WASHOUGAL, Washington – Fighter pilots with the 142nd Fighter Wing spent the day in the Columbia River as part of their biannual water survival training requirement, July 26, 2019 in Washougal, Washington.
The training included pilots being dragged by jet skis to simulate being pulled around in the water while attached to an open parachute. Swimming lessons concluded when pilots jumped from their boat and swam about 100 feet to shore. Additionally, they learned how to escape from underneath their parachute while in open water.
123rd Fighter Squadron Commander Lt. Col. Nicholas Rutgers said the training was a great refresher course. “We try to make it as realistic as possible, so being out on the Columbia is about as close as we can get to executing off the coast of Oregon.”
The training today was conducted by the 125th Special Tactics Squadron with the assistance of the Air Force Reserve’s 304th Rescue Squadron, both stationed at the Portland Air National Guard Base in Portland, Oregon.
Interviews in order:
- Lt. Col. Nicholas Rutgers, 123rd Fighter Squadron Commander
- Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape (SERE) Specialist, 125th Special Tactics Squadron