Cool School teaches arctic survival

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Yash Rojas
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Surviving in the wilderness could be intimidating for some, but doing so during a brutal Alaskan winter could be downright scary.

Detachment 1, 66th Training Squadron's Arctic Survival Training course offers students a set of skills invaluable to enduring the subarctic climate of interior Alaska and the extreme cold.

Beginning in early November, the "Cool School" teaches the weeklong course providing students with lessons to better implement Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape principles.

According to Staff Sgt. Mark Dornford, Det. 1, 66th TRS SERE specialist, the arctic survival course was created for people to become familiar with the environment. The course primarily caters to aircrew members who may find themselves in a survival situation.

In comparison to other survival courses, what makes the class unique is its arctic setting - forcing students to endure plummeting temperatures during the dark, cold interior Alaskan winter.

"The biggest challenge is overcoming the [extreme] cold," said Dornford. "A lot of our students already have basic survival skills. This course takes that extra step by adapting it to cold weather."

Before students step into the field to test their newfound survival skills, they must receive proper instruction. The course is divided into two days of classroom instruction and three days in the field to give students ample time to apply what they have learned.

"One of the biggest take-aways from the course is people see how anyone can survive when it's -50; it can be done," said Dornford. "The biggest eye-opener is probably when they spend the night [in the field] waking up in fifty or forty below still alive and still able to meet their needs. They realize they can do it."

The course covers how to meet the five basic needs and how to do so in an arctic environment. The five basic needs include health, personal protection -- this includes clothing, shelter, fire and equipment -- sustenance, signaling and communication, and travel.

"It lets you know you can do a whole lot with a little," said Tech. Sgt. Marcos Gonzalez, 354th Comptroller Squadron NCO in-charge of commander support staff and unit deployment manager. "After going through the course, it made me realize that I could still meet my needs and do work."

Having the right mindset and the right amount of situational awareness can go a long way. After taking the course, I understand how important it is to recognize the potential outcome of each decision I make because while I know I can overcome the extreme cold, added Gonzalez. Attention to detail means that much more when exposed to subzero temperatures.

In addition to building confidence in meeting the five basic needs, students must overcome mental barriers, choosing to trust the materials separating them from the winter elements, ultimately helping keep them warm and dry. From socks to skullcaps and each layer in between, individuals realize the importance of their clothing in surviving extreme temperatures.

However, students do not truly grasp how these pieces of clothing and footwear can ensure their survival until they pass the test, said Dornford.

"[Students] do not really believe their gear is going to be enough until they see it [in action] and then it begins to click," he added.

Although the course is primarily for aircrew members, it is open for anyone on base who
is looking to sharpen their survival skills. The course is not offered after late March.

The survival skills learned are applicable to just about anyone, especially since the installation's location makes everything more than just a quick trip. Seeing a broken-down vehicle is not uncommon and knowing what to do in an emergency situation could mean the difference.

Commuters are encouraged to keep cold weather items close. A cold weather sleeping bag, fire starting materials, road flares, headlamp or flashlight, metal container for melting snow, and high energy foods are just a few things that can help when faced with a survival situation.

Basic survival skills are accessible and available. Anyone with the desire to learn how to prepare for the worst-case scenario should look no further than "Cool School's" arctic survival training.