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

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.

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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: podcast@briandickinson.net

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

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

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: podcast@briandickinson.net

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

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: podcast@briandickinson.net

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

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: podcast@briandickinson.net

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