Back from military jungle survival school

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Our team just got back from Peru after completing the Peruvian Air Force's Jungle and Special Operations Survival School.

The organization and professional nature of this survival school is one of the best I've seen.

Our class (the 'Cascabels') now joins the commandant's wall alongside US astronauts, special forces groups and other special operations personnel that has graduated this school.

We also had the honor of graudating the first US civilian woman from the course and the honor of the first training and adventure company from the US running joint operations with the Peruvian military.

Anyone interested in an awesome survival school operating within strict military discipline with Peruvian Special Forces, should check out the updates at http://www.jungletraining.com/military1.htm Upon complettion you will be awarded a certificate from the Peruvian military during a ceremony with base commanders and the colonel of Group 42. You also receive a banner with your group's name.

The survival school will accept any reasonably fit civilian willing to learn and give their best to complete the course. It's not easy, but the rewards of graduating and the vast amounts of information learned are worth it. The information easly applies to survival in all parts of the world.

During the school you are trained in everything from drown-proofing, communciations, working with rescue aircraft, riverene operations, signaling, first aid, and living with nothing but a knife. It's a bug / snake eating school and gets down and dirty but all of our participants passed with flying colors.

The Travel Channel filmed and documented our school for an upcoming segment of Amazing Adventures.

Our next survival school with the military is in March 2001. The week before this school we will also be running a friendship jump (static, HALO, and sport) with Group 42 - Peru Air Force - as an add-on. The jump will require airborne qualifications for the particular jump anyone wishes to complete and receive Peruvian military wings for.

I will be off again on September 2nd to Tarapoto, Peru where we will be working with special operations groups of the police and military. During this trip we will have Discovery Channel documenting the anti-drug and anti-terrorism efforts of Peru.

Although this is a closed trip not accepting participants, anyone wishing to meet us in Peru will be taken on various side trips into the Andes and jungle with our indigenous team at a very...and I mean VERY reasonable price.

BTW: I used the Al Mar SERE 2000 as a primary folder during the school. Awesome piece and highly suggested. Look for an upcoming review on this piece as well as the Becker Brute and Carnivore D2 in Tactical Knives.

Regards,

Jeff

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Randall's Adventure & Training
jeff@jungletraining.com
 
Jeff, sounds like you had an awesome trip, I'll be watching for the show on the Travel Channel. I'm jealous, the most exotic place I've been lately is the friggin' lumber yard.
 
Jeff, sounds like a fun trip. Can't wait for the SERE 2000 review. When you do the review, can you please compare & contrast it to the Spyderco Military.
 
I'd also like to hear about how the SERE 2000 stacks up against its kin, the venerable SERE Attack. Do you have a picture of the SERE 2000? I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like to see it. The only thing I've seen online is the Auto-SERE (don't get me started
smile.gif
).

Glad to hear you had a great trip.



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-Kevin
Oderint dum metuant
Riddler, Hoodlum, Bon Vivant.
The Polly Klaas Foundation
 
CAman, the SERE is absolutely one of the best purpose designed folders I've used. Throughout the whole trip I had the SERE clipped in the right front BDU pant's pocket and the Military rode in a Kydex sheath built by River City Sheaths, attached to the left shoulder strap on my Becker Patrol Pack.

I talked with Mike at River City Sheaths and told him I needed sheaths for the Al Mar SERE asap. Our whole team is swapping over to the Al Mar as our primary folder in the jungle and I want to carry on the pack in Kydex. Next trip down, each of our team instructors will be equipped with the SERE in Kydex.

As far as comparison to the Military, well, I have zero complaints against the Military but the SERE is a little more heavy duty and rides lower in the pocket when you carry that way. This is a big plus for us since we travel a lot of swamps, snags, and secondary growth. I've lost several folders from getting hung up in the bush. The only exposure the SERE has is the very top of the clip and the outside of the clip. It's difficult to come loose. With that said, for a tactical defense knife the Military deploys a little faster....but I haven't had to cut anyone's throat in the jungle yet
smile.gif
The SERE is a little less obvious when running around 3rd World cities. So it handles the transition well from the pack to the pocket. I will never give up the Military. I'm one of these folks that carries more than one folder anyway. One is usually reserved for rough cutting while the other keeps a keen edge for finish work and meat slicing.

As you can probably see the SERE review will be glowing but it deserves every bit of it. One of the best folders I've used to date for my purposes. VanCook was also well impressed with the blade. He's going to do a slight mod on his and sharpen the false edge about 3/8". I'm happy as it comes from the factory.

ramius, I don't know the Attack model at all so I can't elaborate. I'll try to get a photo up of the SERE 2000. Waiting on film to be developed. Took 36 rolls of 35mm on this trip.

Also reviewed on this trip was a camp knife from Ed Schott, the Brute from Becker Knife and Tool, and Bob Taylor's new D2 Carnivore. Maybe some day I'll get all the reviews written up.

Jeff

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Randall's Adventure & Training
jeff@jungletraining.com
 
Sounds like an ok day job but whaddya do for fun?
smile.gif


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Hoodoo

And so, to all outdoor folks, the knife is the most important item of equipment.

Ellsworth Jaeger - Wildwood Wisdom
 
Thanks Jeff, I appreciate your input... looks like I'm going to have to give the SERE 2000 a serious look! I've always considered the Al Mar SERE Attack as the prototypical folding survival knife... sounds like a worthy descendent.

Anyone seen one for sale? I did a quick check around the net and couldn't find one.

Looking forward to your pictures! And thanks again.



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-Kevin
Oderint dum metuant
Riddler, Hoodlum, Bon Vivant.
The Polly Klaas Foundation
 
This is not an easy question as you are young,Jeff,but how do you think the USJWTC circa 1966 would stack up?
 
FNG, you're right about the young part. I was just a few years old in '66 so I have not a clue as to the jungle warfare schooling. The peruivan school is an accelerated jungle survival class and falls far short of jungle warfare schooling. The school is mainly designed around specializied training for special forces, pilots, etc. From my conversations with Cresson Kearney about the US school, I think the jungle survival portion of the Peruvian school is probably one of the best out there, and from personal knowledge of the jungle, I know it's good.

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Randall's Adventure & Training
jeff@jungletraining.com
 
Here is a pic of the sere 2000:

amk-s2k.jpg


Chris Christman of Top of Texas knives recommended it to me. He was impressed with the quality. I value Chris's opinion. He hasn't steered me wrong yet. Chris's opinion coupled with Jeff Randall's real life use has sold me on the knife and I haven't seen it, yet. I ordered one a few days ago. The fact that Jeff's whole team is going to this knife really says something. Jeff, why do you think this knife isn't getting more attention?

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Dennis Bible
 
Dennis, don't know why this piece is not getting more attention. For our uses it's the best folder to come along in a long while. I suspect it will become real popular once the word gets around on the fit, finish, quality, smoothness, and general built-like-a-tank features. I cant find anything I don't like about it.

BTW: the production models have the Al Mar logo and name on the blade just in front of the thumb stud. The photo doesn't show that here.

Jeff


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Randall's Adventure & Training
jeff@jungletraining.com
 
Jeff, thanks for the info. As a graduate of LTC. Rowes 2d Instructor course in May of '81, I've been watching and waiting for a tool like this that fits my needs. I ordered it last nite after reading your post and it should be here tomorrow. The old model was just too big to carry on a regular basis w/o a sheath. Thanks again.
 
The mailman just delivered my sere 2000. Jeff you were absolutely right! This is one of the best folders I have seen in quite awhile. The fit and finish are superb. Ergonomics are great. This is one fine folder. Thanks for the recomendation.

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Dennis Bible
 
Dennis, in my opinion it's probably the best folder to hit the market in a long time. I don't know what Al Mar's production schedule looks like but I suspect once the blade gets some press, the lines to get one may become longer. That's the reason we're equipping all of our team now. We will continue to review and carry other folders in Latin America but the Al Mar will definitley be our 'offical' folding knife for survival training and team adventures.

If anyone's interested, there are a couple other threads running on the SERE at:
http://pub2.ezboard.com/flivesayknivesclosequarterscombat.showMessage?topicID=250.topic
http://pub2.ezboard.com/frtaknivesgear.showMessage?topicID=113.topic

Best regards,

Jeff

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Randall's Adventure & Training
jeff@jungletraining.com
 
Hello Jeff!
So nice to hear some real first hand experience as opposed to theoretical armchair-type analysis...

My question: have you ever tested the Starmate as an alternative to the Military? I have both and I feel that the Starmate is just a little bit more "blade-heavy" and tough, maybe that's the little thing that you are missing from the Military.
 
Jeff,
Just wanted you to know that I got this knife today and the fit and finish are quite nice and I appreciate all the advice you and Dennis have given regarding this piece.

Now, I must go cut and cut long and hard......
smile.gif



Thanks,

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~Greg Mete~
Kodiak Alaska
 
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