Jelena Vujić is the first Croatian Armed Forces member to complete US Air Force training

On Thursday, 1 February 2024 at the Ministry of Defence, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia and Defence Minister Ivan Anušić met with Sergeant Jelena Vujić, the first Croatian Armed Forces member to graduate from and complete the demanding USAF SERE training.

After undergoing six months of Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape Training in the US, Sergeant Jelena Vujić demonstrated remarkable courage, resourcefulness, and endurance in handling the most challenging survival scenarios under extreme conditions. The Croatian Armed Forces are extremely proud of her as she managed to become one of the world’s five hundred SERE specialists.

“I congratulate Jelena on an exceptional achievement that testifies to the high level of readiness and training of members of the Croatian Armed Forces,” stated the minister.

According to Sergeant Vujić, she learned to push her own boundaries during this rigorous training in America.

“One small detail: we had to survive in the desert for a full day without water,” she said, adding that she was excited to share her knowledge and experience with her CAF colleagues.

The Fairchild Air Force Base, which is situated in eastern Washington State not far from the US-Canada border, served as the training site. Sergeant Vujić tackled extreme conditions in forest, mountain, desert, tropical, ocean, and coastal environments.

Thirty-six out of the fifty-seven candidates that began the training programme finished it successfully. Sergeant Vujić was the only member of the foreign armed forces, and the other participants were American Air Force personnel. The training instructors were seasoned members of the US Armed Forces, and candidates went through every scenario imaginable for survival in the outdoors under all conditions.

Jelena Vujić is the first CAF member to complete US Air Force training.