If
you are in a combat
situation, find a place where you can conceal yourself from the enemy.
Remember, security takes priority. Use your senses of hearing, smell,
and sight
to get a feel for the battlefield. What is the enemy doing? Advancing?
Holding
in place? Retreating? You will have to consider what is developing on
the
battlefield when you make your survival plan.
Size Up Your
Surroundings
Determine
the pattern of the
area. Get a feel for what is going on around you. Every environment,
whether
forest, jungle, or desert, has a rhythm or pattern. This rhythm or
pattern
includes animal and bird noises and movements and insect sounds. It may
also
include enemy traffic and civilian movements.
Size Up Your
Physical
Condition
The
pressure of the battle
you were in or the trauma of being in a survival situation may have
caused you
to overlook wounds you received. Check your wounds and give yourself
first aid.
Take care to prevent further bodily harm. For instance, in any climate,
drink
plenty of water to prevent dehydration. If you are in a cold or wet
climate, put
on additional clothing to prevent hypothermia.
Size Up Your
Equipment
Perhaps
in the heat of
battle, you lost or damaged some of your equipment. Check to see what
equipment
you have and what condition it is in.
Now
that you have sized up
your situation, surroundings, physical condition, and equipment, you
are ready
to make your survival plan. In doing so, keep in mind your basic
physical
needs--water, food, and shelter.
You
may make a wrong move
when you react quickly without thinking or planning. Don't move just for the sake of taking action.
Consider
all aspects of your situation (size up your situation) before you make
a
decision and a move. If you act in haste, you may forget or lose some
of your
equipment. In your haste you may also become disoriented so that you
don't know
which way to go. Plan your moves. Use all your senses to
evaluate
the situation. Note sounds and smells. Be sensitive to temperature
changes. Be
observant.
Spot your location on your map and relate it to the surrounding terrain. This is a basic principle that you must always follow. If there are other persons with you, make sure they also know their location. Always know who in your group, vehicle, or aircraft has a map and compass. Pay close attention to where you are and to where you are going. Do not rely on others in the group to keep track of the route. Constantly orient yourself.
This
information will allow
you to make intelligent decisions when you are in a survival situation.
The
greatest enemies in a survival situation are fear and panic. If
uncontrolled, they
can destroy your ability to make an intelligent decision. They may
cause you to
react to your feelings and imagination rather than to your situation.
They can
drain your energy and thereby cause other negative emotions. Previous
survival
and evasion training and self-confidence will enable you to vanquish
fear and
panic.
In
the
Learn
to use natural objects
around you for different needs. An example is using a rock for a
hammer. No
matter how complete a survival kit you have with you, it will run out
or wear
out after a while. Your imagination must take over when your kit wears
out.
All
of us were born kicking
and fighting to live, but we have become used to the soft life. We have
become
creatures of comfort. We dislike inconveniences and discomforts. What
happens
when we are faced with a survival situation with its stresses,
inconveniences,
and discomforts? This is when the will to live- placing a high value on
living-is
vital. Stubbornness, a
refusal to
give in to problems and obstacles that face you, will give you the
mental and
physical strength to endure.
The
natives and animals of a
region have adapted to their environment. To get a feel of the area,
watch how
the people go about their daily routine. When and what do they eat?
When,
where, and how do they get their food? When and where do they go for
water?
What time do they usually go to bed and get up?
Animal
life in the area can
also give you clues on how to survive. Animals also require food,
water, and
shelter. By watching them, you can find sources of water and food.
WARNING Animals cannot
serve as an absolute guide to what you can eat and drink. Many animals
eat plants that are toxic to humans. |
Keep
in mind that the
reaction of animals can reveal your presence to the enemy.
If
in a friendly area, one
way you can gain rapport with the natives is to show interest in their
tools
and how they get food and water. By studying the people, you learn to
respect
them, you often make valuable friends, and, most important, you learn
how to
adapt to their environment and increase your chances of survival.
Without
training in basic
skills for surviving and evading on the battlefield, your chances of
living
through a combat survival and evasion situation are slight.
Learn
these basic skills now--not
when you are headed for or are in the battle. How you decide to equip
yourself
before deployment will impact on whether or not you survive. You need
to know
about the environment to which you are going, and you must practice
basic
skills geared to that environment. For instance, if you are going to a
desert,
you need to know how to get water in the desert.
Practice
basic survival
skills during all training programs and exercises. Survival training
reduces
fear of the unknown and gives you self-confidence. It teaches you to live
by
your wits.