"A pal of mine who did it years back (early 90's) snuck off base during the exercise (you could say 'AWOL')and checked in at a nice hotel and kicked it for a week while the rest of his team got 'captured'. Then he dirtied himself up, snuck back on base, and ended up with a commendation in his jacket for evading one of the best S&C teams in the world. He should have been cashiered but he cooked up some cock and bull story that mostly got a wink and a nod"
Your buddy is full of it. The "excerise" part is held out in the middle of the desert or way up in the Maine woods. You don't even know where the hell you are when it starts!
What the heck are you smoking? SERE school is in the Pacific Northeast, for chrissakes!
Maine woods! Bahahahaha!