MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- U.S. Marines with Basic Reconnaissance Course 2-20, Reconnaissance Training Company, Advanced Infantry Training Battalion, School of Infantry - West, conducted helicopter rope suspension techniques training at the 13 Area rappel tower on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Jan. 22.
Prior to conducting this type of training, Marines and sailors within BRC completed multiple classes to piece together skills needed to execute this training safely.
“Helicopter rope suspension technique training is what (HRST) stands for,” said U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. John Portugal, the primary HRST master for RTC. “It is where you conduct heliborne operations with a small team or unit.”
There are three types of techniques used in this training: rappelling, fast roping and special patrol insertion/extraction rigging, each with their own purpose depending on mission requirements.
Rappelling has a static rope, tied into a system within the aircraft, then strung out of the back. From there, Marines use a harness and a carabiner to slide down the rope out of the helicopter.
Fast roping has a large rope hooked into the helicopter with a carabiner, but no harness or carabiner is utilized by the Marines. Using your hands, knees or feet, a Marine slides down in a timely manner.
Special patrol insertion/extraction rigging is a method used to place or take out a team or unit where an area can’t be accessed by any other type of vehicle. Marines will hang from a rope beneath the helicopter as it flies into or away from the insertion point.
“This is one of the tasks that we have to hit as part of the BRC curriculum in order to become a basically trained reconnaissance Marine,” said Capt. Matthew Witcofsky, a student with BRC Course 2-20, RTC. “The majority of the class will use this in the fleet.”
All the training requirements done within BRC are the building blocks for additional training and skills these Marines and sailors will learn later on in BRC and in their military careers. The training is graded on a pass or fail basis, because these skills are added to in the future. So, if the Marines don’t get it the first time they will remediate immediately during the training to be able to successfully conduct the needed operations.
“Everything with conducting HRST operations is very technical,” said Portugal. “If you are afraid of heights, we have to help those students.”
Every instructor is responsible for the safety of the students. Someone who is afraid of heights is given every tool to ensure they can rappel safely. Once at the top of the tower, the instructors will take the extra time to walk the students through the expected steps again to ensure they understand what they are about to do. The students are expected to understand the task at hand or ask questions if they are unsure in order to keep everyone safe.
“This is a challenge and an opportunity to lead,” said Witcofsky. “I’ve been interested in it for a while.”