00:00Imagine you are trapped inside a steel cage, sinking fast into the dark, cold depths of the ocean.
00:12The vehicle is flipping upside down, water is rushing in, and your exit is nowhere to be found.
00:17This isn't a nightmare. It's the reality these service members are preparing for right now at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
00:24U.S. Marines and Spanish Marines stand here with focused, tense expressions.
00:30They are about to face the Underwater Egress Training, or UET.
00:33This high-stakes drill is a key part of UNITAS 2025.
00:37Named after the Latin word for UNITAS, UNITAS is the world's longest-running annual multinational maritime exercise, proving its importance every year since 1960.
00:46The mission of UET is simple but life-saving, teaching troops how to escape a submerged helicopter or armored vehicle after a crash.
00:55Inside a specialized pool known as the Dunker, these men and women are forced to confront their survival instincts.
01:04In the chaos of rising water, the biggest enemy isn't the ocean. It's panic.
01:08The training teaches them to control their breathing and execute a precise five-step survival protocol.
01:13Unbuckle the seat belt, locate the exit, avoid colliding with others, exit in order, and finally, ascend to the surface.
01:21One of the most critical skills they master is regaining their sense of direction.
01:25When you're upside down and blinded by water, you can easily lose track of which way is up.
01:29The secret? Watch the bubbles.
01:31By following the rising air, they find their path to the surface even in total disorientation.
01:36The training doesn't end at the surface. They must then demonstrate how to inflate life vests, signal for help, and stay afloat as a group to survive until rescue arrives.
01:46Data proves that those who undergo this rigorous training have a significantly highly chance of survival than those who don't.
01:51That's why for the U.S. Marines and Navy, this isn't just practice. It's a requirement.
01:55After action.
01:58Ditching! Ditching! Ditching! Ditching! Ditching!
02:02Grrrr!
02:32Why don't we vaccinated?
02:44I wanted it though!
02:49That is notנו!
02:52Mmmm.
Comments