SERE Instructors ensure safety of aircrews in the Pacific

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Cohen Young
  • Defense Media Activity Hawaii News Bureau
HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii --  When jumping out of a plane, just having a parachute is one thing, but knowing how to use it is another. That's when Tech Sgt. Sherwood Brown of Muscatine, Iowa, and Staff Sgt. Anthony Bittman of Long Beach, Calif., come in. They are Survival Evasion Resistance Escape instructors for the 15th Airlift Wing at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, and emergency parachute training is one of the classes they teach. 

Sergeant Brown, a 14-year SERE specialist and Sergeant Bittman, with nine years in the harness, review previously-learned survival training procedures to include Emergency Parachute training, combat Survival Training, non-ejection water survival and conduct after capture. All aircrew members are required to keep up on their continuation training at their local bases. 

One would hope to never have to use their parachute, but if you should, you should know how to descend to your target area. Los Gatos, Calif., native Maj. Will Martin, a pilot with the 535th Airlift Wing, said it's among the best training he has had. 

"I've never had parachute training to this caliber, said Maj. Martin." "I would say it's very effective," added Major Martin. He's been a pilot for 11 years. 

Jumping out of a plane and parachuting down is not something that is done daily; therefore it is necessary to practice, "just in case." Hickam has a parachute simulator that allows aircrew members at the base to do just that. The simulator has been at the 535th Airlift Squadron for more than three years, Sergeant Bittman said.

Sergeant Bittman said the parachute training class is taught 12 times a year, and an annual average of 72 members are trained annually. 

The Air Force mission is not affected on a daily basis, but in case of an emergency it is up to the aircrew to save themselves and recall their Emergency Parachute Training we teach, Sergeant Bittman said. He added how well the crewmembers do can prevent injury on the parachute-landing fall by avoiding powerlines, trees, rough land and hostile territory. 

All-in- all, the training ensures our aircrews are able to land safely and be able to get back into the fight should something unfortunate occur while ensuring the stability of the Pacific Region, he said.