[Seahawk]

I went through SERE in 83...water boarding was used as, "theater", generally in front of the whole class.

I was very lucky...I made it to "Freedom Village" during the evasion phase and got a sandwich. They attached a washer to my fatigues, along with the other two guys that made it, and off we went to camp after the evasion cycle was complete. It seems you can't be water boarded within a certain amount of time after eating.

I saw one water boarding during the initial interrogation and was very happy it wasn't me. Resistance phase began.

The next 24 hours in camp was a myriad of hard and soft cell stuff...we had a very good XO who organized the herd very well.

I was WB'd, along with the other two guys that made it to Freedom Village, on the morning of the last day of SERE, more than 24 hours after my snack.

I can tell you the sensation was one of the most unpleasant, yet not painful, experiences if I ever had. I did ok on the first run, not so on the second...this was all done in front of the whole class and frankly I didn't want to embarrass myself, that was first and foremost on my mind. I had also kayaked most of my life so the sensation of water in my oxygen tract was not exactly new. I had to get through the first bucket, that was my goal, my immediate aim.

The purpose of SERE is to instruct, to inform. I learned a lot.