Calm in the Chaos - U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer Podcast

Calm in the Chaos - U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer Podcast

By Brian DickinsonHistory
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Calm in the Chaos - U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer Podcast episodes

  • 26 Years, 10 Deployments & Full Circle at Rescue Swimmer School | Jeff Plowman | Ep. 65

    Not every rescue swimmer's story is about the water. Some of the most important ones are about who gets built in the schoolhouse.


    In this episode of Calm in the Chaos, newly retired Senior Chief Jeff Plowman looks back on 26 years and 10 deployments as a U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer — a career that started with a recruiter's pitch to "jump out of helicopters" and ended full circle, back at Pensacola's Aviation Rescue Swimmer School, this time running it as the Leading Chief Petty Officer. Jeff opens up about a DUI that nearly ended his Navy career, the senior leaders who fought to keep him in, and how that second chance shaped him into the instructor who trained the next generation of swimmers.


    From surviving his own SAR School training to becoming the guy marching students down the seawall, Jeff's story is a study in what leadership actually looks like inside one of the toughest pipelines in the military.


    In this episode:

    • 26 years of service and 10 deployments as a U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer
    • Growing up a Navy dental tech's son who swore he'd never join — then did
    • Life as a SAR instructor at Pensacola, learning from legends like Petty Officer Will Young
    • A DUI that nearly ended his career — and the leaders who stood up for him
    • Deploying overseas with HSC squadrons out of Naples, Italy
    • Coming back to Rescue Swimmer School as Leading Chief Petty Officer — full circle
    • How training has evolved from 1993 to 2026, and why the standard hasn't dropped
    • His message to the next generation of rescue swimmer candidates: just don't quit


    Jeff Plowman never got the dramatic open-ocean rescue — but he spent 26 years making sure the next swimmer would be ready for theirs.


    👉 Subscribe, share, and leave a review. It helps more veterans, first responders, and families find these stories.


    CALM IN THE CHAOS PODCAST — Episode 65


    So Others May Live. 🫡🇺🇸


    Rescue Swimmer Merchandise https://shop.calminthechaospodcast.com Military & First Responders: Use code SARRESCUE10 for 10% off 100% of proceeds support the podcast


    📖 Calm in the Chaos — The Book by Brian Dickinson Available at www.briandickinson.net
    📩 Booking & Media Inquiries: [email protected]


    For more content, subscribe and follow @TheCalmintheChaosPodcast:
    Twitter: https://x.com/briancdickinson/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandickinson/
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CalmintheChaosPodcast
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecalminthechaospodcast/


    Calm in the Chaos: The Rescue Swimmer Podcast Untold Stories from U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmers


    #RescueSwimmer, #NavyRescueSwimmer, #AviationRescueSwimmer, #CalmInTheChaos, #JeffPlowman, #SeniorChief, #SARInstructor, #RescueSwimmerSchool, #Pensacola, #NavyLeadership, #SecondChances, #FullCircle, #NavyRetirement, #USNavy, #NavyVeteran, #MilitaryVeteran, #SearchAndRescue, #SAR, #MilitaryPodcast, #VeteranStories, #ResiliencePodcast, #MilitaryResilience, #LeadershipUnderFire, #MentalToughness, #ServiceAndSacrifice, #BrianDickinson, #VeteranPodcast, #DontQuit

    1 hr 14 min
  • From Abuse & Abandonment to Saving Lives as an Aviation Rescue Swimmer Dave Hancock | Ep. 64

    Some men are forged by the ocean. Dave Hancock was forged by fire long before he ever hit the water.


    In this episode of Calm in the Chaos, Dave Hancock shares 21 years of service as a U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer — a career that began after a childhood almost no one survives: born premature and given up for dead, raised in migrant farm labor camps, and left permanently scarred by a half-brother who shot him, stabbed him, and threw him off a 40-foot bridge at age 6. Dave trained under Vietnam-era combat search and rescue instructors, survived a brutal Rescue Swimmer School, and went on to face down a 10-11 foot bull shark mid-rescue during a man-overboard call in open ocean.


    And that's just the Navy chapter. After his service, Dave spent 16 years as a police officer, worked as a boxing pro and a high school teacher, and quietly battled suicidal thoughts before faith changed the trajectory of his entire life.


    In this episode:

    • 21 years of service as a U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer
    • Surviving migrant farm camps, abuse, and a half-brother who shot and nearly killed him
    • Thrown off a 40-foot bridge at age 6 — and living to tell it
    • Training under Vietnam-era combat search and rescue instructors
    • A brutal Rescue Swimmer School and SERE training
    • Deployment aboard the "Danger Ranger" — a cruise that cost multiple lives
    • A man-overboard rescue that turned into a face-to-face encounter with a bull shark
    • Combat search and rescue planning in the early days of the Global War on Terror
    • 16 years as a police officer, turning his patrol car into a mission field
    • A season as a professional boxer and a high school teacher
    • A private battle with suicidal thoughts — and the moment faith intervened
    • Breaking generational cycles of trauma for the daughter he's raising today


    Dave Hancock's story proves the deepest wounds don't have to write the ending — sometimes they're just the beginning of the mission.


    👉 Subscribe, share, and leave a review. It helps more veterans, first responders, and families find these stories.


    CALM IN THE CHAOS PODCAST — Episode 64


    So Others May Live. 🫡🇺🇸


    Rescue Swimmer Merchandise https://shop.calminthechaospodcast.com Military & First Responders: Use code SARRESCUE10 for 10% off 100% of proceeds support the podcast


    📖 Calm in the Chaos — The Book by Brian Dickinson Available at www.briandickinson.net
    📩 Booking & Media Inquiries: [email protected]


    For more content, subscribe and follow @TheCalmintheChaosPodcast:
    Twitter: https://x.com/briancdickinson/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandickinson/
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CalmintheChaosPodcast
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecalminthechaospodcast/


    Calm in the Chaos: The Rescue Swimmer Podcast Untold Stories from U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmers


    #RescueSwimmer, #NavyRescueSwimmer, #AviationRescueSwimmer, #CalmInTheChaos, #DaveHancock, #BullSharkEncounter, #ManOverboard, #CombatSearchAndRescue, #ChildhoodTrauma, #Overcomer, #FaithOverFear, #FromPainToPurpose, #GenerationalHealing, #PoliceOfficer, #BoxingPro, #NavyVeteran, #MilitaryVeteran, #VeteranHealth, #SoOthersMayLive, #SearchAndRescue, #SAR, #MilitaryPodcast, #VeteranStories, #ResiliencePodcast, #MilitaryResilience, #LeadershipUnderFire, #MentalToughness, #ServiceAndSacrifice, #BrianDickinson, #VeteranPodcast, #TestimonyOfFaith

    2 hr 37 min
  • From Rescuing a SEAL to Flying Dust-Off Missions in Iraq | Shane Hallesy | Ep. 63

    A Navy SEAL missed the deck during a night fast-rope insertion, and it fell to Shane Hallesy to go in after him—one small piece of a career that spans Navy rescue swimmer, Army Blackhawk pilot, and federal law enforcement aviator.


    In this episode of Calm in the Chaos, Shane Hallesy shares 5 years as a Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer followed by 30-plus years in the Army National Guard—flying Blackhawk medevac missions over western Iraq embedded with the Marines, changing tactics mid-deployment to keep from getting shot down, and later flying maritime interdiction for Customs and Border Protection in Puerto Rico.


    In this episode:

    • Hoisting down at night to rescue a Navy SEAL who missed the deck during a fast-rope insertion
    • Transitioning from Navy rescue swimmer to Army Blackhawk pilot
    • Flying dust-off medevac missions over western Iraq with the Marines
    • Flying into a sandstorm during his first days in-country
    • A mass casualty response in Fallujah and learning to vary his approach to avoid getting shot at
    • Struggling to assimilate after deployment—and finding a second calling flying law enforcement missions for CBP and the Department of Transportation


    From the flight deck to the desert to the border, Shane Hallesy never stopped being the guy who goes in after people.


    👉 Subscribe, share, and leave a review. It helps more veterans, first responders, and families find these stories.


    CALM IN THE CHAOS PODCAST — Episode 63


    So Others May Live. 🫡🇺🇸


    Rescue Swimmer Merchandise https://shop.calminthechaospodcast.com Military & First Responders: Use code SARRESCUE10 for 10% off 100% of proceeds support the podcast

    📖 Calm in the Chaos — The Book by Brian Dickinson Available at www.briandickinson.net
    📩 Booking & Media Inquiries: [email protected]


    For more content, subscribe and follow @TheCalmintheChaosPodcast:
    Twitter: https://x.com/briancdickinson/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandickinson/
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/briancdickinson
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briancdickinson

    Calm in the Chaos: The Rescue Swimmer Podcast Untold Stories from U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmers


    #RescueSwimmer, #NavyRescueSwimmer, #AviationRescueSwimmer, #CalmInTheChaos, #IraqWar, #BlackhawkPilot, #DustOff, #Medevac, #NationalGuard, #ArmyNationalGuard, #SearchAndRescue, #SAR, #NavySEAL, #USNavy, #NavyVeteran, #MilitaryVeteran, #CustomsAndBorderProtection, #LawEnforcement, #SoOthersMayLive, #MilitaryPodcast, #VeteranStories, #ResiliencePodcast, #ServiceAndSacrifice, #BrianDickinson, #VeteranPodcast, #HonorTheFallen

    1 hr 21 min
  • A Secret Six-Day Mission Into Iraq & "The Only One Who Ever Rescued a Rescue Swimmer" | Aviation Rescue Swimmer Scott Haskell | Ep. 62

    Scott Haskell and his crewmate Tater have a standing joke: they're one of the only rescue swimmers who ever rescued a rescue swimmer.


    In this episode of Calm in the Chaos, Anthony Haskell shares 20 years in Naval Aviation—from a 100-mile scramble to recover a downed EA-6B crew, to a secret six-day mission into Iraq to bring home an ejected F-18 pilot, to a flight deck wire-snap that nearly took his crew out and earned his aircraft a painted purple heart. After the Navy, he kept saving lives as a drill instructor, combat pool instructor, police officer, and lifeguard trainer.


    In this episode:

    • The 100-mile scramble to recover a downed EA-6B crew—and the "rescued a rescue swimmer" story that followed
    • A secret six-day mission into Iraq to search for a downed F-18 pilot
    • Finding him in a salt lake near Karbala—and the honor guard that met the aircraft
    • A flight deck wire-snap during an F-18 ejection that injured deck crew and earned his helicopter a painted purple heart
    • Becoming a drill instructor and training non-swimmers at the "combat pool"
    • Earning his first official live rescue at HS-14


    Two decades of recoveries, rescues, and near-misses—and a career that never stopped saving people, in or out of uniform.


    👉 Subscribe, share, and leave a review. It helps more veterans, first responders, and families find these stories.


    CALM IN THE CHAOS PODCAST — Episode 62


    So Others May Live. 🫡🇺🇸


    Rescue Swimmer Merchandise https://shop.calminthechaospodcast.com Military & First Responders: Use code SARRESCUE10 for 10% off 100% of proceeds support the podcast

    📖 Calm in the Chaos — The Book by Brian Dickinson Available at www.briandickinson.net
    📩 Booking & Media Inquiries: [email protected]


    For more content, subscribe and follow @TheCalmintheChaosPodcast:
    Twitter: https://x.com/briancdickinson/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandickinson/
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/briancdickinson
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briancdickinson


    Calm in the Chaos: The Rescue Swimmer Podcast Untold Stories from U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmers


    #RescueSwimmer #NavyRescueSwimmer #AviationRescueSwimmer #CalmInTheChaos #IraqWar #F18 #CSAR #SearchAndRescue #SAR #NavalAviation #USNavy #NavyVeteran #MilitaryVeteran #FlightDeck #CarrierAviation #DrillInstructor #LawEnforcement #LifeguardInstructor #SoOthersMayLive #MilitaryPodcast #VeteranStories #ResiliencePodcast #ServiceAndSacrifice #BrianDickinson #VeteranPodcast #HonorTheFallen #LeaveNoManBehind

    1 hr 38 min
  • Dodging the USS Stark, a Minefield in the Persian Gulf & Sharks Under a Flipped Zodiac | Aviation Rescue Swimmer Bryan Huggett | Ep. 61

    A last-minute decision to re-enlist and go home to get married kept Bryan Huggett off the USS Stark—just months before it was struck by two Iraqi Exocet missiles.


    In this episode of Calm in the Chaos, Bryan shares 20 years of service split between the U.S. Navy and the Michigan Army National Guard: flying tanker escorts through Persian Gulf minefields during the Iran-Iraq War, rescuing a flipped Zodiac while sharks circled below, and later trading Navy wings for a decade as a Huey crew chief fighting wildfires and training Navy SEALs for Afghanistan.


    In this episode:

    • The twist of fate that kept him off the USS Stark before it was hit by two Exocet missiles
    • Flying tanker escort missions through Persian Gulf minefields during the Iran-Iraq War
    • The night the USS Samuel B. Roberts hit a mine—and locking and loading on one of his own
    • Rescuing a flipped Zodiac in the Atlantic, circled by sharks
    • Trading Navy wings for a decade as a Huey crew chief in the Michigan Army National Guard
    • Training Navy SEAL Team 1 ahead of their deployment into Afghanistan


    Two branches, two decades, and one calm head no matter what got thrown at him.


    👉 Subscribe, share, and leave a review. It helps more veterans, first responders, and families find these stories.


    CALM IN THE CHAOS PODCAST — Episode 61


    So Others May Live. 🫡🇺🇸


    Rescue Swimmer Merchandise https://shop.calminthechaospodcast.com Military & First Responders: Use code SARRESCUE10 for 10% off 100% of proceeds support the podcast

    📖 Calm in the Chaos — The Book by Brian Dickinson Available at www.briandickinson.net
    📩 Booking & Media Inquiries: [email protected]


    For more content, subscribe and follow @TheCalmintheChaosPodcast:
    Twitter: https://x.com/briancdickinson/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandickinson/
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/briancdickinson
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briancdickinson


    Calm in the Chaos: The Rescue Swimmer Podcast Untold Stories from U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmers


    #RescueSwimmer #NavyRescueSwimmer #AviationRescueSwimmer #CalmInTheChaos #USSStark #PersianGulf #IranIraqWar #USSSamuelBRoberts #NavalAviation #USNavy #NavyVeteran #MilitaryVeteran #MichiganNationalGuard #ArmyNationalGuard #HueyCrewChief #SearchAndRescue #SAR #SEALTeam #NeverForget #SoOthersMayLive #MilitaryPodcast #VeteranStories #ResiliencePodcast #ServiceAndSacrifice #BrianDickinson #VeteranPodcast #HonorTheFallen

    1 hr 2 min
  • Navy Rescue Swimmer Collin Koss – Multiple Rescues, F/A-18 Ejection, and the Journey to Officer

    Collin Koss built a remarkable Navy career as a Rescue Swimmer, performing multiple rescues at sea before witnessing one of the most harrowing moments imaginable — an F/A-18 ejection that struck the back of the carrier. Later, Collin made the jump to officer, leading from the front and shaping the next generation of sailors. Now, with retirement on the horizon, he reflects on a career of service, sacrifice, and lessons that will last a lifetime.


    In this episode, Collin shares the highs and lows of his journey — from rescues in the fleet to the burden of command — and the perspective that only comes with decades in uniform.


    CALM IN THE CHAOS PODCAST Episode 43


    So Others May Live! 🫡🇺🇸


    Keep Calm in the Chaos Merch

    (Link in bio or https://shop.calminthechaospodcast.com)

    Military and First Responders get 10% discount with code: SARRESCUE10 applied at checkout

    100% of proceeds go to support the podcast!


    #NavyRescueSwimmer #USNavy #HelicopterRescue #CombatRescue #MilitaryPodcast #NavalAviation #CarrierLife #F18 #RescueSwimmer #MilitaryLife #VeteranStories #SearchAndRescue #AviationPodcast #MilitaryHistory

    1 hr 7 min
  • 20 Years, Parkinson’s Diagnosis & a Door Through the Rotors | Aviation Rescue Swimmer Kevin McNease

    Some warriors fight their battles in the ocean. Others fight them long after the uniform comes off.


    In this episode of Calm in the Chaos, Kevin McNease shares 20 years of service as a U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer—including a harrowing rescue in the South China Sea, pulling a Marine from the water who was still gripping his weapon, and one of the most terrifying mechanical failures imaginable: losing a helicopter door mid-flight—only to watch it shred through the rotor system.


    And then there's the battle he's fighting now.


    Kevin has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. And he's facing it the same way he faced every mission—with courage, clarity, and calm in the chaos.

    In this episode:

    • 20 years of service as a U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer
    • Rescue in the South China Sea
    • Pulling a Marine from the water—still armed, still holding his weapon
    • A helicopter door lost in flight—and what happened when it hit the rotors
    • Mechanical failure at altitude with no margin for error
    • Receiving a Parkinson’s diagnosis after two decades of service
    • What resilience really looks like when the mission becomes survival itself
    • The mental and emotional weight carried by those who serve


    Kevin McNease gave 20 years to this nation. His story—every chapter of it—deserves to be heard.


    👉 Subscribe, share, and leave a review. It helps more veterans, first responders, and families find these stories.


    CALM IN THE CHAOS PODCAST — Episode 58 


    So Others May Live. 🫡🇺🇸


    Rescue Swimmer Merchandise https://shop.calminthechaospodcast.com Military & First Responders: Use code SARRESCUE10 for 10% off 100% of proceeds support the podcast


    📖 Calm in the Chaos — The Book by Brian Dickinson Available at www.briandickinson.net

    📩 Booking & Media Inquiries: [email protected]


    For more content, subscribe and follow @TheCalmintheChaosPodcast: 

    Twitter: https://x.com/briancdickinson/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandickinson/ 

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/briancdickinson 

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briancdickinson


    Calm in the Chaos: The Rescue Swimmer Podcast Untold Stories from U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmers


    #RescueSwimmer #NavyRescueSwimmer #AviationRescueSwimmer #CalmInTheChaos #Parkinsons #ParkinsonsWarrior #ParkinsonsAwareness #SouthChinaSea #NavyRescue #MarineCorps #HelicopterFailure #MechanicalFailure #NavalAviation #USNavy #NavyVeteran #MilitaryVeteran #VeteranHealth #SoOthersMayLive #SearchAndRescue #SAR #MilitaryPodcast #VeteranStories #ResiliencePodcast #MilitaryResilience #LeadershipUnderFire #MentalToughness #ServiceAndSacrifice #BrianDickinson #VeteranPodcast #HonorTheFallen

    1 hr
  • Helicopter Crash at Night + Russian Sub Contact | Aviation Rescue Swimmer Richard Swope

    Some missions go wrong before they even begin. Others turn into something no one could have planned for.


    In this episode of Calm in the Chaos, Richard Swope shares his career as a U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer—including two of the most intense moments a rescue swimmer can face: surviving a helicopter crash at night in the open ocean during an active rescue, and gaining sonobuoy contact on a Russian submarine trailing a U.S. aircraft carrier—moments before a collision with the carrier itself.


    These aren't training scenarios. These are the real missions that define what it means to operate at the edge of human capability—in the dark, in the water, with no margin for error.

    In this episode:

    • Helicopter crash at night during an active ocean rescue
    • Surviving open-ocean impact and the chaos that followed
    • Gaining sonobuoy contact on a Russian submarine
    • Near-collision with a U.S. aircraft carrier
    • Decision-making when everything goes wrong at once
    • Mental toughness forged in real-world high-stakes missions
    • What it means to serve as a U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer


    Richard Swope's story is a masterclass in staying calm when the situation is anything but. This is exactly what the Calm in the Chaos podcast was built for.


    👉 Subscribe, share, and leave a review. It helps more veterans, first responders, and families find these stories.


    CALM IN THE CHAOS PODCAST — Episode 57 


    So Others May Live. 🫡🇺🇸


    Rescue Swimmer Merchandise https://shop.calminthechaospodcast.com Military & First Responders: Use code SARRESCUE10 for 10% off 100% of proceeds support the podcast


    📖 Calm in the Chaos — The Book by Brian Dickinson Available at www.briandickinson.net

    📩 Booking & Media Inquiries: [email protected]


    For more content, subscribe and follow @TheCalmintheChaosPodcast: 

    Twitter: https://x.com/briancdickinson/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandickinson/ 

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/briancdickinson 

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briancdickinson


    Calm in the Chaos: The Rescue Swimmer Podcast Untold Stories from U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmers


    #RescueSwimmer #NavyRescueSwimmer #AviationRescueSwimmer #CalmInTheChaos #HelicopterCrash #NavyHelicopter #RussianSubmarineContact #ColdWarNavy #AircraftCarrier #NavyMilitary #MilitaryPodcast #VeteranStories #SoOthersMayLive #USNavy #NavyVeteran #MilitaryVeteran #RescueMission #SearchAndRescue #SAR #NavalAviation #OpenOceanRescue #SurvivalStory #MilitaryStories #SpecialOperations #ResiliencePodcast #LeadershipPodcast #MentalToughness #MilitaryLeadership #BrianDickinson #VeteranPodcast

    58 min
  • Hoisted Down to the Orion Capsule | Artemis II Astronaut Recovery Rescue Swimmer Chris Upton | Ep. 60

    The whole world watched the Orion capsule splash down in the Pacific and the U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer hanging from a cable beneath an MH-60S Sea Hawk—lowered down to bring the astronauts home from the Moon.


    In this episode of Calm in the Chaos, Chris Upton shares what it was like to be one of the Aviation Rescue Swimmers on the hoist during the historic Artemis II recovery. After NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen splashed down off the coast of San Diego—returning from humanity's first lunar mission in over 50 years—Chris was part of the team trusted to physically bring them up out of the Pacific and onto the helicopter that would deliver them to the USS John P. Murtha.


    This is the view from the cable.


    Chris takes us inside the training, the rehearsals, the precision, and the quiet pressure of being the person at the end of the hoist when the world is watching—and four lives are in your hands.


    In this episode:

    • Being lowered on the hoist during the Artemis II astronaut recovery
    • What it felt like to come face-to-face with astronauts returning from the Moon
    • The rehearsals, mockups, and training that prepared the team for splashdown day
    • Flying with HSC-23 and the precision required between pilot, crew chief, SMT, and swimmer
    • Working alongside the Navy dive medical team and NASA's Landing and Recovery team
    • Bringing astronauts home one by one to the USS John P. Murtha
    • The legacy of Navy Rescue Swimmers in U.S. space recovery missions
    • What it means to be the last link in the chain that brings someone home


    Chris Upton was part of one of the most historic recovery missions in modern naval aviation. His story is a window into the quiet professionalism of the men and women who live by four words: So Others May Live.


    👉 Subscribe, share, and leave a review. It helps more veterans, first responders, and families find these stories.


    CALM IN THE CHAOS PODCAST — Episode 60


    So Others May Live. 🫡🇺🇸


    Rescue Swimmer Merchandise https://shop.calminthechaospodcast.com Military & First Responders: Use code SARRESCUE10 for 10% off 100% of proceeds support the podcast

    📖 Calm in the Chaos — The Book by Brian Dickinson Available at www.briandickinson.net 

    📩 Booking & Media Inquiries: [email protected]


    For more content, subscribe and follow @TheCalmintheChaosPodcast: 

    Twitter: https://x.com/briancdickinson/ 

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandickinson/ 

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/briancdickinson 

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briancdickinson


    Calm in the Chaos: The Rescue Swimmer Podcast Untold Stories from U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmers


    #ArtemisII #Artemis2 #ArtemisIIRecovery #NASA #OrionCapsule #Splashdown #AstronautRecovery #MoonMission #ReidWiseman #VictorGlover #ChristinaKoch #JeremyHansen #USSJohnPMurtha #HSC23 #SeaHawk #MH60S #HelicopterRescue #HoistRescue #RescueSwimmer #NavyRescueSwimmer #AviationRescueSwimmer #CalmInTheChaos #NavyRecovery #NavalAviation #USNavy #NavyVeteran #MilitaryVeteran #SoOthersMayLive #SearchAndRescue #SAR #MilitaryPodcast #VeteranStories #ResiliencePodcast #LeadershipUnderFire #MentalToughness #ServiceAndSacrifice #BrianDickinson #VeteranPodcast #SpaceRecovery #NASARecovery #PacificOcean #SanDiego

    48 min
  • Artemis II Splashdown, Astronaut Recovery | Aviation Rescue Swimmer Sean Sondergaard | Ep. 59

    When NASA's Orion capsule splashed down in the Pacific off the coast of San Diego, four astronauts came home from the Moon for the first time in over 50 years. And right there—feet from the capsule, voice on the radio, eyes on every moving piece—was a U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer.


    In this episode of Calm in the Chaos, Sean “Sondy” Sondergaard takes us inside one of the most historic recovery missions in modern naval aviation history—the Artemis II astronaut recovery. From the safety boat positioned right next to the Orion capsule, Sean was coordinating communications between the divers, the helicopters, the recovery ship USS John P. Murtha, and NASA's Landing and Recovery team as Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen were brought home from lunar orbit.


    But Artemis II is just one chapter.


    Sean shares what it takes to earn the wings of a Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer, the missions that shaped him, and what it felt like to be part of a team trusted by NASA to bring astronauts safely back to Earth.


    In this episode:

    • Inside the Artemis II splashdown and recovery operation
    • What it's like to be in the safety boat next to the Orion capsule
    • Coordinating communications between divers, helicopters, NASA, and the recovery ship
    • The training that prepares Navy Rescue Swimmers for missions of this magnitude
    • Assigned to HSC-23, working with the Navy dive medical team, and the USS John P. Murtha
    • Bringing astronauts home from the Moon for the first time in over 50 years
    • The legacy of Navy recovery operations—from Mercury and Apollo to Artemis
    • What it means to wear the wings and live "So Others May Live"

    Sean Sondergaard's story is a reminder that behind every historic mission is a team of quiet professionals doing the hard, dangerous, precise work the world rarely sees.


    👉 Subscribe, share, and leave a review. It helps more veterans, first responders, and families find these stories.


    CALM IN THE CHAOS PODCAST — Episode 59


    So Others May Live. 🫡🇺🇸


    Rescue Swimmer Merchandise https://shop.calminthechaospodcast.com Military & First Responders: Use code SARRESCUE10 for 10% off 100% of proceeds support the podcast

    📖 Calm in the Chaos — The Book by Brian Dickinson Available at www.briandickinson.net 

    📩 Booking & Media Inquiries: [email protected]

    For more content, subscribe and follow @TheCalmintheChaosPodcast: 

    Twitter: https://x.com/briancdickinson/ 

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandickinson/ 

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/briancdickinson 

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briancdickinson


    Calm in the Chaos: The Rescue Swimmer Podcast Untold Stories from U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmers


    #ArtemisII #Artemis2 #ArtemisIIRecovery #NASA #OrionCapsule #Splashdown #AstronautRecovery #MoonMission #ReidWiseman #VictorGlover #ChristinaKoch #JeremyHansen #USSJohnPMurtha #HSC23 #RescueSwimmer #NavyRescueSwimmer #AviationRescueSwimmer #CalmInTheChaos #NavyRecovery #NavalAviation #USNavy #NavyVeteran #MilitaryVeteran #SoOthersMayLive #SearchAndRescue #SAR #MilitaryPodcast #VeteranStories #ResiliencePodcast #LeadershipUnderFire #MentalToughness #ServiceAndSacrifice #BrianDickinson #VeteranPodcast #SpaceRecovery #NASARecovery #PacificOcean #SanDiego

    1 hr 4 min

About Calm in the Chaos - U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer Podcast

From the publisher's feed

Calm in the Chaos shares real rescue stories from the U.S. Navy’s Aviation Rescue Swimmers. Hosted by Brian Dickinson—bestselling author, former Navy Rescue Swimmer, and Everest solo summiteer. Ranked in the top 10% of podcasts worldwide, the show digs into the grit, mindset, and faith it takes to run toward the chaos so others may live.