Aviation Rescue Swimmer School

• Origins: The Aviation Rescue Swimmer School (ARSS) was established in 1984 at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, in response to the need for highly skilled rescue swimmers in the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard. • "So Others May Live" Motto: The school’s motto, “So Others May Live,” highlights the selfless dedication of rescue swimmers who risk their own lives to save others in perilous conditions. • Intense Training: The course is considered one of the toughest in the U.S. military, with a rigorous curriculum that includes classroom instruction, pool drills, open water scenarios, and extensive physical conditioning. • High Attrition Rate: The program's difficulty leads to a high dropout rate, with some classes seeing more than half of candidates not making it through to graduation. • Equal Opportunity: The school was among the earliest military training programs to be open to women, with female rescue swimmers graduating as early as the late 1980s. • Hollywood Spotlight: The 2006 film The Guardian, starring Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher, was inspired by the training and real-life missions of Aviation Rescue Swimmers and filmed scenes at the school. • Multi-Service Training: Both Navy and Coast Guard rescue swimmers are trained at ARSS, making it a unique joint-service institution. • Iconic Helo Dunker: Trainees must conquer the “helo-dunker,” a device that simulates a helicopter crash landing in water, teaching escape and survival skills under extreme conditions. • Real-World Missions: Graduates have participated in high-profile rescue missions worldwide, including hurricane evacuations, shipwrecks, and downed aircraft recoveries. • Legacy of Bravery: Many Aviation Rescue Swimmers have received prestigious awards for valor, including the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, for heroic rescues in both wartime and peacetime.