< Continued from page 1
It is in fact a necessity in today's world for the Coast Guard to possess this ability. McDonald states that, vertical insertion gives the Coast Guard the ability to rush boarding officers to the deck of a ship in a matter of seconds.
"Our teams are very wellqualified, once our feet hit the deck, to control pretty much any situation that we're put into," he said. "We have a pretty overwhelming amount of firepower if we really need it, plus we have the training and tactics to go along with it," he said, illustrating how vertical insertion training is complimentary to other MSST training programs.
The powerful impact and potential of the vertical insertion training program is seen not only by the instructors, but also by the students, who come away from the course with an appreciation for it.
"We've had nothing but positive feedback on the facilities, the flight mechanics, the pilots, and our instructors," said Casey. He also said many of the Atlantic Area MSST units have been eagerly waiting for this type of training program to be available, especially one where all of the needed elements are centrally located.
"They're happy to have this qualification," Casey said. "Because they know it's definitely a vital tool to have."
It is in fact a necessity in today's world for the Coast Guard to possess this ability. McDonald states that, vertical insertion gives the Coast Guard the ability to rush boarding officers to the deck of a ship in a matter of seconds.
"Our teams are very wellqualified, once our feet hit the deck, to control pretty much any situation that we're put into," he said. "We have a pretty overwhelming amount of firepower if we really need it, plus we have the training and tactics to go along with it," he said, illustrating how vertical insertion training is complimentary to other MSST training programs.
The powerful impact and potential of the vertical insertion training program is seen not only by the instructors, but also by the students, who come away from the course with an appreciation for it.
"We've had nothing but positive feedback on the facilities, the flight mechanics, the pilots, and our instructors," said Casey. He also said many of the Atlantic Area MSST units have been eagerly waiting for this type of training program to be available, especially one where all of the needed elements are centrally located.
"They're happy to have this qualification," Casey said. "Because they know it's definitely a vital tool to have."