MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- The military has been using helicopters to insert troops into combat zones for decades.
Even when the helicopter cannot land, troops still need to find a quick way out of the helicopter and into the action.

Marines from Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 161, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, supported a rappelling training mission Aug. 30 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif.

The rappellers were Marines from 1st Marine Division School, Camp Pendleton, and this was their first time training as Helicopter Rope Suspension Training masters, explained Sgt. Jesse Jordan, HRST Instructor, 1st Marine Division.

“We are conducting training for these Marines to become HRST masters in the Fleet Marine Force,” Jordan said.

“The purpose of the course is to teach these Marines how to rig a helicopter for fast roping and rappelling,” said Sgt. Nathan Blackwell, HRST Instructor, 1st Marine Division.

The HRST master course is a three week, in-depth course that emphasizes the specific needs concerning the insertion and extraction of Marines from tight spaces, using either fast roping or rappelling.

The first week is devoted toward classroom instruction that, providing familiarization with the knots and rigging systems used.

The second week is when they put their skills to test and are evaluated on the rappel tower.
Air week, which is the final week, is where the Marines had their first practical application from the helicopter instead of a rappel tower.

“The students did great for their first time rappelling out of the helicopter,” Blackwell said.
The HRST students weren’t the only ones getting some good training. The flight crew benefited just as much as the ropers.

“(Rappelling) is one of the many missions that we need to practice in order to maintain our proficiency and successfully deploy ground troops in areas we might not be able to land in,” said Capt. Joe DiMambro, pilot, HMM-161. “Our job in the mission is to keep a stable platform for the ropers and maintain the safety of the aircraft and everyone on board.”

The safety of the crew and pilots is up to the crew chiefs, explained Sgt. Nicholas Robinson, crew chief,  HMH-161.

“In this type of mission, it’s our job to ensure the pilots have a steady hover and are not drifting around the drop point,” Nicholas said.

“We were supporting the ground unit and success is based on them meeting their goals,” said Capt. Mateo Salas, pilot training officer, HMH-161.

“We do this training about a half dozen times a year,” DiMambro said. “The training went great for both the aircrew and the ground troops.”