JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- On a brisk Tuesday morning, 14 strangers, including myself, found ourselves in a classroom at the People Center at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. The only thing more diverse than the range of tools and equipment in front of us was the group of people around the table. From junior airmen to Majors, from doctors to mechanics, everyone brought a unique skill set and perspective. What united us? A shared desire to build resilience and prepare for the challenges our environment could throw at us.
The Arctic Resilience Training course at JBER is a 20-hour program that combines classroom instruction with a night spent in the wilderness. Students have the opportunity to apply survival skills in a real-world, controlled environment. Led by a team of experienced survival instructors, the course challenges participants to adapt and thrive in the harsh Alaska conditions.
“The skills they teach and the orientation they provide are applicable to everyone,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Diana Wolczek-Huseta, a perianesthesia clinical nurse with the 11th Air Force and the medical liaison for ART. “It’s an incredible baseline for anyone who goes through it, plus it’s a huge confidence booster.”
The course started with a seminar on the challenges of cold-weather environments and strategies for remaining resilient in extreme conditions. Key topics include conserving energy, body heat, and natural resources. The first half of the class focuses on theory, setting the foundation for practical applications later in the day.
Next, students are introduced to essential survival tools, including paracord. Instructors demonstrate various knots, such as square knots, bow knots, and trucker hitches, all of which will be applied later in the wilderness. Learning to tie these knots while wearing cold-weather gloves proved challenging, but it was an essential skill, particularly for building shelters.
A recurring phrase throughout the training is “facilitating your own rescue.” Students learn how to signal for help using methods such as large fires or visible SOS markers. Understanding how to make oneself visible from the air is critical to survival, and instructors emphasize this during the course.
Following the classroom session, students board a bus and travel to Camp Madbull, a landing strip on the northern side of the installation. There, we were issued a small black sled containing all the necessary supplies for the night. Though the equipment—a tarp, sleeping bag, fire-starting kit, small shovel, and survival knife—may seem minimal, each item plays a vital role in both survival and facilitating a rescue.
“Learning how to sleep outside during an Alaska winter and survive these extreme conditions is empowering,” said Airman 1st Class Levi Lamb, a recent graduate of the course. “It for sure helped my confidence. I know I can handle myself in an emergency situation, in and out of uniform.”
Upon arriving at Camp Madbull, students are led into the wilderness at the end of the runway and were tested on the skills learned in the classroom. The first challenge: building a shelter. Tying the knots we learned earlier was essential for this task. After constructing shelters from tarps and natural resources, students are tested on their ability to make fire using only flint, steel, and any kindling they could gather from the environment. Starting a sustainable fire proved difficult for most participants, but the experience is a crucial part of the survival process.
Once the shelters were complete and fires roaring, students face the most difficult part of the course: sleeping outdoors in freezing temperatures. In my experience, temperatures dropped to 2 degrees Fahrenheit, with some courses reaching as low as -7 degrees. Sleeping outside requires applying all the techniques we learned keeping movement to a minimum, avoiding sweat, and keeping the face exposed to avoid frostbite, due to sweat forming and freezing.
That evening, as I lay awake in my shelter, it was more than a test of knowledge; it was a test of survival. The cold was intense, but the lessons from the course on conservation of heat, body positioning, and mental fortitude were put to the ultimate test.
The next morning, we were bused back to the classroom, cold and weary, but with high spirits. We had successfully completed the course, more qualified, trained, and equipped to face the unforgiving Arctic.
JBER’s Arctic Resilience Training is more than just a physical challenge. It’s a lesson in resilience, leadership, and the unbreakable bonds formed when people work together against the odds. For me, it’s an experience that will shape my entire career in the Air Force.