The Level C Survival , Evasion/Escape, Resistance, Extraction (S.E.R.E) training is intended primarily for the personnel assigned with duties with inherent high risk of isolation and estrangement from friendly forces. The trainees acquire the skills necessary to perform Survival , Evasion/Escape, Resistance, Extraction (S.E.R.E). The Level C training is primarily intended for the individuals assigned with duties with inherent high risk of isolation and separation from friendly forces. The traineees acquire the skills necessary to survive, evade the enemy forces and resist the exploitation in any capture situation, to improvise and use the personnel effects and the environment to increase the chances of exfiltration. The Survival, Evasion/Escape, Resistance, Extraction training was conducted in the Training Range “Eugen Kvaternik” near Slunj from 9  – 20 April 2018. It was administered by the instructors of the International Military Operations Training Centre (IMOTC), with Captain Renata Kuković Novosel as Training Administrator, for a total of ten trainees who familiarised with the tactics and techniques of the four procedures which they later applied in a final 72-hour continuous drill. Cpt  Koković Novosel commended the work and progress made by the excellent and announced two  S.E.R.E. training  events at the Level-C training to take place in 2018. r. “The training is intended for the individuals assigned with tasks with inherent high risk of isolation and separation from friendly forces, and its objective is to provides the training in the skills to increase the chances to survive and maintain honour returning to friendly side control“.    The ten graduates from the first Level C  S. E.R.E. in 2018 were presented with the certificates by the Commander of the IMOTC, Lt. Col.  Ivan Miloš. The previous training rounds were administered in the Barracks “Josip Jović” at Udbina in 2015, in the military training ground “Gakovo” in 2016 and in the training site  “Cerovac” near Karlovac in 2017. Having completed the Level C S.E.R.E the trainees acquired the knowledge necessary  to survive, evade, resist and extract as well as skills necessary to oppose the enemy search  in any capture situations, improvise  and use the personal equipment and the environment to increase the chances of exfiltration. The S.E.R.E. training is conducted at the levels A, B and C (low, moderate and high estimated risk of isolation and/or exploitation), and is intended primarily for the members of the Croatian Armed Forces executing the duties involving risk of isolation or captture, for the members of the special forces and long range recce, the military pilots and air crews, but also for the personnel designated for actions outside the controlled security area.

The International Military Operations Centre (the IMOTC) is the authority implementing the S.E.R.E. training at all levels for members of the Croatian Armed Forces  and the officials  assigned with duties that entail substantial threat of isolation and / or exploitation. The Level  A  S.E.R.E. training should in future become mandatory for all members of the Croatian Armed Forces, and is currently provided upon the request from a unit, seeking to include all members leaving the borders of the Republic of Croatia and estimated to be  at low level of risk of isolation and / or exploitation. The Level B S.E.R.E. training is conducted four times a year with the individuals at  medium risk of isolation or abuse, whereas the C-level is intended for high- risk duties. The levels B and C can only be administered by the certified IMOTC instructors. The isolation of members of one’s own or friendly forces during an operation and their capture can have a far-reaching negative effect on the operational capability and morale, and also a negative publicity. For that reason the in 2008 a Personnel Recovery (PR) doctrine was developed, comprising measures and procedures aimed at exfiltration and return of the members of the friendly forces who end up in isolation or capture. One of its most important segments is training the members to survive, evade/escape, resist and extract (Survival, Evasion/Escape, Resistance, Extraction the S.E.R.E.training). The success of NATO-led peace support operations is largely determined by the standardised pre-deployment training of member nations NATO members; standardisation is achieved through the binding guiidelines of the Allied Command Operations (ACO) and the adoption of STANAGs as national military norms, The objective of standardisation is to achieve a uniform level of preparedness of the members deployed to the area of operations. The  S.E.R.E. Training for the members of the Croatian Armed Forces is administered in accordance with the respective NATO standards and in collaboration with the U.S. partners, and integrating the former experiences and lessons learned.