In order to qualify for training and certification, you must have the following qualifications:

Before any training can begin, it is necessary to meet a number of prerequisites. Other qualifications and competencies necessitate the possession of a supporting qualification in order for the CRO to be able to operate within a specific discipline. Annex B contains a more in-depth explanation of these.

Who is eligible to train?

Only HMCG Trainers and Training Center staff have the authority to train CROs in new competencies/skills above the awareness level, or to begin training in a new discipline or technical rescue level above the awareness level (operations or technician level).
Experienced CROs may be able to provide training up to the level of awareness. (This must be approved by a member of the HMCG Training Staff.)

Each discipline’s specifics can be found in Annex A, which contains more information.

While training in new competencies/skills, HMCG Trainers can be assisted by experienced members of the CRS; however, HMCG Trainers must remain on site and actively supervise the training that is being delivered to the participants.
The ability to practise skills without the presence of an HMCG Trainer is granted to CROs after they have been qualified. Trainers who are externally qualified and accredited may be used to deliver specific training as needed, but these will be identified by the MCA Training Center. Sector Managers who are not qualified in the relevant discipline must arrange for training to be provided by a qualified trainer.

What Is the Role of Coast Guard Search and Rescue Swimmers?

A “rescue swimmer” is a member of the military who is assigned to each branch of service, including the Navy, Air Force, Marines, and the Army. Search and rescue swimmers (abbreviated SARs) are individuals whose primary goal is to save the lives of downed pilots in the open water.

Rescue swimmers, also known as Aviation Survival Technicians, are tasked with the primary responsibility of rescuing people in distress from a variety of situations.

Anything from rescuing people from a boat in the middle of a hurricane to assisting with medical evacuations far out at sea can fall under this umbrella term. They also serve a variety of other functions that aren’t nearly as romanticised, such as those described below:

• Preparation and maintenance of emergency flotation devices are important tasks (fancy word for rafts)
• Aviation ordnance and pyrotechnic devices are stored and handled in special facilities.
• Other administrative responsibilities
• Many people believe that becoming a U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer is one of the most difficult things one can do while serving in the United States military.

The schooling and training you will receive will be among the most demanding you will receive from any branch of the United States Military. In a related article, the Coast Guard Jobs List provides a comprehensive listing of all 24 ratings available in the Coast Guard.

Technicians in Aviation Survival and Helicopter Rescue (AST/HR) Auxiliary swimmers, as they are more formally known by the United States Coast Guard, are called upon to assist in extreme rescue situations.

Because of their exposure to high seas and other challenging environments, it should come as no surprise that they must be among the best swimmers the United States Military has to offer. Rescue swimmers from the Coast Guard have been called upon in a variety of emergency situations, including natural disasters involving heavy flooding or hurricanes in the recent past.