Wonder how to survive in the real world? Take a deep thought on these guidelines. (Of course, you are free to interpret and extrapolate for yourself)

Reference: U.S. Army. FM 21-76: U.S. Army Survival Manual. (New York: Dorset Press, 1999).

[S] Size up the situation

The U.S. Army Survival Manual says:

Size up your environment, physical condition, and equipment.

1. Environment - Learn the rhythms of the area you are in.
2. Personal condition - Take stock of any injuries from battle.
3. Equipment - Take stock of the condition of your weapons.

[U] Undue haste makes waste

The manual says:

You may make a wrong move when you react quickly without thinking or planning, and that move may result in your capture or death. 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, and you may become disoriented so that you don’t know which way to go. Plan your moves so that you are prepared to move out quickly without endangering yourself if the enemy is near you.

[R] Remember where you are

The manual says:

Pay close attention to where you are and to where you are going. Do not rely on others present to keep track of the route. Constantly orient yourself.

You should always try to determine, as a minimum, how your location relates to:

1. The location of enemy units and controlled areas.
2. The location of friendly units and controlled areas.
3. The location of local water sources (this is especially important in the desert).
4. Areas that will provide good cover and concealment.

[V] Vanquish fear and panic

The manual says:

The greatest enemies in a combat survival/evasion 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/evasion training and self-confidence will enable you to vanquish fear and panic.

[I] Improvise

The manual says:

This easy-to-come easy-to-replace culture of ours makes it unnecessary for us to improvise. This inexperience in improvisation can be one of the greatest enemies in a survival situation. Learn to improvise.

Take a tool designed for a specific purpose and see how many other uses you can make of it. Learn to use natural things 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 awhile. But your imagination will not. Use it.

[V] Value living

The manual says:

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. So, 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.

The experience and knowledge you have gained through life and through your Army training have bearing on your will to live. Stubbornness, a refusal to give in to problems and obstacles that face you, will give you the mental and physical strength to endure.

[A] Act like the natives

The manual says:

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? These things are important to you as an evader.

[L] Live by your wits, learn basic skills

The manual says:

Without training in basic skills for surviving and evading on the battlefield, your chances of living through a combat survival/evasion situation are slight. The time to learn these basic skills is now — not when you are headed for or are in the battle. How you decide to equip yourself prior to 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.

S.U.R.V.I.V.A.L… I’m sure that the U.S. Army never thought about this particular use of the wisdom that has gotten generations of soldiers through physically perilous situations. But the people we know in the army would be glad that even us “bloggers” have found something worthy in their doctrine. What say you?

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