AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy -- Warning lights flash across the instrument panel as the engine sputters – the plane is going down. A pilot, forced to eject, lands in an ocean or in hostile territory.
What now?
The 31st Operations Support Squadron survival, evasion, resistance and escape specialists do everything they can to ensure the 555th and 510th Fighter Squadrons F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots know how to answer that question.
For the F-16 pilots, this involves refresher training in emergency parachute use, combat and water survival.
“We train for the unknown,” said Tech. Sgt. H Jett, 31st OSS NCO in charge of SERE training. “The F-16 is a great aircraft, but not a perfect aircraft. If it does come down we try to have our guys as prepared as we possibly can so they can return with honor.”
The first aspect of ensuring each pilot remains current on these trainings is annual emergency parachute training. This classroom based training is a review of aircraft ejection procedures and safe parachuting techniques.
“We try to give them as many tools as we can so they can land without injury,” said Jett. “The better they know their equipment, procedures and how to land properly, the better off they’ll be once they’re on the ground.”
The next segment of training is water survival which pilots review every three years. The pilots practice releasing a parachute harness while being drug across a pool and navigating out from underneath a parachute.
According to Jett, the most important part of this training is to make sure the pilots are aware of the procedures and have the confidence needed to safely separate themselves from their parachute without panicking or getting tangled in it.
“The tactics, techniques and procedures are constantly in a process of being updated to incorporate lessons learned from previous experience,” said Maj. Matthew Sabraw, 555th FS F-16 pilot. “I think it’s important to do the refresher training because you need [this experience] when you’re flying around, especially over water.”
The final refresher training offered is combat survival.
During this training the pilots participated in a scenario to simulate landing in hostile territory. The participants were required to transport their equipment, evade simulated enemies and signal for rescue personnel.
“For some of these pilots, it’s the first time they‘ve actually experienced carrying the stuff they’d have ejecting out of an F-16,” said Jett. “Once they’re on the ground they go through their evasion procedures and try to blend in with their environment while making it to a final point to hopefully facilitate recovery.”
Giving the students the necessary tools to survive and rescued so they can return to the fight is the main goal of the SERE instructors. This is a sentiment reflected by those participating in the course as well.
“Only in the U.S. Air Force do you get this type of training and the quality professionals like the SERE specialist we have here,” said Sabraw.