Travis AFB trains Airmen to survive

Amanda Gross

Airmen at Travis AFB are ready to face any situation after completing survival training recently. The training was one piece of the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape program, and aims to prepare Airmen for an "isolating event."

"The ultimate goal is to prepare them for any situation so they can survive it and return with honor," an instructor said.

Airmen learned self-defense techniques as well as tips for avoiding injury and how to survive if they have to ditch in the ocean. Using a training pool, they practiced climbing into a large life raft and learned tricks for how to catch food and find shade with what is available. They also learned how to unclip a parachute safely and get out from under it once in the water.

"We need to practice getting out from under a parachute," one instructor said. "People often panic when one lands on them because it tends to stick to their face."

The water training is particularly important because these Airmen frequently fly over the Pacific Ocean, the instructor added.

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