Trek

From USAFA Folklore

The Trek was the portion of SERE where cadets spent three days evading simulated enemy troops while navigating through the woods.

Travel teams of three cadets used land navigation skills to move from one partisan checkpoint to the next at specified times. This involved traveling 1/3 of the way below the ridgeline to prevent being detected by enemy troops. Cadets camoflaged their skin and wore leaves and branches in their clothes to avoid detection. Cadets on the Trek could be captured by enemy troops and taken to an additional resistance portion of the training called The Cage.

Cadets were to find and purify their own water, which could be a challenge during periods of drought. Sometimes cadets would need to dig for ground water. Two MREs, a K-ration, and the cadet's home-made beef jerky was the provided food for the multiple day adventure.

Surviving downpours and lightening storms and running into startled tourists made the Trek interesting.