SEAL Survival Guide (10 page)
Read SEAL Survival Guide Online
Authors: Cade Courtley
Mind Shift
To better illustrate this, imagine the difference between running one lap around a track and running to the next town. Imagine sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner, then imagine making that same plate of food last for twenty days or feed twenty people. Long-haul survival requires not only a particular mindset, but a
mind shift.
The example I like to use is that of a mountain goat, or for you off-roaders, four-wheel low gear. You need to think about gains in inches as you crawl up that mountain, or closer to safety/rescue. These inches become little victories. It’s the one more breath, the one more step, the one more mile, the one more day, the one more sunrise. And the sum of these little victories is your survival.
Let’s say you are in a scenario that will require you to walk a hundred miles to safety. To most people reading that sentence, this will
feel like an impossible task. Now let’s make it more mentally feasible. At a very reasonable pace, you should be able to walk three to four miles in a couple of hours. This will leave you plenty of time with the remainder of the day to eat, drink, and sleep. If you walk only this distance, you will be able to complete this trek in about thirty days. This is a very realistic scenario where each day will bring you closer to your goal: survival.
I often think about what it must have taken for John McCain and the other POWs in the Hanoi Hilton in Vietnam to endure daily physical and mental torture for over seven years. Think about the sum of the pain. Contemplate their situation, and six days on a raft in the middle of the ocean sounds pretty nice.
LONG-HAUL SURVIVAL CHECKLIST
Stay busy.
Set clear objectives.
Savor little victories.
Maintain group cohesion.
Assign individual responsibilities.
Worry about others’ needs.
Focus on the mission, the mission, the mission.
One of the advantages of being an officer in the SEALs was that I always had all eyes on me, which helped me remain at my best. I didn’t have time to think about how absolutely miserable I felt or how physically difficult the situation seemed. I had decisions to make, and they had to be the right calls. If I showed any weakness (such as evidencing the effects of being cold, tired, or nervous), it would trickle down and poison the men and the mission. You will see how you, too, can follow these same rules and take charge during a crisis.