Ready for anything: the life-saving role of a SERE Specialist Published Jan. 27, 2025 By Rachel Sansano, 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- In the world of aviation and special warfare, the difference between life and death can come down to one factor - preparedness. That’s where Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape comes in. SERE professionals train aircrews and Special Warfare operators, so that if a mission does not go according to plan, Airmen have the knowledge, tools and strategies they need to return safely. From navigating in enemy territory to staying alive in extreme conditions, SERE ensures that everyone is prepped for the unexpected. Who it impacts - SERE Specialists are at every active flying base and Special Warfare unit. At Scott Air Force Base, Senior Airman Christopher VanHeuvelen, 375th Operations Support Squadron survival, evasion, resistance, escape and his team support a wide range of people, including the 932nd Airlift Wing, the 126th Air Refueling Wing, the 458th Airlift Squadron, the 375th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, and personnel at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. SERE’s main focus is on military members who face the possibility of becoming isolated in hostile environments. VanHeuvelen explained SERE’s role at Scott saying, “if we have air crews going out on missions or training events that take them out of the states, we'll prep them in order to make sure that if something does go wrong, they're prepared and ready to go”. Operational impact - SERE is all about personnel recovery. “A big part is the EPA, Evasion Plan of Action. That’s the plan for if something goes wrong,” said VanHeuvelen. Whenever aircrews or operators become isolated or out of commission, “that EPA is going to give them guidance on what to do to get back to friendly forces, and so that we can get [them] back home or back into the mission.” SERE Specialists are heavily involved in mission planning and execution. Part of this preparation includes providing intel briefs and distributing personnel recovery kits. These PRKs include escape aids, navigation equipment, personal protection, water purification filters, signaling devices and pointy talkies, a card that helps someone communicate with people who speak a different language. In a deployed environment, SERE may be tasked with sitting in a Joint Personnel Recovery Center or Personnel Recovery Command Center. If something goes wrong, SERE is the first person in contact with the aircrew. Depending on the mission, SERE Specialists could be sent into the field with Special Warfare units to provide real-time recovery assistance, whether through immediate support or tactical operations. How they expand capabilities - “The Air Force is the only branch of the military with cradle to grave SERE Specialists,” said VanHeuvelen. “We’re the only branch of the military where it is a career field, but for everyone else it is a special duty.” This means that Air Force SERE brings unique capabilities to the table that no one else has. At Scott, VanHeuvelen and his team are committed to sharing their knowledge and expertise with anyone who is willing to learn, flier or not. “We have a very broad proficiency level as SERE Specialists,” said VanHeuvelen. “People will be like ‘oh can you teach us how to do this?’ and it's like, yeah I can!” The training provided by the Scott SERE shop includes water survival training at Lake Carlyle, land navigation, combatives, weapons familiarization, drownproofing, conduct after capture, local area survival, small unit tactics and vehicle maneuvers. SERE Specialists are committed to being an active component of the team. “We want [Airmen] to see us as an asset to their mission, providing personnel recovery support, in whatever broad capacity that is,” said VanHeuvelen.