Author Info
Gerald R. Hoover enlisted in the Coast Guard in April of 1986 and was assigned to the Coast Guard Cutter Tackle, a 65 foot
ice breaking tug boat moored in Crisfield, Maryland where he qualified as a small boat crewman, radio watch stander, and
was training to be a small boat Coxswain when he received orders to Aviation Survivalman School (ASM, changed to
Aviation Survival Technician -- AST in 1998). He graduated from ASM school in December 1987 and was assigned to Air
Station New Orleans from 1987 until 1991, where he qualified as a flight mechanic and rescue swimmer on H-65 helicopters
and was one of only five ASM's to hold both these qualifications. And was the first rescue swimmer ever deployed for
training and for SAR at Air Station New Orleans. After an invitation to join the Standardization Team in Mobile Alabama, he
transferred to the Aviation Training Center where he further qualified as a rescue swimmer on H-60 and H-3 helicopters and
materially participated in the development of rescue procedures for the NASA escape Pod, the Advanced Rescue Swimmer
School, ice rescue, vertically surface rescue and many other rescue swimmer tactical improvements. From there he was
transferred to Air Station Clearwater where he received further qualifications as H-60 flight mechanic (only ASM to hold this
qualification), and as a helicopter duty section Watch Captain. While in Clearwater he was deployed for numerous law
enforcement operations throughout the Bahamas and Haiti. He rescued countless Cuban refugees during the second mass
exodus in 1994. In 1995 he was transferred to Air Station Elizabeth City North Carolina, where, as the Survival Shop
supervisor, he developed an aggressive training program that led to the refinement of vertical surface rescue from buildings
and inter-agency training with the Outer Banks lifeguards and the rescue swimmer branch of the Secret Service. In 2004 he
transferred back to Air Station Clearwater where he finished his career by participating in the rescues following Hurricane
Katrina. Upon his retirement he had more deployments from Coast Guard Helicopters than any other rescue swimmer in the
history of the program.
During his career Gerald Has also been extensively featured in many monthly publications such as Boating Magazine, various
newspapers, including the Washington Post, numerous local and national news broadcasts and was featured in several
documentary specials about rescue swimmers on the Discovery Channel, History Channel and Military Channel.
Gerald R. Hoover enlisted in the Coast Guard in April of 1986 and was assigned to the Coast Guard Cutter Tackle, a 65 foot
ice breaking tug boat moored in Crisfield, Maryland where he qualified as a small boat crewman, radio watch stander, and
was training to be a small boat Coxswain when he received orders to Aviation Survivalman School (ASM, changed to
Aviation Survival Technician -- AST in 1998). He graduated from ASM school in December 1987 and was assigned to Air
Station New Orleans from 1987 until 1991, where he qualified as a flight mechanic and rescue swimmer on H-65 helicopters
and was one of only five ASM's to hold both these qualifications. And was the first rescue swimmer ever deployed for
training and for SAR at Air Station New Orleans. After an invitation to join the Standardization Team in Mobile Alabama, he
transferred to the Aviation Training Center where he further qualified as a rescue swimmer on H-60 and H-3 helicopters and
materially participated in the development of rescue procedures for the NASA escape Pod, the Advanced Rescue Swimmer
School, ice rescue, vertically surface rescue and many other rescue swimmer tactical improvements. From there he was
transferred to Air Station Clearwater where he received further qualifications as H-60 flight mechanic (only ASM to hold this
qualification), and as a helicopter duty section Watch Captain. While in Clearwater he was deployed for numerous law
enforcement operations throughout the Bahamas and Haiti. He rescued countless Cuban refugees during the second mass
exodus in 1994. In 1995 he was transferred to Air Station Elizabeth City North Carolina, where, as the Survival Shop
supervisor, he developed an aggressive training program that led to the refinement of vertical surface rescue from buildings
and inter-agency training with the Outer Banks lifeguards and the rescue swimmer branch of the Secret Service. In 2004 he
transferred back to Air Station Clearwater where he finished his career by participating in the rescues following Hurricane
Katrina. Upon his retirement he had more deployments from Coast Guard Helicopters than any other rescue swimmer in the
history of the program.
During his career Gerald Has also been extensively featured in many monthly publications such as Boating Magazine, various
newspapers, including the Washington Post, numerous local and national news broadcasts and was featured in several
documentary specials about rescue swimmers on the Discovery Channel, History Channel and Military Channel.
