Forged by Experience: The Journey of Staff Sergeant Joseph Collett, Air Force SERE Specialist Published April 17, 2025 By 1Lt Will Witherow 58th Special Operations Wing KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, NM. -- For Staff Sergeant Joseph Collett, the road to becoming a seasoned SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) specialist in the U.S. Air Force began in 2009 when the housing crisis forced him to reevaluate his career plans. In 2009, Collett was working in ambulance services and held a degree in machining. But as the economy crumbled, so did his sense of career stability. Encouraged by family members who were already in the military, he turned to the Air Force for a new direction. His machining background led him to consider a career as a metal technician. But plans changed quickly when he was denied that job due to depth perception issues discovered during his MEPS evaluation. Still, Collett’s high ASVAB scores opened many doors. A recruiter pitched him options like becoming a medic or pursuing pararescue. As he researched those paths, another role caught his attention: SERE specialist. Collett joined the Air Force in 2009, completed basic training, and began the grueling SERE apprenticeship course at Fairchild AFB. On day 140 of the 162-day program, a critical injury happened when he shattered his toe. The injury set him back, but not for long. With even more determination, he restarted the course and graduated in May 2011 with Class 11-02. From there, Collett began instructing at the 22nd Training Squadron (22 TRS), teaching aircrew how to survive under the most extreme circumstances. His career took him next to Eielson AFB in Alaska, where from 2014 to 2017 he taught at the famed Arctic Survival “Cool School,” equipping personnel with the skills to survive in sub-zero environments. Between 2017 and 2020, Collett was stationed at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona, where he oversaw SERE and Code of Conduct training for A-10 and EC-130 aircrews, ensuring their readiness for deployment. Then in 2020, he joined the 48th Rescue Squadron (RQS), where he worked closely with Pararescuemen (PJs) and integrated SERE training into their rigorous curriculum. His expertise was soon tapped to aid in the recovery of astronauts. He traveled to Florida to assist with astronaut recovery training, preparing personnel for scenarios like water landings or survival emergencies. In May 2022, Collett returned to Fairchild to serve as an instructor at the SERE schoolhouse, this time tasked with training the next generation of SERE instructors. His career has taken him around the world—from Arctic environments to South America and Greenland. “The travel and the people I’ve worked with—that’s been the highlight for me,” he shared. Along the way, Collett even had the chance to show off his skills in another passion: blade smithing. He competed in Forged in Fire on the History Channel, appearing in both Season 3 episode 14 and season 8 episodes 29 and 30 where he was able to show the expertise he learned before joining the Air Force. Whether teaching survival in the Arctic or training astronaut recovery crews for the worst-case scenario, SSgt. Collett’s journey has been anything but typical. And yet, every twist in his path—just like every blade he’s forged—has shaped him to be stronger, more enduring, and sharper.