Learning survival skills in the "Cool School"

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Rachelle Coleman
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  "Do you have the skills to survive in this environment?" 

Each Monday, at 7:30 a.m. sharp, Capt. Timothy Hanks, Det.1, 66th Training Squadron commander starts each class at the Arctic Survival School with that simple yet big question. How can someone survive if stranded in a place where one wrong decision can be fatal? Some students think they can, while others are not sure they're capable of facing such a challenge. 

Since opening in 1947 in Nome, Alaska, "Cool School", otherwise known as Arctic Survival Training, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape specialists have been teaching military personnel and, most recently, select civilians, the answer to this question. Arctic Survival School has certified SERE specialists that train participants to use their natural surroundings in arctic conditions. These skills can save your life--or someone else's. 

As a detachment of the 66th Training Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., Det. 1's mission is to train selected personnel to employ principles, procedures, techniques and equipment that enhance their ability to survive and be rescued under extreme arctic conditions. 

"We teach people the five basic needs," said Senior Airman Jess Evans, Det. 1, 66th TRS Arctic Survival Training instructor, "to include health, personal protection, sustenance, signal and recovery, and travel--all tailored to arctic conditions." 

Students enroll in a week-long class, two days in the schoolhouse and three in the field, which will teach them how to build fires, acquire food, build shelters and signal for help. 

The first two days participants learn the foundations in a classroom and take a part in practical exercises. They also view the school's museum to see what they could use in the wild to make a practical shelter, identify edible plants and how to make traps for small game. 

The last three days are spent in the arctic wilderness prioritizing their needs and applying the skills that were taught earlier in the week.

"We work with a student until they complete each task," said Senior Airman Evans, "We'll give students expert advice and remind them of what they were taught in the classroom." 

Captain Hanks added they won't let them fail, but they won't just give participants the answers either. Instructors are there to ensure a safe yet effective learning environment and to build the confidence participants would need in the event they would have to use these skills. 

About 19 classes are held from the beginning of October until the end of March; months when Alaska tends to be it's coldest with temperatures often reaching below -50 degrees. An average class size is about 20 to 30 people with an instructor for every six to eight participants, making sure each individual gets the help and instruction needed. 

Certain Air Force jobs such as Pacific Air Force Aircrews and jobs with a higher risk of being in a position of needing these skills take precedence.  However, the school has opened the opportunity to others who would like to learn this life saving craft. 

"Any member who supports cold weather operations should go through this training," said Capt. Hanks, "As long as there is space available, I will not turn anyone down." 

When some people think of military operations they think of places like Afghanistan and Iraq, however, there are other operations where this training could be used. For example, aircraft have to fly over different environments to get from point A to point B. 

"It's important in today's asymmetric battlefield that planners and commanders look at all aspects of the mission and not just the final area of operation," said Capt. Timothy Hanks. "We can not focus solely on today's battlefield but look over the horizon and predict future conflict that our Airman, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines might be faced with in the future." 

As for the instructors, each has gone through rigorous training and has the craft to survive in any environment. The instructors here are handpicked and go through an additional five weeks of in-depth arctic survival training. The caliber of the instructors has made an impression on the students. 

"I definitely feel more capable of surviving in an arctic climate," said Maj. Cassius Bentley, Det. 1, 353rd Combat Training Squadron C-17 pilot and a recent Cool School graduate. "Instructors are the key; they knew how to relay the information they have, so we were able to understand how to achieve all of the tasks set before us." 

At each graduation ceremony Capt. Hanks asks the class, "Do you now have the skills to survive in this environment?" To which the answer, from every student, is a motivated "YES!".