Aircrews practice survival techniques

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Samantha S. Crane
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho --  The landscape appears to be completely empty, but then, out on the horizon, something moves. In that second, two aircrew members compromised their position, and the aggressors, played by 366th Operations Support Squadron Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape specialists and members of the 366th Security Forces Squadron, move in to explain what they could have done better in order to evade detection.

After the aggressors move on, the aircrew members make their way back to the starting point to start over again in another attempt to make it to the pickup point undetected.

They are only two of the eight aircrew members from Mountain Home Air Force Base and Gowen Field practicing their survival skills somewhere on the Saylor Creek Range April 10. Their prime objective -- use radios to get recovered without being captured.

"They're simulating that they've been shot down behind enemy lines and must find a way out while evading a simulated hostile force," said Tech. Sgt. Adam Young, 366th Operations Support Squadron noncommissioned officer in charge of wing SERE operations.

It's one of many simulations created by SERE specialists to prepare pilots and weapons systems officers for what they may face in battle. While their day lasted 14 hours, some scenarios may run up to 16 hours straight.

Once a month, the SERE team takes a new group of aircrews out to the range in order to allow them to practice this training every 36 months, but they aren't the only ones who keep the training going.

"We had an emergency medical technician for medical safety, three personnel from the 366th SFS to represent opposing forces and one SERE specialist," said Sergeant Young.

"During this exercise, our job was to act as the opposing forces for the pilots," said Staff Sgt. Aaron Dirks, 366th SFS staff NCO. "Our main objective was to attempt to find the pilots while they are in hostile territory and give them a chance to see what it would be like to hide from the enemy."

While the aircrews are the ones receiving the training, the trainers also get something from it.

"It helps us sharpen different skills," said Tech. Sgt. Bobby Singleton, 366th SFS instructor. "We use radio systems, global positioning systems, binoculars and weapons that help us improve our skills."

Four F-15E Strike Eagles also provided air support along with two AH-64 Apache helicopters from Gowen Field.

But before the simulation even started, the aircrews first received an academic refresher along with briefings from safety, intelligence and SERE to make sure they're ready to go before heading to the field.

"They are then refreshed on map and compass work, signal and communications and evasion principles before being cut loose," said Sergeant Young. "They have to make their way from one point to another while evading capture. They have approximately two hours to travel one to two nautical miles."

For pilots, it gives them the perfect opportunity to familiarize themselves with their survival gear in case they ever need to use it.

"SERE puts that fine, razor-sharp edge on our aircrews as combat weapons," said Lt. Col. Scott Felton, 366th OSS director of operations. "In the environment we face today in Iraq and Afghanistan, individual combat survival skills are more important than ever. Our SERE troops run the benchmark program for all of Air Combat Command; they provide the best training for aircrews anywhere in the command and are constantly being asked to visit and help improve other wings. We couldn't be more proud of them."

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