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The Navy offered me a commission to go with submarine duty, but I wanted naval aviation. For some reason, flying in a metal tube at high altitude is easier to deal with than cruising in a metal tube under hundreds of feet of water.

I just completed a two day training at the Aviation Survival Training Command to qualify for flying in metal tubes. Having to swim 15 yards underwater with a flight suit, steel toed work boots and a helmet is a real challenge. The follow up was being pushed to the bottom and hooked to a seat belt (again in full flight gear). You have to pull yourself 15 feet down a bar and operate 5 different styles of latch to "exit" through the hatch under water. The first time you do it with your eyes open. The second time with opaque goggles to simulate a night ditch. Having to do complex operations when you are pressed to manage the air from that last breath takes some extra mental focus.

The hypobaric chamber with smoke mask is an experience too. Frankly, the "parachute" training was pretty glossed over. I hope I never need it.