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Illinois congressman, former KC-135 pilot visits SERE Airmen

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Benjamin W. Stratton
  • 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  U.S. Representative and Illinois Air National Guard Maj. Adam Kinzinger visited 336th Training Group Airmen here Aug. 3 to get a first-hand perspective on the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape training and how it prepares America's service members for deployments overseas as part of a joint and coalition task force.

"It's important for our nation's leaders to understand the rigorous training requirements asked of our service men and women, especially those who are at risk of isolation and must survive," said Col. Jonathan Duncan, the 336th TRG commander.

As a former KC-135 Stratotanker pilot, Kinzinger went through the combat survival training in 2005, but the course material was completely revamped in 2007. While visiting Portland's Air National Guardsmen, the Secretary of the Air Force, Deborah Lee James, asked that Kinzinger travel to Fairchild for the SERE mission here.

Kinzinger visited the SERE resistance training and urban evasion labs, familiarized himself with the 36th Rescue Flight's search and rescue helicopter mission, and flew out to the Harttail Meadows and Drummond Training Area north of the base.

The congressman earned the Air Medial six times serving in operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. On each deployment, he returned with honor - a fact he attributes to his SERE training.

"Thank you for what you do each and every day," Kinzinger said. "This mission, this 'return with honor' mission, is one of the most important in today's military. Thank you for your commitment to America and your service."