An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : Media : News : News Article View
NEWS | Feb. 12, 2021

Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Specialist Conquer the Artic

By Airman 1st Class Jose Miguel T. Tamondong 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- Wind gusts as high as 50 miles per hour, wind chills dropping to minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and a place where the sun does not rise above the horizon for 65 consecutive days. Arctic Survival training is not for the faint of heart however for the survival, evasion, resistance and escape (SERE) specialists, it is a rite of passage.

SERE specialists from across the country participated in S-V81-C Barren Land Arctic Survival training from Jan. 9-23, 2021 in Utqiaġvik (Barrow), Alaska.

S-V81-C is a part of the SERE five level upgrade course where SERE specialists gain valuable experience surviving in the harsh arctic environment.

“It’s the experiential factor that enables Air Force SERE specialists to provide the highest standard of arctic training to the Department of Defense.” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Garrett Wright, the Detachment 1, 66th Training Squadron, Arctic Survival School superintendent.

After leaving Barrow and completing training, SERE specialists have gained a new understanding of the difficult conditions isolated personnel could face in the Arctic. With this knowledge in hand, SERE specialists are able to educate personnel across the globe on the various environments they operate in.

From Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, five SERE specialists from the 66th Training Squadron, Detachment 1 led S-V81-C training in Barrow.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Waterbury, the 66th TRS, Detachment 1 operations noncommissioned officer in charge, once a student, is now responsible for imparting his technical expertise to others at S-V81-C.

“It is cool to teach a course that I came through [years ago],” Waterbury said. “I never really thought that I would be doing it again; especially running operations for it.”

This year, two classes trained in Barrow and 44 students graduated the course. 24 participants from Jan. 9-16 and 20 from Jan. 16-23. Active duty, Guard and Reserve SERE specialists attended this year’s training along with personnel from the 123rd Contingency Response Group and the Air Force Joint Test Program Office.

This year, Cool School’s operations were supported by an independent medical duty technician from the 354th Medical Group and two defenders from the 354th Security Forces Squadron, who provided overnight polar bear guard. Additionally, a team led by Lt. Col. Nathan Barrett, the AFJO Joint Test Director, conducted shelter temperature testing as part of Cool School’s efforts to modernize its instructional data.

S-V81-C training includes a day of academic instruction where students learned about health, sustenance, personal protection, signaling, recovery and travel in an arctic environment.

Throughout the week, students learn how to operate in the Arctic and build shelters from snow caves to igloos. In total, students construct six different shelter configurations over the course of four days, to enable their survival in the Arctic tundra.

The Cool School team brought the students out to the Chukchi sea where they ignited MK-124s, a smoke and illumination flare, to learn about the intricacies of arctic signaling and recovery.

One of the highlights of the training is the cultural immersion with the local indigenous people, giving many students a broader perspective and appreciation for the Arctic.

“Our students have a unique opportunity to learn from the indigenous people, so they can come to a better understanding of the cultural influences that enabled them to survive in such a harsh region for thousands of years,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Tyler Williams, the 66th TRS, Detachment 1 commander. “Before all of this modern equipment, it was the cultural values and practices that allowed them to thrive in this region.”

This immersion also aligns with the Department of the Air Force Arctic Strategy through collaborative planning opportunities particularly building upon relationships with indigenous communities in the Arctic region to learn from their expertise.

What makes this year’s training different from its previous iterations is the introduction of the geopolitical aspects of recovery.

“There’s a lot of people who live across the Arctic,” Wright said. “Students have to understand that they might not be picked up by American forces and they may not even be military.”

Williams emphasized that this training plays an important role in mission preparation to the Air Force Arctic Strategy. The U.S. Air Force has recognized the importance to prepare aircrew for operations in extreme polar regions, and SERE specialists perform a vital role in doing just that.

“It doesn’t matter if you’ve got the best equipment or aircraft in the world. If you don’t have the right training, the Arctic environment will kill you,” Williams said.

CONNECT WITH USINDOPACOM
Facebook

Like Us
Twitter
342,728
Follow Us

ENGAGE & CONNECT MORE WITH PACOM

                                                 

IN THE USINDOPACOM NEWS
Fact Sheet: Secretary Austin's Seventh Trip to the Indo-Pacific Region
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III arrives at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan to visit U.S. troops stationed in the country, May, 31, 2023. Secretary Austin will meet with Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada and other senior leaders and comes as the United States and Japan take important strides to modernize Alliance capabilities, optimize U.S. force posture, and build links with like-minded partners following the historic U.S.-Japan “2+2” Ministerial meeting earlier this year. (DoD photo by Chad J. McNeeley)
May 31, 2023 - WASHINGTON -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin's seventh trip to the Indo-Pacific comes at a time when the Department of Defense is doing more than ever with U.S. allies and partners to strengthen peace, stability, and...

Andersen AFB Updates on Services post Typhoon Mawar
Satellite image of Typhoon Mawar taken May 25, 2023.  Image courtesy 325th Operational Support Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
May 31, 2023 - ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- Members of Team Andersen continue to prevail in the wake of Typhoon Mawar and persevere through the lack of services across the island; meanwhile, Brig. Gen. Paul Fast, 36th Wing commander,...

Decorated American Officer’s Last Remains to Head Home After 58 Years
Major General Harry Kleinbeck Pickett, Decorated American Officer’s Last Remains to Head Home After 58 Years.  Courtesy photo
May 31, 2023 - U.S. Embassy & Consulates in India -- The last remains of one of America’s most decorated officers, Major General Harry Kleinbeck Pickett, who fought in both World War I and World War II, is being returned home to the United...

Friendship Jump 2023
Japan Ground Self-Defense paratroopers with the 1st Airborne Brigade carry his parachute during the Japanese-American Friendship Festival 2023 at Yokota Air Base, Japan, May 21, 2023. Paratroopers from the U.S. Army 1st SFG (Airborne), USAF 320th Special Tactics Squadron, and JGSDF 1st Airborne Brigade conducted static-line jump demonstrations to show their capabilities during the festival. During the two-day festival, 193,000 attendees came to Yokota to experience the event. The festival is aimed at increasing bilateral relationships between U.S. and Japanese communities and allows people to see U.S. and Japanese military capabilities first-hand. (U.S. Air Force photo by Yasuo Osakabe)
May 31, 2023 - YOKOTA AIR BASE, TOKYO, Japan -- The annual Yokota Friendship Festival Joint Capabilities Demonstration draws in many festival-goers to view airborne demonstrations, with the 36th Airlift Squadron using their C-130J Super...

U.S. Philippines, Japan, Coast Guards Conduct Joint Maritime Law Enforcement Training
More than 30 participants from the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam joined the Multinational Vessel Boarding Officer Course funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.  Courtesy photo
May 31, 2023 - MANILA, Philippines -- From May 15 to 26, coast guard instructors from the United States, the Philippines, and Japan jointly led a Multinational Vessel Boarding Officer Course in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan that...