SERE Specialists?

Dimethylamine

Field Artillery
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Can someone here explain to me the purpose of SERE Specialists and why they warrant their own MOS/AFSC? I'm not trying to downplay their role but maybe I just don't see the whole picture. I live near Fairchild AFB and ran into a couple and they seem very professional and squared away. I didn't get a chance to ask any questions

Are they part of Air Force Special Warfare? Do they go to all cool guy schools like Ranger School, dive, or MFF? Do they deploy or are they a teacher/training/advisor only job? It seems they're the only branch that has a job dedicated to that niche category.

It just seems like they're locked into that job forever, unless they can transfer to be a PJ or something.

Thanks for reading, it's just a thought that I had, and wondered if there was anyone here familiar with this field.
 
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I was the ground liaison officer to the 343rd TFW at Eielson AFB, AK...we had two or three of those guys down in the squadrons...they were not part of Air Force Special Warfare, but then again, that was 1989-1990 time frame...the pilots referred to them as bug eaters. From what I observed, they were primarily responsible for training, advising and such. None of the guys I worked with (we generated training scenarios for new pilots) seemed interested in becoming PJs or the like. They were also responsible for the inventory and maintenance of survival gear the pilots carried with them...the AF contingent here can probably more fully explain their role, etc, but it is an AFSC with their own school...

Survival, Evasion, Resistance & Escape Specialist - Requirements & Benefits - U.S. Air Force
 
Can someone here explain to me the purpose of SERE Specialists and why they warrant their own MOS/AFSC? I'm not trying to downplay their role but maybe I just don't see the whole picture. I live near Fairchild AFB and ran into a couple and they seem very professional and squared away. I didn't get a chance to ask any questions

Are they part of Air Force Special Warfare? Do they go to all cool guy schools like Ranger School, dive, or MFF? Do they deploy or are they a teacher/training/advisor only job? It seems they're the only branch that has a job dedicated to that niche category.

It just seems like they're locked into that job forever, unless they can transfer to be a PJ or something.

Thanks for reading, it's just a thought that I had, and wondered if there was anyone here familiar with this field.
In order- SERE Specialists totally warrant their own AFSC, at least here in the AF. Because we have WAYYYYY higher numbers of "at risk of capture" personnel is the simplest explanation. More pilots, more possibility of the plane breaking/crashing somewhere they might need to survive drives the need for a dedicated force of specialists to instruct and train those at risk personnel. They do have a (limited) operational function, not direct combat- but important and interesting.

No, they are not AFSPECWAR. Yes, they *can* get those schools- not combat dive, cause that shit is hard and no one wants to do dive (there are a small contingent of SERE instructors that are salvage dive qualified to support some water training they do, and I am sure some guys have wend to a combat dive school, but it's definitely rare)- but Ranger, Basic Airborne, MFF, sure. IF their command supports it and they can make the standard, then yes, they can attend. I know several SERE MFF Jumpmasters, and Tandem dudes, and Ranger qual-d guys (and girls).

Yes they deploy, and we covered their operational capability already.

And yeah, we have a dedicated niche capability (just like "everyone else does PR too", yet we have an AFSC that focuses solely on that) that is filled by our SERE AFSC. I would just say- when you dedicate your entire life to a career field, you don't treat it like an additional duty. You treat it like your profession and can focus on it. SERE does this for all things PR.

While it may seem like they're locked into that job forever- I think you just don't understand how cool that job can be. They can "just be a SERE instructor"... or a resistance training instructor... or a test parachutist... or work at our Tier 1 unit... or get into special activities... or work at any Rescue or STS or Schoolhouse they fit in... they're really, really diverse. And yes, they could crosstrain into PJ (and lots have gone from SERE to CCT to SR to PJ), SERE is their goal, and rightfully so.

Just like I have zero desire to be a SERE guy, there are TONS (the vast majority) of our SERE Specialists that have no desire to be a PJ, and a lot fo them would have no problem doing so. Their calling is SERE.

And I now have to stop, this is as nice as I have been to any SERE person in my professional history, so I have to stop before any PJ friends read this.
 
My gym has a SERE specialist recruiting poster near the water fountain and I have been wondering about them for a few months now. I am in nursing school until the end of 24. I will be old (42) at that point, but have been thinking about going back into the Reserves/Guard of the Army or AF to finish my retirement. 12 years in so far, 5 active, 7 reserves, but 50% VA so I don't have a clue if I can ever get back in, but hey a guy can dream.

SERE seems like it may be as cool as going NG Infantry for the Army or something similar.
 
My gym has a SERE specialist recruiting poster near the water fountain and I have been wondering about them for a few months now. I am in nursing school until the end of 24. I will be old (42) at that point, but have been thinking about going back into the Reserves/Guard of the Army or AF to finish my retirement. 12 years in so far, 5 active, 7 reserves, but 50% VA so I don't have a clue if I can ever get back in, but hey a guy can dream.

SERE seems like it may be as cool as going NG Infantry for the Army or something similar.
A good friend of mine from my college years has a son who is a SERE specialist in the AF. He loves that job.
 
My gym has a SERE specialist recruiting poster near the water fountain and I have been wondering about them for a few months now. I am in nursing school until the end of 24. I will be old (42) at that point, but have been thinking about going back into the Reserves/Guard of the Army or AF to finish my retirement. 12 years in so far, 5 active, 7 reserves, but 50% VA so I don't have a clue if I can ever get back in, but hey a guy can dream.

SERE seems like it may be as cool as going NG Infantry for the Army or something similar.

I know the Navy reserve would take you. They give out age waivers like crazy.

I think SERE is cool as hell.
 
There were always like 45 year old specialists and 50 year old LTs in the Army but most of the older officers were just nurses, and the 45 year old SPC was....IDK, just showed up at like 35 and stuck around.
 
Just like I have zero desire to be a SERE guy, there are TONS (the vast majority) of our SERE Specialists that have no desire to be a PJ, and a lot fo them would have no problem doing so. Their calling is SERE.
To dovetail onto this a bit, the SERE dudes I know have a ton of passion for it. It isn't just their job, it's in their DNA.

It's a small career field, but in demand; in recent years, several graduating classes were in the single digits - there was even one with 0, IIRC.

One quality that sticks out for me, is that all SERE Specialists are very skilled at "classroom" instruction. This may not be something that immediately comes to mind, but it's a fundamental part of the career field.
 
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amlove is essentially correct. However "And I now have to stop, this is as nice as I have been to any SERE person in my professional history, so I have to stop before any PJ friends read this" is very tempting, but I have nothing constructive or worthy to add.
 
Reference: "It just seems like they're locked into that job forever, unless they can transfer to be a PJ or something." This statement is equally applicable to every enlisted AFSC the Air Force has with the modification of unless they retrain (transfer) to another AFSC.
 
^Am good on RE code, dont know how they view depression after having served in the GWOT. Its not like i grew up a cutter or some shit.

I know two things for sure, they had guys stay on and redeploy with it, and now they let in transgenders ssooooo......
 
I have people in my old unit collecting 100% without so much as a mention of a med board. Physicality is one thing, behavioral is another. Medications will play a part, especially mind altering. So when you say 'depression', is that self diagnosed, medically diagnosed, and are you prescribed something for it? Please don't answer that, but just something to consider for the clearance aspects. However, it is not not necessarily disqualifying.
 
I had a clearance until or maybe still...last year, and that was after diagnosis. I looked at the DoD and AF enlistment medical standards. The AF enlistment options I want fall under BA (battlefield airmen), which is a group in need and for whom they readily give waivers.
 
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