SERE Schools and Military Branches

Hey folks, I've heard quite a bit about SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) training and that's something I'm really interested in. To fulfill this aspiration, does every military branch go to the same SERE school, or are there separate training institutions for each branch? Any advice would be much appreciated!

Hello there, good to see that you're interested in survival training! The SERE training is indeed a distinct, intensive program aimed at teaching military personnel survival skills. As an activity of the U.S. military, SERE training is offered across several branches. However, rather than each branch having its own separate school, it's more about different levels and locations of training provided by SERE schools.

To elaborate, all SERE schools teach the same basic curriculum which includes survival, evasion, resistance, and escape techniques. In practice, you will find that Army, Navy, and Air Force each have dedicated SERE schools. The needs and missions of these different branches might dictate some differences in the specific emphases and components of the training.

For instance, the U.S. Navy's SERE school is situated in Maine and focuses specifically on environments relevant to Navy operations. On the other hand, the U.S. Army's SERE school is based in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and the training is tailored to situations and environments that Army personnel might encounter. Similarly, the U.S. Air Force conducts its SERE training in Washington state, which includes instruction specific to Air Force requirements.

However, if we talk about the Marine Corps and the Coast Guard, they don't have their own dedicated SERE schools. But they do attend SERE training—Marines usually go through the Navy's SERE school, and the Coast Guard typically sends its personnel to the Air Force's SERE school.

Moreover, certain higher-risk occupations across all branches, such as pilots or Special Operations forces, may receive even more specialized and intense SERE training.

In conclusion, while there may be some variations, SERE training follows a uniform curriculum across different military branches. The location of the training or the institution offering it might differ, but the objective remains the same, equipping servicemen and women with survival skills in case of worst-case scenarios. Good luck with your military journey!