OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — Saturday in Oshkosh, the Wisconsin National Guard held a training operation that focused on water rescue.
According to the WNG (Wisconsin National Guard), the goal of the training was to “improve company survival readiness, build esprit-de-corps, and foster positive communications with the community.”
“This is a new training. We all remember 2008 with the floods when we were doing high water rescues and things of that nature. This is an opportunity for them to hone their skills in flood rescue so if the community ever needs us, we’ll be ready to answer that call,” said Charles Hensen, Sergeant First Class.
Soldiers completed four separate exercises in combat water survival training. They had to tread water for 5 minutes, face expected and unexpected water entry, and go for a 25-meter swim holding their firearm out of the water.
Hensen told us that being a confident swimmer in a pool is one thing, but in a river is another. The soldiers were put out of their comfort zone to hone their water rescue skills.
