JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas (March 19, 2019) -- Critical survival training for Army Soldiers whose duties place them at a higher risk of capture or isolation is transitioning to a new contractor following award by the Mission and Installation Contracting Command contracting office at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia.
The contract in support of the Army Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape School at Fort Rucker, Alabama, calls for full spectrum of Level C instruction including short range marksmanship and academics training as well as support services such as role players and training support.
"The SERE course ensures each student graduates with the confidence and appropriate proficiency level to employ SERE and individual personnel recovery tactics, techniques and procedures necessary to survive and return with honor," said Lance Beuschel, director of the MICC-Fort Eustis contracting office. "Our award of this contract ensures that Soldiers are taught those valuable skills."
Valued at almost $43 million, the contract was awarded to Solkoa Inc. and includes four option year periods, according to Oscar Clark, a contract specialist with the MICC-Fort Eustis contracting office. Originally awarded in August 2018, Clark said phase-in with the new contractor got underway in January following a protest and is expected to be complete by the end of this month.
Officers who have branched aviation are required to graduate from the Army Level C SERE School at Fort Rucker or another similar school prior to attending flight school. SERE training is also suggested for enlisted aircrew members, snipers, military attaches as well as personnel assigned to units or duty positions such as reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition battalions and intelligence. The school also trains Soldiers expected to operate outside secure bases among others.
The Army SERE program training curriculum consists of 21 consecutive days of phased training that provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to survive, evade, resist and escape in all global environments and potential captivity scenarios.
Fort Rucker's 1st Battalion, 145th Aviation Regiment is responsible for a variety of basic, career and advanced leader development and professional education courses for branch and warrant officers as well as aviation maintenance and survivability training. The battalion also commands the Army SERE school.
Following contract award, administration of the acquisition now shifts to the MICC contracting office at Fort Rucker.
About the MICC:
Headquartered at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, the Mission and Installation Contracting Command consists of about 1,500 military and civilian members who are responsible for contracting goods and services in support of Soldiers as well as readying trained contracting units for the operating force and contingency environment when called upon. MICC contracts are vital in feeding more than 200,000 Soldiers every day, providing many daily base operations support services at installations, facilitate training in the preparation of more than 100,000 conventional force members annually, training more than 500,000 students each year, and maintaining more than 14.4 million acres of land and 170,000 structures.
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