About this episode

Kevin McNease shares his experiences as a U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer and his battle with Parkinson's disease.

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…

People in this episode

Host: Brian Dickinson

Guest: Kevin McNease

Topics covered

• U.S. Navy
• Aviation Rescue Swimmer
• Parkinson's disease
• rescue operations
• mechanical failure
• resilience
• military service

Keywords

• Aviation Rescue Swimmer
• South China Sea
• helicopter door failure
• military service
• resilience
• Parkinson's diagnosis
• marine rescue

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: U.S. Navy

Places: South China Sea

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

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• Hoisted Down to the Orion Capsule | Artemis II Astronaut Recovery Rescue Swimmer Chris Upton | Ep. 60 · May 4, 2026 · 48 min
• Artemis II Splashdown, Astronaut Recovery | Aviation Rescue Swimmer Sean Sondergaard | Ep. 59 · May 4, 2026 · 1h 4m

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