SERE instructors evaluated on water survival training

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Stefanie Torres
  • 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Swimming isn't an actual testable requirement for most Airmen, but for Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape specialists, it's a matter of staying alive.

Pacific Air Forces inspectors have evaluated Osan Air Base's compliance and emergency management skills for two weeks in a Consolidated Unit Inspection, and some Airmen are even showing off their skills in the base pool.

"Every three years, pilots have to go through water survival refresher training so they know exactly what to expect in case they have to eject over water," said Staff Sgt. David Kummerfeldt, 51st Operations Support Squadron SERE specialist. "They are being trained on how to handle hazardous sea life."

Osan SERE instructors provide realistic training for pilots who might very well have to face an open water survival. When flyers jump into the pool, SERE instructors pull them across the water by their chutes to simulate the feeling of being dragged with the wind current. Pilots are also required to properly guide their way out from a submerged parachute, and lift themselves into a life raft with full gear on to effectively attempt their rescue.

During the CUI, while the SERE instructors are critiquing the performance of 36th Fighter Squadron pilot Capt. Brent Choate, they are also being evaluated by their own instructor.
"We're making sure that the specialists here are able to put on that exercise and that it's done in a realistic manner," said Tech. Sgt. Frank Smith, PACAF inspector. "We also make sure they are critiquing and providing feedback to the person that they're evaluating. If there are mistakes made by the aircrew member or pilot, then we want to make sure that the right critiques and the right inputs are being said by the SERE specialist."

Inspectors may evaluate how well the SERE instructors are doing, but they can also take best practices back with them to implement at other bases.

"I can take great practices back to my base, as well as help these guys grow their exercise capabilities," Smith said.

The Consolidated Unit Inspection has allowed more than 100 inspectors to go over programs, plans and procedures of the 51st Fighter Wing. Combining many annual inspections into one base-wide event is new to PACAF. For SERE specialists, it allowed them to prove Osans pilots are mission ready and to spread good practices across their career field.