FORT EUSTIS, Va. (NNS) -- Naval special warfare combatant-craft crewmen (SWCC) from Special Boat Teams (SBT) 12 and 20 conducted maritime external air transportation system (MEATS) exercises July 17 with the Army Reserve's 159th Aviation Regiment at Fort Eustis.

MEATS provided added mobility for the special boat operators, which allowed them to transport their boats over greater distances. The SWCC assigned to SBT 12 and SBT 20 operate 11-meter rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIB) in coastal environments throughout the world. The special operations craft-riverine (SOC-R) can also be moved from place to place using MEATS.

"The greatest benefit of MEATS is that it increases the distance we can travel inland, and we can still go the distance we need to once we get in the water," said Special Boat Operator 1st Class (SWCC) Chris Favata, a MEATS master at Naval Special Warfare Group (NSWG) 4, the special boat teams' parent command. "It also allows for extractions from certain areas, or allows us to overcome obstacles in the rivers, like impassable bridges or other obstructions."

During this MEATS training, an Army CH-47D helicopter hovered directly above the RHIB while the SWCC rigged the craft to the underbelly of the helicopter with slings, then climbed up a ladder into the aircraft. The helicopter then transported the boat and SWCC to a drop zone over land or water.

In order for crewmen to earn basic MEATS qualification they must rotate through the four stations aboard the RHIB while the aircraft hovers inches above. The stations consist of forward pole, aft pole, signalman and coxswain.

The pole men are responsible for rigging the slings to the underside of the helicopter, while the signalman uses hand signals to communicate with the boat crew and the crew aboard the helicopter. The driver must keep the boat steady and directly under the helicopter while both move forward at approximately five knots.

"We are slowly increasing the number of times we conduct this type of training for our SWCCs," said Master Chief Special Boat Operator (SWCC) Miguel Albelo, a MEATS master from SBT 12.

"It is an additional capability we can use when deployed overseas. Operationally speaking, it greatly increases our reach within an area of operations; we can be picked up from a forward operating base and inserted somewhere miles away, and then extracted again when the mission is complete."

SWCCs from NSWG-4's three special boat teams, operate, deploy and maintain state-of-the-art mobility systems. These systems include the highly capable and advanced Mark-V special operations craft, the 11-meter RHIB, and the SOC-R. NSWG-4 is U.S. Special Operations Command's premier maritime mobility provider.