I’ll bet the art of SERE peaked at the USAF Academy, late Viet Nam time frame, around 1969-71, as a necessary preparation for the barbarity of the prisons in the north. But, I’ve not seen what they do now. Visiting active duty NCOs who administered SERE for newly trained pilots in the USAF were pretty amazed at what the USAFA Cadet SERE Cadre “got away with”. Of course, with females on campus since the 80s, it is probably all ancient history.
I went through SERE at USAFA in ‘73. The POW’s had returned and they were advisors during our training. It was brutal but I always feel like a wimp knowing that it was only a few weeks for us and the POWs went through it for years. To this date they are my heroes. Went in at 185lbs came out at 160lbs.
I appreciate the training our troops go through — past and present.