US military SERE training - How service members are trained to survive
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Charles Barreda, a 347th Operations Support Squadron Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) specialist, escorts a simulated downed pilot to an HH-60W Jolly Green II at FEVER Drop Zone, Moody Air Force Base, Georg
The United States military developed specialized training to prepare service members for extreme situations, including survival and evasion in hostile environments.
Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape
SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) is the specific training program the military uses to teach troops how to deal with harsh conditions, avoid enemies and resist being captured by hostile forces.
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SERE training is primarily for personnel who are at "high risk of capture" by opposing forces. These would include aviation personnel, snipers, Special Forces, and intelligence gatherers. The program offers the skills needed to evade or, if captured, escape until they can be recovered by American search and rescue teams.
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The United States Air Forces offers a program that includes seven and a half weeks of basic military training, 15 days of a SERE Specialist training orientation, and another five and a half months of SERE Specialist training apprentice-level course.
Tech. Sgt. Ethan Perry, 403rd Operations Support Squadron Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape, or SERE, instructor, assists Master Sgt. Noel Taylor, a loadmaster with the 403rd OSS, with donning his virtual reality goggles and harness for parachute
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According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, after the first week of academic training, students move to the field to learn land navigation skills along different terrains and how to locate potable water, hunt small animals, build shelters and find other sources of food across various terrains.
Additionally, training intensifies with simulated real-world scenario, including live evasion exercises, navigation challenges, and mock capture situations.
The Source: Information for this story was written with information provided by the United States Air Force and the Department of Veteran Affairs. This story was reported from Orlando.