Pensacola Water Survival School SV-86

Pensacola Water Survival School SV-86 poster art.

Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) is a program, best known by its military acronym, that provides U.S. military personnel, U.S. Department of Defense civilians, and private military contractors with training in evading capture, survival skills and the military code of conduct. Established by the United States Air Force at the end of the Korean War (1950–53), it was extended during the Vietnam War (1959–1975) to the U.S. Army, Naval, and Marine forces. Most higher level SERE students are military aircrew and special operations personnel considered to be at high risk of capture.

The curriculum has three key parts: survival and evasion; resistance and escape; and water survival; some parts are classified. Water survival: How to survive in water is taught at a separate Professional Military Education (PME) course; it takes three days and is typically attended after the main SERE course. In addition to training in the use of aquatic survival gear, more academic skills include first aid tailored to an aquatic environment, communication protocols, ocean ecology and equipment maintenance.