MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- No matter the environment, Airmen must be prepared to survive if a mission doesn’t go as planned. It is the job of a Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape specialist to train Airmen to be ready for the most remote and hostile environments.
As the NCO in charge of MacDill SERE operations, Tech. Sgt. Jesse Soboleski, managed fifteen overseas training missions, preparing 38 joint, NATO units in SERE strategies in 2018.
Because of his efforts, Soboleski was named Air Mobility Command’s Specialist NCO of the year and will move on to compete at the Air Force level.
“Soboleski knows how to have fun but also how to teach a class well,” explained SrA Tyler Abell, 6th Operations Support Squadron SERE augmentee. “He’s a great instructor and is very deserving of the award.”
SERE specialists recover personnel for operations ranging from regional conflicts to small-scale contingencies. Soboleski is also the lead SERE expert for U.S. Central Command and recently deployed supporting SOUTHCOM as deputy director of Personnel Recovery.
“Ultimately, he worked across large functions and organizations to bring in a lot of expensive equipment to help individuals that may be isolated,” describes Maj. Benjamin Hedges, AMC Combat Support Flight Commander. “By doing this, he increased the effectiveness of these individuals being recovered due to their work to garner and deliver the important equipment.”
Soboleski continues training joint personnel, such as aircrew, by immersing them in survival scenarios. At the end of the day, his dedication prepares warfighters, increasing their chances of making it home safely.