Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape

So yeah, back to being POWs now.

We go through survival training and it's called SERE, S-E-R-E, Survival Evasion Resistance Escape.

And so the idea is as we're going through SERE, there are the six articles of the Code of Conduct.

And we actually memorize them as cadets.

And so oftentimes now they're going to put you through both.

So first SERE is survival.

Second is evasion.

And that trains personnel to blend into natural landscapes, move undetected and avoid enemy search patrols.

Once again, that applies to both urban and rural settings.

All right.

Typically SERE is done out in the middle of nowhere, but They're applying it more and more as part of tradecraft and everything else to apply in urban settings as well.

Resistance, and that means simulating captivity and prisoner of war conditions, including interrogations and psychological stress, while teaching trainees to provide only authorized information.

And then, uh, did a few deployments, got over to NSW, was a special boat team operator for a while, and then kind of needed some time off.

Took some time off, started teaching NSW SERE wilderness medicine.

And then, uh, a guy that was there with 19th Group started talking about it and, uh, found out about 20th Group, joined over to 20th Group, and just started my path along that way t- to here.

A- a- and so, you know, one of the things that, that, you know, the group is kind of watching is watching what's going on in Ukraine and, and trying to figure out how can we provide, you know, medical support at that tier one operator level.

I did not.

The only thing I failed in the Q course was starting a fire in SERE school, [laughs] 'cause I was so damn cold.

[laughs]

[laughs] But you got to retake that.

A fire [laughs]

...

in SERE-

Yep

You would be the perfect person to ask.

What's the name of the training you do? SERE.

The SERE training.

Oh, yeah.

Um, so he did both of those.

He was going through the program, so it was good to know somebody down there.

So we got an apartment, and then, you know, they said, "All right, then you're starting." So the first phase of flight school is to go through SERE school.

And-

What school?

SERE school.

And the only thing I re- recall from SERE school was that scene from GI Jane when she was getting her butt kicked.

Do you remember that? I was like, "Really? We have to go through that?" So, you know, you go through SERE school and, uh, it was a good survival school, without getting too specific.

Yeah, um, it, it teaches you a lot about yourself.

That was a great question.

Brent, was SERE 400 easier than SERE C? How was it?

I would say it was easier.

Uh, it had its own issues.

It was easier

... here's the other thing.

Um, SERE is one of those things, regardless of which one you go to, but definitely if you go to SERE C especially, if you go to that first, you have the answers to, you know, you have, you have the key.

Like, you, you have the answers to the problem already.