Civilian SERE Training: Preparing for Survival in Extreme Environments

Civilian SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape) training helps individuals develop the skills and strategies needed to survive under the harshest conditions. Specifically, the educational and experiential programs offer insight into both the mental and physical processes required to survive – and, ideally, flourish – in situations where survival is endangered.

Through civilian SERE training, individuals practice skills such as orienteering and map-reading, camping and shelter-building, primitive and non-primitive fire-starting, and primitive and non-primitive food-gathering. In addition to honing the physical skills needed to survive in harsh, isolated conditions, SERE training also includes instruction in thinking “outside the box” and coming up with unique solutions to seemingly intractable problems.

But, SERE training is an outdoor adventure more than it is a “do-or-die” type of experience. Even though it serves as simulated military-style training, SERE courses remain open and approachable to civilians, as well as those who are interested in exercising their skills in realistic conditions.

For those seeking to take advantage of the unique opportunities that SERE training offers, here is what to expect:

• Lessons: You will receive direct instruction in the strategies and techniques that are essential to being able to survive in extreme environments.
• Experiences: Military trainers will be on hand to provide supervision as you practice the different skills that you learn.
• Environment: You will be exposed to real-world, practical situations, such as a desert landscape or a jungle setting.

In addition to the lessons and experiences, you will also benefit from the environment during your SERE training. Commonly, the instructors focus on the idea of being able to survive in isolation with limited resources. This means that you will be able to develop a true sense of self-sufficiency and inner strength.

Overall, civilian SERE training is an unique and intense learning opportunity. Through this experience, you will be able to receive invaluable insights into the physical and psychological challenges of surviving in a both unpredictable and potentially dangerous environment.