The United States Coast Guard support and maintain personnel in the Aviation Survival Specialty. The position of Aviation Survival Rescue swimmer is the position that works to provide rescues from Coast Guard Aircraft and small boats. They often are required to venture into water to swim in order to perform rescues. They are used to provide emergency medical assistance and a variety of dangerous rescue situations. Some of these take place from dangerous places on shore, or at sea, or even from cliffs that overlook the ocean.
Members of the USCG Aviation Survivalist rating work as aviation crewmembers, and they are sometimes cross trained as Emergency Medical Technicians. By training their AST crewmembers as EMT Basic technicians the Coast Guard prepares them to perform emergency medical procedures on persons that need assistance. Many people that the Coast Guard Rescue have hypothermia, or are otherwise injured, and with medical training the AST survivalist is poised to help. Working as a Coast Guard Aviation Survivalist and Rescue Swimmer you will have the opportunity to train and assist other aviators in the swimming portion of aircrew training. You will serve as an instructor to aviators and aircrew in survival training, and training in aviation egress and water survival techniques. You will work in areas as HC-130 Dropmaster, Aviation Systems Operator, or even a Falcon HU-25A aerial Dropmaster. Serving in the Coast Guard is an exciting job, and being a member of the oldest continuous Seagoing Service gives a person the chance to deal with a wide variety of personnel. You will learn to operate and maintain parachute systems, cargo delivery systems, flotation and helicopter flotation devices, as well as oxygen systems and air sea rescue events. You will also be trained in using specialized protective clothing.
Members of the Coast Guard Aviation Survivalist Rating are assigned for duty anywhere that the Coast Guard are stationed. They serve in support of rescue operations at Coast Guard Facilities everywhere.
