Chief of Staff of the Air Force's Scope: SERE Training

  • Published
  • By General T. Michael Mosely
  • 18th Chief of Staff of the Air Force
Airmen are engaged around the world in a fight different from the one we envisioned years ago. Today's battlefields are non-linear and non-contiguous, changing shape and venue, and Airmen are assigned to many non-traditional roles outside the wire. On yesterday's battlefields, it was much easier to designate who would and would not cross into enemy territory and risk being captured. Now nearly any Airman could become isolated and need Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) training.

For me, all of this points to a greater need to make sure our Airmen know how to react in any situation they find themselves. To address this emerging requirement, I recently invited other Air Force leaders to a summit where we discussed the SERE training we provide our Airmen.

Since 1949 SERE training has traditionally focused on those Airmen who were considered most "at risk" - such as aircrew - to prepare them for captivity situations. Today we're looking to expand the scope of our SERE training so that every Airman is properly trained to fight, to survive, and to return with honor. Look for developments in SERE training over the coming months...developments I believe will increase our ability to accomplish our mission for the Nation.

Fly, Fight, and Win!