Preparing the best for the worst: SERE trains aircrews

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Samantha S. Crane
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (ACCNS) --  (Editors Note: This is part of a series written on the 389th Fighter Squadron's participation in Red Flag 09-3 at Nellis Air Force Base)

The aircrew members scan the horizon for movement. Seeing nothing, they continue on toward the closest thing to cover they can see -- a mountain base. Once they arrive, they wait for air rescue support and use mirrors to signal the crews in the air to give them their location. Using radios, they correctly answer challenges meant to identify them as friendly forces. Help is on the way.

This is just one of many scenarios Combat Survival and Rescue, or CSAR, and Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape, or SERE, specialists put together for U.S. forces and its allies to complete during Red Flag 09-3, which ran Feb. 21 through March 13, at Nellis Air Force base, Nev.

Two of those instructors, Capt. Matt Arnold and Senior Airman Jerrod Mink traveled to Red Flag as CSAR augmentees.

Captain Arnold serves as a combat rescue officer, or CRO, as part of the Air Forces Guardian Angel program.

Guardian Angel is the Air Force's human and equipment based weapon system that executes all five tasks of personnel recovery -- report, locate, support, recover and reintegrate and consists of pararescuemen, survival specialists and combat rescue officers.

"Together, these provide the war-fighting commander with a full spectrum capability to accomplish personnel recovery and rescue operations," said Captain Arnold. "CROs are direct combatant ground force commanders during tactical missions, high value target recovery operations and joint multinational operations."

As a combat rescue officer, Captain Arnold may deploy into hostile locations to recover friendly forces. Exercises like Red Flag give him a chance to practice those duties in a training environment before risking his life to save others.

Airman Mink is a SERE specialist from Fairchild AFB, Wash.

"As a qualified jumper, I support scenarios by performing jump operations over the Nevada Test and Training Range," he said. "We also take part in escort duties such as shadowing aircrews in a scenario to make sure they stick to their evasion plan of action and don't bring harm to themselves or others."

While acting as escorts, SERE specialists can ensure aircrews learn from their experiences and prepare for worst-case scenarios.

"It significantly increases that person's survivability on the ground should they find themselves in a real isolated situation," said Airman Mink. "We are instructors, but our primary job while escorting is to evaluate the aircrew members' knowledge gained during their previous SERE training. Sometimes it may be necessary for one of us to step in and give constructive criticism or provide helpful advice in order to make a learning point."

These training scenarios prepare aircrews for worst-case scenarios in a controlled environment, which could be the key to their survival in the future.

"The training assists in giving Air Force aircrews the opportunity to react and respond to an isolation event, perform the coordination and rescue and bring their fellow Airmen back to friendly lines," said Captain Arnold.

But these exercises don't only benefit aircrews.

"It gives young SERE specialists the opportunity to see the operational side of the combat Air Force as well as gain valuable experience working side by side with our coalition partners," said Captain Arnold.

As a lower-enlisted SERE troop, Airman Mink knows the importance of taking advantage of Red Flag training.

"Taking part in a multi-service military exercise of this scale is a privilege," he said. "It really shows you the bigger picture of how powerful our military is and how everything comes together in an operational setting. SERE training is a very small part, but a very important one."

While many people don't completely understand the purpose of SERE, their main purpose is to prepare aircrews and other high risk personnel to survive under any conditions.

"We are instructors," said Airman Mink. "We are a pro-active force; we prepare the war fighters."

As long as there's a need to survive, CSAR and SERE will be there, preparing the best for the worst.

For other stories about Red Flag 09-3

http://www.mountainhome.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123140076

http://www.mountainhome.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123140074