In past wars, captured American pilots were subjected to extreme hardship and used for propaganda purposes. Today, the US Air Force is preparing its fighter pilots for similar conditions.

Most military training focuses on mission execution and combat effectiveness. The US Air Force SERE program (“Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape”) is different, in that it prepares airmen for failure—specifically for isolation, capture, and exploitation. SERE training isn’t about heroics, but about endurance, discipline, and mental resilience. SERE exists because aircrew downed behind enemy lines face extraordinary risks. 

What Is the SERE Program?

SERE is mandatory for aircrews, special operations, and other high-risk personnel. Conducted at dedicated training sites and tailored to specific threat environments and roles, the program focuses on surviving with minimal resources, avoiding capture, and withstanding detention. It is essentially defensive training, with an emphasis on conduct under stress and adherence to the Code of Conduct. 

The roots of the program can be traced back to World War II and Korea, where US aircrews were shot down, often captured, and subsequently exploited. Korean War POWs revealed that they had been psychologically coerced; Vietnam reinforced the trend, when POWs were held in long-term captivity, often tortured, and exploited for propaganda purposes. SERE was formalized during the Cold War, with inputs from real POW debriefings. The program agenda was to prevent repeat failures and protect future captives, with specifics that evolve to keep pace with adversary tactics. 

The SERE Program’s Four Phases

1. Survival: The first phase of SERE, survival, teaches participants how to survive in the immediate aftermath of a shootdown. It teaches them the basics of wilderness survival—constructing shelters, procuring safe sources of water, and navigating in austere environments.
2. Evasion: Phase two, evasion, focuses on the more complicated aspects of evading capture by an enemy. In this phase, pilots learn movement discipline, detection avoidance, and terrain use. Students learn how quickly exposure degrades performance, with an emphasis on decision-making under fatigue. The goal is not comfort, but staying alive long enough to either be recovered or reach friendly forces.
3. Resistance: Phase three, resistance, addresses detention and interrogation pressure. Based on historical adversary methods, the program focuses on maintaining identity yet resisting exploitation. Students are particularly trained to adhere to the Code of Conduct. Stress is controlled and supervised, with an emphasis on mental hardship sufficient to teach discipline, memory control, and emotional regulation. The goal is to avoid providing an enemy with useful intelligence—not to “win” the interrogation, per se, but to limit damage. 
4. Escape: Phase four, escape, is conceptual rather than tactical—with a focus on opportunity recognition and risk assessment. The program emphasizes collective responsibility, teaching  students that escape is both rare and dangerous. In effect, SERE teaches when not to attempt an escape, with a priority on survival and preservation of the pilot’s life.

SERE’s Lessons Are Still Necessary Today

SERE is still relevant today because modern battlefields are often desolate, increasing the risk of isolation. Pilots are by definition high-value personnel, both because of their status and their advanced knowledge about the workings of US aircraft. Consequently, adversaries today aim to exploit captives for propaganda, which can be amplified through contemporary information warfare.

SERE prepares airmen for long detentions and media exploitation, reinforcing ethical conduct under pressure. In theory, it reduces strategic embarrassment and intelligence compromise, while reinforcing the credibility of US forces. The existence of the program demonstrates a commitment to personnel. And hopefully, the training serves as a deterrent—a message to adversaries that captives are prepared, professional, and responsible. 

About the Author: Harrison Kass

Harrison Kass is a senior defense and national security writer at The National Interest. Kass is an attorney and former political candidate who joined the US Air Force as a pilot trainee before being medically discharged. He focuses on military strategy, aerospace, and global security affairs. He holds a JD from the University of Oregon and a master’s in Global Journalism and International Relations from NYU.

Image: Wikimedia Commons.

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