Whidbey Island Survival School

"JD" wrote in message
...
When I was in the P3 community (VP31), I was sent to NUW for Survival
School. I forget how long it lasted, but I recall the "ogre muthas"
giving
us a time or two. It was cold and wet (February) and I recall they
bused
us out to some mountain for snow survival. I have no idea where the
Happy
Valley compound was, but I do recall being quite uncomfortable for some
time
in a little box they put me in. All in all, quite an experience.
Hell of it is all I got was this lousy little rubber stamp "FATUPAC
DET
2 successfully completed" in my personnel jacket.

Is this kind of stuff still done?

JD
USN sailor '63 - 67
USA doctor '75 - 77



As a graduate of Warner Springs SERE, I appreciate the history laid out by
the previous posters...

I attended the course at Warner Springs over the Halloween week in '99 and I
can assure you the training is no less intense. The highlight of the
training for me was the rabbit stew; the only real meal we were afforded
prior to the commencement of "the scenario". The instructors still do a
very good job of convincing the students that this is no "drill" but rather
a genuine survival tool. I've still never found an audio copy of the
Rudyard Kipling poem "Boots", but I'm still looking.

We had an instructor who provided us with the "political re-education"
portion... IIRC his name was Doug H. He was an actual POW at the Hanoi
Hilton and quite convincing in his role. IIRC he was the only enlisted man
held while ADM Stockdale was there and he was ordered to take an early
release. I had the opportunity to speak with him some years later toward
the end of his tenure at SERE San Diego and I simply soaked up his words of
wisdom. I'll never forget him. Good man.

-MB

M. B. wrote:
snip



As a graduate of Warner Springs SERE, I appreciate the history laid out by
the previous posters...

I attended the course at Warner Springs over the Halloween week in '99 and I
can assure you the training is no less intense. The highlight of the
training for me was the rabbit stew; the only real meal we were afforded
prior to the commencement of "the scenario". The instructors still do a
very good job of convincing the students that this is no "drill" but rather
a genuine survival tool. I've still never found an audio copy of the
Rudyard Kipling poem "Boots", but I'm still looking.

We had an instructor who provided us with the "political re-education"
portion... IIRC his name was Doug H. He was an actual POW at the Hanoi
Hilton and quite convincing in his role. IIRC he was the only enlisted man
held while ADM Stockdale was there and he was ordered to take an early
release. I had the opportunity to speak with him some years later toward
the end of his tenure at SERE San Diego and I simply soaked up his words of
wisdom. I'll never forget him. Good man.

-MB



http://www.usni.org/proceedings/Articles03/PROlwf12.htm