SERE Instructors ensure safety of aircrews in the Pacific

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Cohen Young
  • Defense Media Activity Hawaii News Bureau
When jumping out of a plane, just having a parachute is one thing, but knowing how to use it is another. That's where Tech Sgt. Sherwood Brown and Staff Sgt. Anthony Bittman come in. They are survival, evasion, resistance, escape, or SERE, instructors for the 15th Airlift Wing here. Emergency parachute training is one of the classes they teach.

In their classes, Sergeant Brown, a 14-year SERE specialist, and Sergeant Bittman, with nine years in the harness, cover previously-learned survival training procedures including emergency parachute training, combat survival training, non-ejection water survival and conduct-after-capture training. 

All aircrew members are required to keep up on their training.  Maj. Will Martin, a pilot with the 535th Airlift Wing, said it's among the best training he has had. He's been a pilot for 11 years.

"I've never had parachute training to this caliber, said Maj. Martin. "I would say it's very effective."

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 average of 72 crewmembers are trained annually. 

Most missions are accomplished with no problems, "but in case of an emergency, it is up to the aircrew to save themselves and recall the emergency parachute training we teach," Sergeant Bittman said. 

He added that how well the crewmembers do during training can mean preventing injury by effectively avoiding powerlines, trees, other hazards during the landing.

"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.

Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link)

View the comments/letters page