Evading the enemy: Reservists get SERE upgrade training

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Abigail Klein
  • 931st Air Refueling Group
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  With their knees and boots grinding into the Kansas soil, evading and dodging any shadowy or unfamiliar person that may cross their paths, the outside observer at first glance might think this was the setting of an action movie.

The setting was part of a Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape training scenario for 931st Air Refueling Group aircrews. Fifteen McConnell reservists participated in the refresher training during the unit training assembly March 7, 2015. All Air Force aircrew go through an initial SERE training course at Fairchild AFB, Washington.

Refresher training covers combat survival, tactical evasion and conduct-after-capture.

Today's scenario was evasion.  Reservists simulated an aircraft crash in enemy territory. Staff Sgt. John Michels, 22nd Operations Support Squadron SERE instructor, drove the reservists to a wooded area in Derby, Kan., and divided the group into teams, each dropped at different locations. The teams were given a limited amount of time to navigate to a safe rendezvous point using compasses and GPS radios .

"It's a training scenario but what I try to stress to them is that it's something that could happen to them in the real world, not just if their aircraft got shot down, but also if they are just flying TDY," said Michels.

Among the reservists, Capt. Brian Doom, 18th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135 pilot, took the training as another opportunity to prepare himself for the possibility of real-world evasion and capture. During the training, Doom focused on maintaining cover, to keep from being "shot," and concealment to keep from being seen by the "enemy." To do this, Doom utilized everything from trees, high grass and short natural alcoves.

"It's important to review this seriously because you hope you never need this training, but it's good to refresh it every couple of years just in case you do," he said.

As the team rallied around their final rendezvous point, working their way through the muddy trails and dry branches left behind from melting snow, Michels also noted the importance of the setting for today's SERE training.

"This [location] reinforces all of the general tactics, techniques and procedures that we're trying to teach them in the safest way possible; its globally applicable," he said.

The team building aspect of the training was also a big part the reservists evaluation, though Michels admits, that's not that hard to come by in the Air Force.

"[As Airmen] It's usually easy for us to come together and say, 'alright, I need to do what I can to make sure my team succeeds,'" he said.

Each team successfully navigated to their rendezvous point to be "recovered" by friendly forces. It was the type of happy ending one would expect from an action movie, and the type of real-world happy ending this training is designed to provide.