Water Survival Instructor
Washington, Dc, Us
Honorably Discharged VeteranMilitary Occupational Specialty, Combat Water Survival Instructor, a military occupation less than .01% receive and a drop-out rate of over 50%. Awarded Honor Grad at Amphibious Assault School at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado.Responsibilities included teaching Marines, many whom were non-swimmers and afraid of the water, the skills necessary to survive in a combat water environment. These skills included: survival floating, abandon ship techniques, rapid river crossings, rope bridge building, pilot egress training, and amphibious assault techniques. My understanding of teaching, coaching, and principles of motivation, coupled with psychology, was critical to success.Adults often feel emotions of inadequacy when learning new skills, which are exasperated in the water; therefore, it was critical to teach students to trust themselves in unfamiliar territories. It's not unlike teaching selling skills to new sales or customer support teams, where it can feel like a "sink or swim" environment. The knowledge gained in Marine Corps resulted in a career of building confidence in the organizations and team members I work with.