Air Force names first female SERE specialist to chief master sergeant rank

Tiffany Zaloudek became the first female survival, evasion, resistance, escape specialist to earn the rank of chief master sergeant, the highest enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force, Nov 1.

Although not the first female SERE specialist, when Zaloudek earned her beret in 2007, she broke an eight-year dry spell in which no women had graduated from the specialized training course. Reflecting on her initial recruitment, she remembers her recruiter handing her a SERE brochure with no women in it.

“He told me that he only knew of one woman to ever graduate SERE specialist training and that I didn’t look like the type who would do this job because I was so feminine. Well, that and because I had previously owned a pet rabbit,” Zaloudek said. “I understood SERE was a demanding career path, but I felt I was ready for the challenge.”

SERE specialists like Zaloudek prepare personnel in high risk of isolation for survival across the full range of military operations. If Airmen find themselves isolated anywhere in the world, they must rely on their SERE training to find food, build shelter, evade adversaries, navigate the terrain and assist in their own recovery. Because Airmen rely so heavily on this expertise, SERE specialists need to intimately understand every aspect of survival, evasion, resistance, escape and personnel recovery so they can adequately prepare their students. This means proficiently operating in arctic, coastal, desert, jungle, mountain, urban, water and captivity environments whether the area is friendly or hostile, day or night. SERE specialists must be able to provide basic emergency medical care, avoid capture, operate a parachute, construct shelters that blend into the surroundings, know how to safely procure food and more.

When Zaloudek first began her training, some people doubted her abilities simply due to her gender. They jokingly called her “Combat Barbie” and questioned whether she would make it. Her response to them was always the same: “I don’t know if I’m going to make it, but I’m going to leave it all out there.” 

During SERE specialist training, Zaloudek said her goal was to not only meet but exceed every standard, and she told herself that quitting was never an option. She was determined to be judged on her capabilities, not her gender—she just needed the chance to perform. Training phase after training phase, Zaloudek excelled until she ultimately earned both her beret and recognition as a top performer by the SERE cadre.

Zaloudek recalled her parents—who were initially scared when she announced her plans to become a SERE specialist—attended her graduation and told her how proud they were. 

“Growing up, I just wanted them to be proud of me,” she said. “I was my dad’s shadow; we would do everything together. They taught me to never quit or be afraid of hard work. They actually prepared me really well for the Air Force because, in this Air Force, you have the world at your fingertips if you just put the work in.”

Zaloudek credits the SERE specialist career field for looking beyond gender and evaluating her solely on her performance and execution, not just during training, but throughout her entire career.

“My leaders, colleagues and Airmen saw me giving my all every day,” Zaloudek said. “I wrote a report for Congress on integrating women into special warfare career fields, I played a key role in developing and implementing fitness programs at numerous bases, and I spent my free time volunteering at homeless shelters and assisted living homes. I also became the first woman in USAF SERE to qualify as a Military Free Fall Jumpmaster and Test Parachutist.” Many people throughout her career recognized her hard work, nominating her for awards and even promotions based solely on merit. Even so, some people still diminished her accomplishments by saying she was only successful because she was a woman.

After becoming a SERE specialist, Zaloudek stood out as a woman in the small career field and quickly received a lot of attention. At times, she recalled her extroverted and bubbly personality being mistaken for weakness by others. As a result, Zaloudek went into what she called “survival mode,” feeling like she had to act more reserved, stoic and introverted. According to her, many women she has talked with have experienced the same thing and have chosen to downplay certain aspects of their personalities as a response to unwanted attention or overwhelming accusations that their success is attributed to their gender or looks.

“At first, it felt almost natural to downplay parts of myself as a protective shield, especially when society has such firm ideas on how successful women should look and act,” Zaloudek said. 

However, she added that over the years, she began to regain confidence in herself and to truly believe that there is no “correct” way to be a woman. Zaloudek decided not to let external judgement define her and slowly began reclaiming her identity. Today, she uses her social media platform and her Air Force leadership opportunities to encourage people everywhere, especially women around her, to do the same.

“To all the women out there, please know that strength and femininity go hand-in-hand,” Zaloudek said. “You don’t have to act or look a particular way to do well in a career dominated by men. I personally like wearing makeup and doing my hair; that doesn’t make me less of a SERE specialist. And for those who prefer not to wear makeup or do their hair, that doesn’t make them any less of a woman. You can look however you want to look—within regulation—and be your own brand of woman.”

Zaloudek urges everyone to take the leap towards their career dreams “because you’ll never know what is possible until you try. Train hard, exceed the standards and never quit. Your determination and execution can outweigh any perceived limitations.” She also encourages women not to shy away from service because today’s Air Force accepts uniqueness in uniform while maintaining uniformity and ensuring lethality.

For a throwback to Zaloudek earlier in her career, check out this video: 

If you are interested in joining Zaloudek as a SERE specialist, reach out to your local recruiter and begin training for the physical fitness requirements. Before joining the technical training course potential SERE specialists need to complete eight pull-ups in two minutes, 48 sit-ups in two minutes, 40 push-ups in two minutes, a one and a half mile run in less than 11 minutes.