on to his rifle. Photo by Sgt. Wilson A. Rivera.
5035th GSU immersed in water survival training
By Sgt. Wilson A. Rivera, 5035th Garrison Support Unit
Whether for trips to the lake in the summer or during an emergency flood, knowledge of water safety is always a lifesaving skill, as long as individuals are familiarized with what to do in such a situation.
Soldiers with 5035th Garrison Support Unit performed Combat Water Survival Training Sunday at the Fort Bliss Replica Aquatic Center.
“Water survival training is good for Reservists to get familiar with it,” said Capt. Hector Gill, 5035th Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment commander. “We don’t get to do it as much, but it’s a good overall experience – not just on the uniform side, but as well as the civilian side.”
Staff Sgt. Francisco Alba, plans and operations sergeant, thrusts off the water slide and into the water, where he orients himself toward the surface. Photo by Sgt. Wilson A. Rivera.
Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets from the University of Texas at El Paso attached to the unit under the Simultaneous Membership Program instructed the training. Cadets attend the Leadership Development and Assessment Course before their senior year, when CWST is a requirement.
Four stations were set up: a 20-meter swim with gear and a rifle just above the water line; dumping a load of equipment while under water and returning to the surface; using uniform pants as a floatation device; and underwater orientation. Since the Replica Aquatic Center has no diving platform, cadets adapted by blindfolding Soldiers and sending them down a water slide, where they had to orient themselves and ascend to the surface.
Sgt. Alfredo Eggenhafer, military policeman, takes a breath as he plunges into the water where he will have to dump his equipment and return to the surface. Photo by Sgt. Wilson A. Rivera.
“It was harder than I thought it would be,” said Staff Sgt. Jacqueline Sabo, S-1 noncommissioned officer in charge. “It was honestly pretty hard and scary to me.”
Sabo said after practicing a few times on how to use her uniform as a floatation device, she finally go it. Sabo said she would definitely use the training in case of an emergency, but hopes she will never have to.