Im gonna go to the Air Force and found out today that my training includes Survival training and terrorist resistance courses..........anyone have any experiences in this stuff?? The recruter says that ill carve a rabbit and live in the forrest for like 1 week er 2 and eat grasshoppers........just wondering.
Been there, done that! I went to the survival school in '88 while assigned to 1st SOW (Special Operations Wing) at Hurlburt Field in FL. It was at McChord AFB in Washington State at that time. Not sure where it is held now, but would assume the same. You will get to live in the wild for 2 weeks. You will learn which bugs you can eat to survive on. It's really not that bad once you get used to it. The secret is to bite their heads off, not swallow them whole and alive. You will feel them crawling and fighting if you do. Nobody can keep that down. You will also learn which plants to eat to survive on. You will learn to set traps and snares for live prey. All in all, I found it very interesting and had a good time doing it. If you get the chance, go to their Winter Survival Training or 'Cool School' at Eielson AFB in Alaska. Same deal except for only one weekend in the wild, but the weather that is happening that weekend is the weather you have to deal with. My weekend we had to deal with overnights around -50*F. A snow cave can be a wonderful thing. Built mine, set up sleeping bag and went to sleep. Woke up 3 hours later sweating and got into my skivvies!! Then the fun part, I had to pee!! Decisions, decisions. Should I go outside and pee or just dig a hole in the side of the snow cave and whiz there. I opted to go outside. Another Ssgt in the group decided to dig the hole in the wall and whiz 'indoors' and said after about an hour, he almost couldn't stand the smell. Good luck to you. Also, what AFSC are you going into? I was a 455X0B. Not usually one to have to go to survival training, but being assigned to 1st SOW, it was a requirement since I was flight crew on AC-130 gunships. You will enjoy your time. Make the best of it. I have never traveled so much in my life as I did those 7 years. I should have stayed in. I could have retired 11 days ago! ou:
WaterBox Guy, Welcome to the show. Although I haven't been through the USAF courses I think they've cornered the market on the survival schools from what I've researched. I've been through the courses associated with Navy-Marine Corps. The SERE courses were largely standardized across the services several years ago with the Joint Service SERE Agency (JSSA). Some better than others but all are good. I went through the pilot course of an Advanced Hostage Abduction/Terrorism Survival course about six years to critique it. It was focused on surviving peacetime detention. I like to refer to most of these courses as "a bad place to be at but a good place to be from." Usually great information and training but they don't mind adding some "discomfort." When it gets hard just remember that thousands of men and women have been through the same thing, you can too. If you really want to learn about yourself these courses offer opportunities that others can not. For instance, I've always been able to draw strength from my family. "I've got to finish this XXXXXXXX evolution to graduate and my wife and son will be proud of me." But some of these courses offer different situations. While I was going through some POW training the thoughts of my family started to depress me so I needed to find a way to occupy my time. Actually project yourself into the scenario before you answer a question or make a move and think........if this was real, what would the ramifications ACTUALLY be? This is how you'll really learn about yourself in an environment you'll hopefully never be in. Just a thought. In a nutshell, you'll learn what to eat and drink and how to acquire these things as well as seek and build shelter and some signalling. Other stuff we're not supposed to talk about. Always some anxiety and excitement going to these courses but don't worry, you'll do fine. Drop us a line and let me know how it goes. Good luck in San Antonio.
MMMMMM Grasshoppers... Hey guys thanks alot I am really excited to go and sure looking forward into a change. I am gonna be a loadmaster which is air crew I dont have any idea what all is required for me to take I just know the Survival training and the terrorist resistance.....Im told in the beginning of the terrorist thing that they make you sign a waiver saying that Ill probably break minor bones ou: I read about that training in alaska it sounded like a good time....I actually want to get stationed in alaska really bad. How often will I be at a home base? Im told that Ill constantly be traveling around the world? When Im not traveling what do I do? Im pretty sure the survival training is at fairchild afb now. Is alot of the stuff "classified"? Because a few people that I talk to just kinda change the subject when I ask certain things???? Any other info would be great. Thanks Justin
I saw the world in the Army. And I flew in all the Air Forces cargo planes. C-130, C-5s, and the C (Gosh I can't remember what the other was). Anyway, being a Loadmaster is HEAVY on the responsibility, so pay attention in school. I never did survival training. Good luck and let us know when you are going. :TU:
Juston, the training itself is not classified. Just some of the places I used it still are. 10 - 12 yeas later, I still wasn't there!! As a loadmaster, you will have a great deal of responsibility in regards to the aircraft, i.e load distribution etc. I don't know what all the career field entails, but you will work your behind off until you get some rank. Always remember, RHIP. Rank Has Its Privileges. :laugh:
Loadmaster So am I gonna have fun while bustin my a$$? After basic training how much "other" training will I have to do other than tech school? How much parachuting will I have to do when training?? Say I stay in it for 6 years like im planning will I start out doing the crappy flights? then as the years go Ill get more selection or does it go at random?? Will my name get put on the plane??? Justin
Yep, you'll be busy Today's military is experiencing an operational tempo and personnel tempo higher than recent history. It's a busy world out there and we are involved globally. I can't speak to USAF particularly but when I wasn't moving on a Navy ship I was on an Air Force airplane going someplace. Loadmasters do have an enormous responsibility, we try to ensure we have solid face-to-face coordination with all of the Loadmasters we move with, especially when we're moving ammo, demo, dive gear, oxygen equipment, hazmat, etc. You need to know your stuff because we'll have a requirement to transport stuff that you have rules about the way it is loaded, etc. We expect you to know those rules to keep us from messing up your plane......and us. Let us know how it goes. :TU:
