SERE members keeping aircrew on their toes

  • Published
  • By Airman Dymekre Allen
  • 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany --  Aircrew members participated in survival, evasion, resistance and escape training Aug. 13, here to refine their survival tactics and hone readiness capabilities every three years after initial training.

SERE refresher course is offered once a month for aircrew members and is built to allow them to maintain their readiness in the event they become lost, stranded or captured.

"It keeps them on their toes," said Staff Sgt. Tony Fancher, NCOIC of SERE operations and training. "This combat survival training ensures that in a last ditch situation they have the right set of tools and knowledge to escape from the enemy."

The training consisted of an advanced combative class where the aircrew learned hand-to-hand combat and defensive techniques.

The course also featured evasion tactics where Airmen had to utilize hand signals while they ventured through the wooded terrain. They conducted these scenarios to test their physical and mental abilities.

Water training was also included. Participants learned how to stay together and work as a unit to safely enter a life raft. The training taught the aircrew skills like linking to each other so as to not overexert themselves while in the water.

In order to make the training as realistic as possible, augmentees from the KMC area assisted the cadre by playing the role of the hostel threat and preparing the wooded areas to look like deployed environments.

"The augmentees are vital to the training program," said Fancher. "Without them we wouldn't be able to conduct these scenarios."

By working with augmentees the SERE trainers were able to come up with new strategies and unique scenarios for the aircrew members going through the training.

"It helps us all learn from each other," said Jacob Hodges, training augmentee. "We volunteer to come out here with the SERE guys and help put the trainings together. Whatever they need from us we can handle, whether it's getting sites set up or chasing down the guys getting trained we can handle it. All this helps to improve the program."

SERE specialists ensure aircrew members are ready and have received the most current and realistic training so in the field they have the experience needed to complete the mission.