Washington County students learn survival techniques

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Samantha Wagner
  • 934 AW/PA
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL AIR RESERVE STATION --  Staff Sgt. Scott Perlick, a Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Specialist from the 934th Operations Support Squadron instructed students from southern Washington County how to create and deploy a simple snare to catch small prey on August 8.

The class is part of an Air Force Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps Survive and Return class held at Woodbury High School and is offered to all high school students in school district 833, as well as neighboring counties.

"This is a good way to expose students to JROTC, and introduce the program to more potential JROTC students," said Chief Master Sgt. Kathryn Roby, instructor at Park High School, Cottage Grove, Minn. The Survive and Return class is taught jointly by AFJROTC instructors from Woodbury and Park high schools along with various military survival experts.

Perlick was among the military experts from the Air Force Reserve's 934th Airlift Wing, the Minnesota Air National Guard's 133rd Airlift Wing and the Minnesota Army National Guard teaching survival techniques to the group of high school students from southern Washington County. 

Perlick instructed students how to identify what is safe to consume while in the woods. Students were taught to differentiate between edible and poisonous animals, insects, and plants.

Students were then instructed on how to create and set up a simple snare, what types of animals to be targeted, and how to prepare it for consumption.  Perlick demonstrated the making of the snare and deployment onto a tree branch prior to students testing the skill.

This year's camp included life support, physical fitness, map and compass reading, signaling, basic survival medicine, shelters and knots, plants and food, and water procurement.

When not instructing Department of Defense personnel on returning with honor from isolating events, Perlick, along with other SERE specialists from the 934th AW, teach basic survival techniques to local youth groups.

Find out more about Woodbury's AF ROTC program and AF SERE Specialists.