Photo By Staff Sgt. Olivia Stecker | U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Robert Caliri, 22nd Training Squadron SERE instructor, walks...... read more read more
Brigadier General Chris Amrhein, the Air Mobility Command Inspector General, visited the Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape (SERE) school at Fairchild Air Force Base, May 10th, to familiarize himself with the school’s mission before taking over as the Vice Commander, 19th Air Force.
“General Amrhein’s visit with SERE was incredibly important for us. He’s coming over from a different MAJCOM, a different world, and to have him understand what it is we do here was a high priority” said Col. Nicholas Dipoma, the commander of the 336th Training Group. “It allows him to move into his new position as the vice commander for 19th Air Force and advocate for us at that level with a better understanding of how we operate.”
The Air Force’s survival school teaches approximately 14,000 aircrew members and battlefield airmen per year that are at a high risk of being shot down and isolated or detained as a prisoner of war. SERE training equips them to have the necessary skills to survive in a austere conditions and return with honor.
General Amrhein’s visit included an immersion with resistance training instructors, familiarization with new training software, a mission overview, and a field immersion and flight with the 36th Rescue Squadron. Most importantly, his visit allowed him to see the importance of the SERE mission today and the importance of it in the future.
“Things are changing so quickly in our battle space. The threat of a near-peer conflict grows greater everyday, so what their doing here has started to shift focus from survival skills, to what needs to happen to get recovery by friendly forces as well as how to behave in captivity” Amrhein explained. “All I knew about SERE was what I learned when I came through as a brand new pilot a couple decades ago. So it was really beneficial that I was able to come up here and get a better idea of what they’re doing now and what they want to do in the future”.
Brigadier General Amrhein will take over as Vice Commander, 19th Air Force, in August of 2021.
| Date Taken: | 05.11.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 10.15.2021 19:52 |
| Story ID: | 407393 |
| Location: | FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 137 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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