SERE conducts Combat Survival Training

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Sean Martin
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  The 2nd Operations Support Squadron Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape conducted Combat Survival Training here, Nov. 1.

The training involved a classroom portion as well as a practical exercise. Students were dropped off on the East Reservation where they had to evade capture and arrive at a designated rescue site successfully.

"During the practical exercise, we tried to simulate aircrew personnel performing an aircraft egress via ejection or bailout, and what to do to survive in a hostile environment," said Staff Sgt. Charles Millison, 2 OSS SERE operations NCO in charge. "They were expected to evade capture and return home safely."

The training is a triennial refresher and mandatory for all aircrew. It is used to strengthen aircrew's techniques and procedures previously learned in their initial survival training.

"Combat survival training is of vital importance to aircrew and their mission," said Lt. Col. Melvin Green, 2nd Bomb Wing deputy director of plans, programs and evaluations. "To survive behind enemy lines is a harrowing and challenging task by itself, but it is only a small piece of the puzzle."

The aircrew personnel were required to use their navigation and evasion techniques to get to a recovery point to be rescued.

"This training is beneficial to aircrew because if they ever find themselves in a bad situation, it gives them the tools needed to survive, evade and return," said Millison. "It also gives them confidence in knowing they have been trained on how to do this."

SERE conducts various training for aircrew here including combat and water survival, conduct after capture and emergency parachuting techniques.

"We gear the training toward our mission here," said Millison. "Each base may have a different variation of these courses depending on their mission. The skills taught in this training are focused on evasion in a combat scenario."

The terrain provided the aircrew with multiple threats they had to keep in mind during the training.

"The terrain here is mainly flat with a few hills here and there," said Millison. "It is filled with a lot of trees which make it a challenge when trying to navigate your way through. There are also different animals and plant life they may encounter such as poison ivy and oak, snakes, different wild cats and coyotes."

SERE Airmen must know every aspect of the field to provide the correct life-saving information to their fellow Airmen.

"A big part of our job is to become a subject matter expert in different areas and hopefully pass this knowledge off to others who may find themselves in a bad situation," said Millison. "Knowing the information and skills they provide to aircrew personnel may one day save their lives is a very rewarding part of this job."