Thank you in advance for your advice. My son has joined the Air Force, though he has not gone to Basic yet. He was approved for a very challenging career known as a TACP (Please see Link - www.globalsecurity.org/.../tacp.htm )
One of the criteria for getting into this particular specialty was to pass the NON-SWIMMING portions of the PAST (Physical Ability Stamina Test - www.afsoc.af.mil/.../pastcriteria.asp ). He was approached today and told that an even more critical need for the USAF was for Combat Controllers, but he would need to also pass the 2 swimming portions of the PAST (see link above, please). Now, he's in great shape, and he can swim like a regular person can swim, but he's NEVER been a swimmer, per se. The question I have is, what should he do in order to prepare to pass the 2 swimming tests:
1) 2 x 20 Meter Underwater Swim: Provide the member 3-minutes of rest between underwaters. If members surface or break the water surface during any portion of the swim, the test will be stopped and considered a failure.
2) 500 Meter Surface Swim (max. time limit 14 minutes for CCT/SOWT; max. time limit 11 minutes 30 seconds for PJ): This swim is conducted using the freestyle, breaststroke or sidestroke. The swim is continuous (non-stop). If a member stops any time during the swim, the test will be stopped and considered a failure for the entire PAST.
Sorry for the long message. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Okay, time for dumb questions. Why does a "controller" need to know how to swim or swim underwater? Just curious...not like he is going to be a Navy Seal or something equivalent in the Air Force. Dang, that movie "An Officer and a Gentleman" was good, I watch it every now and then on late night TV. The underwater thing is training your mind, not your body. Your C02 build up will tell you to breathe, you shouldn't obey it. Eventually you would run out of air also, but not within the 50 yards realm. Takes a little longer. But most deaths in apnea training are in shallow pools with the swimmer alone. billy fanstone
Mr. Fanstone,
Controllers have to swim because at anytime in their career they can be assigned to support Army or Navy units that have a mission requiring them to be proficient and comfortable in the water. Controllers, as part of their normal technical school pipeline, go through the Army's Special Forces Scuba course, the Air Force's underwater egress (yuck), and any other water confidence course required.
In general, TACPs are not assigned to these types of units, thus they don't have to go through such training.
And as far as that movie you referrenced is concerned, there are better movies out there. Just search the internet for PJ Indoc course videos. ;)
Okay, time for dumb questions. Why does a "controller" need to know how to swim or swim underwater? Just curious...not like he is going to be a Navy Seal or something equivalent in the Air Force. Dang, that movie "An Officer and a Gentleman" was good, I watch it every now and then on late night TV. The underwater thing is training your mind, not your body. Your C02 build up will tell you to breathe, you shouldn't obey it. Eventually you would run out of air also, but not within the 50 yards realm. Takes a little longer. But most deaths in apnea training are in shallow pools with the swimmer alone. billy fanstone
Mr. Fanstone,
Controllers have to swim because at anytime in their career they can be assigned to support Army or Navy units that have a mission requiring them to be proficient and comfortable in the water. Controllers, as part of their normal technical school pipeline, go through the Army's Special Forces Scuba course, the Air Force's underwater egress (yuck), and any other water confidence course required.
In general, TACPs are not assigned to these types of units, thus they don't have to go through such training.
And as far as that movie you referrenced is concerned, there are better movies out there. Just search the internet for PJ Indoc course videos. ;)
