SURVIVAL ACTIONS
The following paragraphs expand on the meaning of each letter of the word survival.
Study and remember what each letter signifies because you may some day have to make
it work for you.
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.
Size Up Your Physical Condition
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
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.
U -Use All Your Senses, Undue Haste Makes Waste
You may make a wrong move when you react quickly without thinking or
planning. That move may result in your 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. 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.
R -Remember Where You Are
Spot your location on your map(if you had one) 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. If that person is killed, you
will have to get the map and compass from him. 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. Always try to determine, as a minimum,
how your location relates to:
- The location of local water sources (especially important in the desert).
- Areas that will provide good cover and concealment from weather.
This information will allow you to make intelligent decisions when you are in
a survival situation.
V -Vanquish Fear and Panic
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
training and self-confidence will enable you to vanquish fear and panic.
I -Improvise
In the modern world, we have items available for all our needs. Many of
these items are cheap to replace when damaged. Our easy come, easy go,
easy-to-replace culture makes it unnecessary for us to improvise. This
inexperience in improvisation can be an enemy 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 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.
V -Value Living
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. The experience and knowledge you have
gained through life and any training will have a 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 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 actions
are important to you when you are trying adjust to new territory.
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. Remeber though Animals cannot serve as an absolute guide to what
you can eat and drink. Many animals eat plants that are toxic to humans.
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.
L -Live by Your Wits, But for Now,Learn Basic Skills
Without training in basic skills for surviving, your chances of living through a
survival situation are slight.
Learn these basic skills
NOW: not when you when you need them. 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.
PATTERN FOR SURVIVAL
Develop a survival pattern that lets you beat the enemies of survival. This
survival pattern must include water, food, shelter, fire, first aid, and signals.
The order of importance varys depending on your situation. For example, in a
cold environment, you would need a fire to get warm; a shelter to protect you
from the cold, wind, and rain or snow; traps or snares to get food; a means
to signal friendly aircraft; and first aid to maintain health. If injured, first
aid has top priority no matter what climate you are in. Change your survival pattern
to meet your immediate physical needs as the environment changes.