MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- The radio reconnaissance Marines were sweat-drenched and hobbling by the time they disembarked the CH-53E “Super Stallion.” The Marines had good reason to be exhausted after more than four hours of fast-roping and repelling training.
The pilots and crew of the Super Stallion were only half way through their training when the reconnaissance team called it a day. They had hours of medical evacuation practice to accomplish before their work was done.
Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 465 practiced fast-roping and repelling with Radio Reconnaissance Platoon, 1st Radio Battalion, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton before rehearsing high-speed medical evacuation landings with members of B Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment March 9.
Helicopters are a critical tool for inserting and extracting Marines in hostile or rugged terrain, but sometimes the terrain is a small building or the helicopter needs to leave too quickly to land, explained Gunnery Sgt. Vance St. Peter, the training chief for Radio Reconnaissance Platoon.
“Fast-roping takes less time,” said St. Peter. “You can insert a large amount of Marines in minimum time anywhere you want. Fast-roping cuts down a lot of the risk for the aircraft because it is so fast.”
Marines slide down a large rope without a harness when fast-roping so they can simply step away from the rope and move into position without having to remove any extra gear. When the last Marine is on the ground, a crew chief releases the rope and the helicopter is free to fly away as quickly as it came.
Although many situations preclude a helicopter from landing, scenarios like medical evacuations make landing necessary.
The “Warhorses” of HMH-465 flew to another landing zone on Camp Pendleton to rehearse a series of medical evacuation landings with members of B Co., 1/5 after the last repelling exercise.
The infantry Marines each took turns guiding the aircraft into the landing zone over the radio using a seven-line report system to inform the pilots and crew of obstacles, enemy and friendly personnel locations.
“The Marines get a lot more out of this training with a helicopter here,” said Sgt. Joe Moore, a joint terminal attack controller with 1/5. “They can learn how to respond if the helicopter lands in the wrong place and how to give better instructions.”
Pilots and crew on the aircraft treated each landing over the course of nearly four hours with seriousness, following the infantry Marines’ instructions to the landing zone every time.
The Warhorses spent nearly eight hours supporting the training missions, ensuring seamless communication with ground troops, whether they need to make hasty landings in hostile areas or drop Marines off and go within minutes.