SERE helps aircrew remain mission ready

Surviving, evading, resisting and escaping — SERE specialists teach these lifesaving techniques to aircrew members to ensure they keep current after initial training.

The refresher SERE course is taught once a month, and crew members learn combatives and go through crash scenarios, one in the woods and one in the water.

Combatives is hand-to-hand combat training taught to SERE students to teach self-defense.

“Students are taught many things during the combatives portion,” said Senior Airman Joshua Krape, 86th Operations Support Squadron SERE specialist. “They are taught positioning, placement and arm motions.”

After a demonstration of the different movements, students were given the chance to practice on each other while the instructors made corrections.

“Even during the training we see Airmen motivating each other to keep going,” Krape said. “Complaining is contagious, but a positive attitude is just as addictive. With a strong will to survive, they can make it happen.”

Once the combatives class was over, aircrew members met at a clearing in the woods to go through some basic survival training.

“We walk through the woods and instruct them as we go,” said Staff Sgt. Tony Fancher, 86th OSS NCOIC of SERE operations and training. “It’s our job to make sure they understand what they need to do.”

Students were constantly being quizzed on different aspects of survival and got a lot of hands-on training. They were instructed on how to find shelter and food, shown radio operations, signals, and the basics of starting a fire.

“I’ve been through these courses a number of times,” said Master Sgt. Michael Nentwich, 76th Airlift Squadron communications systems operator. “Every time I do this I learn something I didn’t know before. This time I learned a lot about the German plant life.”

As a part of the water training, aircrew members were taught how to stay together and get to the life raft safely by linking to each other and working on not exerting a lot of energy.

“Teamwork is huge,” Krape said. “Working together betters the chances of getting home.”

Aircrew members often reach their limits during the water portion, they don’t expect it to be so hard in their uniform, Fancher said.

“The most gratifying part of the job is to see people overcome their limits and get stronger,” Krape said.

SERE specialists have more than 450 aircrew members here to keep current on their training and ensure each member is mentally and physically prepared for the mission.