Personnel Recovery in Tempest

Text: Marcell Burillák | Photo: Tünde Rácz | 13:02 April 2, 2026

Three weeks spent in an uninhabited forested area, at most a couple hours of sleep on end, food deprivation for up to several days, shelter-building from one own’s equipment, water purification, practical shooting, close quarters combat – this is how Charlie, the top-level course in Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) training can be summed up in a few words. During the course, Hungarian soldiers practiced air extraction in Csobánka on 30 March.

“The personnel had quite a hard night. Thanks God for the extreme weather, because it increases the value of the training” – reported Captain Attila Kordás, Head of the Special Survival Training Branch of the HDF NCO Academy about NATO’s most challenging course, which is running with the participation of 11 Hungarian soldiers.

The basic objective of SERE is to increase the survivability of pilots with irreplaceable combat value” – pointed out Captain Kordás. Those completing the Alpha and Bravo courses may apply to the top-level Charlie course, which is organized here in Hungary by the HDF NCO Academy. It is interesting to note that last year, one of the courses at the Academy already received soldiers from allied armed forces.

Entering the last week of the training, having already been trained in various extraction procedures, the personnel – recruited from army scouts and SOF operators as well as trainer candidates of other units – lined up in rain, mud and strong wind. Of the personnel recovery (PR) techniques used on the ground, in the water and in the air, this time they were practicing the last one mentioned.

The course schedule includes first the basic survival methods, then the procedures used to contact one’s own extraction force. Today, the participants can demonstrate in extreme conditions what they are able to do in real-world situations. I’m sure that they already look forward to extraction” – said Captain Kordás before a H225M helicopter of the Hungarian Defence Forces appeared above the Csobánka training area.

Despite the difficult circumstances, the personnel passed the exam well: the rescuers soon found the designated points and smoothly extracted their comrades who were stuck according to the fictitious situation. “As the pilots may become isolated easily from their own unit, on this course they must learn how to survive and how to get into contact with their comrades” – explained Sergeant First Class János Ádám, NCO trainer at the Special Survival Training Branch of the HDF NCO Academy.

The final exam week of the course has a number of surprise tasks in store for the personnel. Their trainers say that the key is adaptation, since in a real-world operational situation, soldiers waiting for rescue cannot know what is in store for them. To make sure that they won’t forget the skills acquired here, the trainers have the participants repeat all tasks and procedures.