3-25 AVN Conducts First Overwater Hoist Training

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii -- In and over the water of Kaneohe Bay, the men and women of 25th Combat Aviation Brigade made 25th Infantry Division history Jan. 28 and 29. On those days, Charlie Co., 3rd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment conducted live overwater hoist training, using an HH-60M Blackhawk helicopter to lift service members from the water in an aircraft crash and survival scenario.

"It's the first time we've done this," said Capt. Garrett Kuipers, 4th Forward Support MEDEVAC Platoon Section Leader. "It's very important we're out here today. If one of our aircraft goes down, we now have the ability to come in and extract that aircrew. It's making sure that we can get our battle buddies out and keep them safe."

Given that 3-25's, and the 25th ID's, area of responsibility covers the entire Pacific region, it will be a huge benefit to the Army's mission here to have units that know how to perform this kind of rescue operation.

"While we have Coast Guard and Navy assets here in Hawaii, when we're operating in an expeditionary environment in other countries, like during Pacific Pathways, we don't always have that ability. What this training will provide is the ability for the Army and our aircrews within 25th CAB to extract personnel out of the water from a downed aircraft or in some sort of emergency situation."

The Aviation Water Egress Trainers at 3-25 have been working with CAB Soldiers on these skills, but it has always been in the pool. Now the AWETs and Soldiers can see how that training has paid off.

"We're actually putting that pool training to the test to see if they actually learned something," said Spc. Billy Taylor, a 3-25 crew chief and AWET instructor. "It's important because you never known what's going to happen. At any point in time, we could be flying over water and something happens and the aircraft goes down. If we're flying a shift of two, the aircraft behind them already knows what to do. So training something like this, it's new. It's important to us, Charlie Company, and the Army."