The first 2024 advanced course for the 'SERE Charlie' (Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape) qualification, for AVES personnel and parachutists of the 'Savoia Cavalry' Regiment (3rd)recently concluded at the Army Aviation Training Centre (CAAE).
Structured on three levels, 'Alpha' (theoretical), 'Bravo' (standard) and 'Charlie' (advanced), SERE courses are essential to prepare military personnel to survive and operate in isolation conditions that can occur in theatre. During the theoretical training phase of the 'Charlie' course, participants delved into crucial topics related to Personnel Recovery (PR), including survival of isolated personnel, strategies in case of capture, evasion techniques, escape and the main technical-tactical procedures adopted within NATO.
The culmination of the course was an extensive week-long exercise, during which the participants simulated an escape from hostile territory. The conditions of food and water shortages, coupled with the challenge of covering several dozen kilometres, put their survival and endurance skills to the test. Capture and detention situations were also simulated during the exercise, handled by highly specialised personnel and under the constant monitoring of a medical team and a psychological officer.
The Army Aviation Training Centre not only trains pilots, specialists and crews of the armed forces, but also serves as an inter-force and international training hub for a variety of courses, including SERE courses, airport firefighting and Forward Medevac.
The SERE 'Charlie' qualification course represents a significant step in ensuring that army personnel are not only prepared to respond effectively to operational challenges, but also capable of handling the extreme difficulties and emergencies that can arise in critical operational contexts, thus ensuring their survival and the success of their assigned missions.
