SERE training required for all Airmen

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Stefanie Torres
  • 35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan --  All active-duty Airmen are required to complete the computer-based Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE 100) training by June 30. 

Air Force leaders plan to broaden the focus of SERE training for all Airmen due to the threat of isolation and capture while supporting the Global War on Terror. 

"As we've seen recently, the capture of military personnel has the potential of exploding into a larger strategic event with global impacts," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley, during a meeting at the Pentagon with Air Force leaders Aug. 10, 2007. "Today's battlefields are non-linear and non-contiguous; their shape and venue change constantly. I worry we've not prepared our Airmen for the world we're operating in." 

Currency for SERE 100 CBT will be once every 20 months to ensure Airmen are aligned with individual Air Expeditionary Force cycles. 

"The training takes approximately four hours to complete," said Tech. Sgt. Gregory Adams, SERE specialist at Misawa. "This will give Airmen the tools to survive if isolated, and unable to complete their primary mission, avoid being captured by the enemy, resist providing any info or actions that will be harmful to the U.S. and it's allies and escape from detention." 

The levels of SERE training are ranked from low to high risk on three levels.
All Airmen receive entry-level, or A-level, training, explained Sergeant Adams.

Level B is the minimum training for jobs that entail moderate risk and exploitation. B- and C-level training is provided primarily to aircrew members, and those traditionally in higher risk duties. 

"We need to inject these skills across the entire force," General Moseley said. "Whether deployed for combat operations, stationed overseas or even in the continental United States, there are persistent threats to all Airmen. We must ensure every Airman is properly trained to deal with these threats. From the moment Airmen report for initial training until they separate or retire, we must train them to ensure they return with honor." 

The SERE 100 CBT is located on the Advanced Distributed Learning System Web site at https://golearn.csd.disa.mil. The course is organized within the mobility and readiness section of ADLS. Airmen can also access ADLS via the Air Force Portal.