JFK Special Warfare Center and School
SERE / Terrorism Counteraction Department
Survival, Evasion, Resistance & Escape

The SERE / Terrorism Counteraction Department teaches courses in two areas - courses designed to help military personnel avoid capture or exploitation by the enemy, and courses designed to make military and civilian students more aware of terrorism and protective measures against it.

SERE Instructor Qualification Course

The Survival, Evasion, Resistance Escape (SERE) Instructor Qualification Course trains NCOs and officers in survival field craft, evasion techniques, resistance to interrogation and escape. The training is geared to what an evading soldier may need to know to be able to return to friendly control and, at the same time, not be detected by the enemy.

This approach gives soldiers the skill and confidence to evade through enemy-controlled areas while surviving under varying environmental conditions. Training is not all physical, but involves much intensive academic study as well as hands-on application of the skills taught.

The final phase of SERE training is a graded exercise which requires the student to apply all the training he has received. SERE course graduates receive a packet of reference materials and lesson plans so they can return to their units and teach a unit-level SERE course.

SERE Level-C Training

The department also teaches the SERE Level-C training course to soldiers who are in a high- risk-of-capture category, which includes Special Forces, Rangers and aviators. The course is designed to give students the skill to survive and evade capture or, if captured, to resist interrogation or exploitation and plan their escape. The course includes a classroom phase, a field phase and a resistance training laboratory which simulates the environment of a prisoner-of-war compound.

Terrorism in Low-intensity Conflict

Terrorism in Low-Intensity Conflict is intended for higher-ranking NCOs, warrant off ice and officers. Students are, or will be, assigned to units or staff activities that have overseas missions, such as peacekeeping forces, military groups, mobile training teams or participants in training exercises hold in low-intensity conflict areas. The course trains senior-level planners and commanders to better understand the terrorism threat.

Individual Terrorism Awareness Course

Individual Terrorism Awareness is designed for persons going overseas in moderate-to-high-risk assignments, including military training teams and Defense Attach� Office personnel. Students receive an introduction to the terrorist threat and are taught how to reduce the chance of identification and attack by terrorists as well as how to react and survive in a hostage situation.

Counter-Terrorism Instructor Qualification Course (CT IQC)

The Counter-Terrorism Instructor Qualification Course is an intensive course which gives its students an introduction to terrorism and terrorist operations as well as instruction in self- protective measures and hostage survival techniques. Students also learn to teach others what they have learned, and they receive an instructor packet and briefing slides so they can give antiterrorist instruction to their units. This course and Individual terrorism Awareness can also be taught at other facilities by traveling instructor teams.

See Also: 

• Special Forces Department
• Advanced Skills Department
• Civil Affairs Department
• Psychological Operations Department
• Foreign Area Officer Department
• Security Assistance Training Management Office
• JFK Special Warfare Center and School

Gunnery Network - SOF